Career
After serving in the navy during WWII, Alexander joined Adolph Duncan's Band as a pianist. He then joined the B. B. King band. Soon King departed for Los Angeles and Bobby Bland joined the army. Alexander took over vocal duties and renamed the band The Beale Streeters,[1] also taking over King's WDIA radio show.
Becoming "Johnny Ace", he signed to Duke Records (originally a Memphis label associated with WDIA) in 1952 . My Song, his first recording, topped the R&B charts for 9 weeks in September. (My Song was covered in 1968 by Aretha Franklin.)
Ace began heavy touring, often with Willa Mae "Big Mama" Thornton. In the next two years, he had eight hits in a row, including "Cross My Heart," "Please Forgive Me," "The Clock," "Yes, Baby." and "Never Let Me Go." In December, 1954 he was named the Most Programmed Artist Of 1954 after a national DJ poll organized by U.S. trade weekly Cash Box.
Ace's recordings sold very well for those times. Early in 1955, Duke Records announced that the three 1954 Johnny Ace recordings, along with Thornton's "Hound Dog", had sold more than 1,750,000 records.
Death
After touring for a year, Ace had been performing at the City Auditorium in Houston, Texas on Christmas 1954. During a break between sets, a drunken Ace allegedly decided to play a game of Russian Roulette. He aimed a .45 caliber revolver at his girlfriend, Olivia Gibbs, and pulled the trigger. He then attempted to shoot her friend, Mary Carter. Both times, the hammer fell on an empty chamber. He then swiftly turned the gun on himself and ended his life.
The official story has always been that Ace killed himself playing Russian roulette, but there have been rumors that Johnny Ace was murdered by Don D. Robey. The only official witnesses were record company owner Don D. Robey, who Ace had been trying to renegotiate his contract with, and singer Big Mama Thornton. Both Robey and Thornton testified that Ace killed himself; both went to their graves without ever changing their story — and without convincing many insiders that Johnny hadn't been murdered.
Big Mama Thorton in a written statement (included in the book The Late Great Johnny Ace) said during the investigation that Ace had been playing with the gun, but not playing Russian Roulette. According to Thornton, Ace pointed the gun at his girlfriend and another woman who were sitting nearby, but did not fire. He then pointed the gun toward himself. The gun went off, shooting him in the side of the head.
Ace's January 2, 1955 funeral at Memphis' Clayborn Temple AME church was attended by an estimated 5000 people.
Tributes
Paul Simon wrote a song called "The Late Great Johnny Ace" (on his Hearts and Bones album) that references Johnny Ace's death as well as John Lennon's and John Kennedy's. He performed the song solo during a reunion concert with Art Garfunkel in Central Park in 1981. A fan rushed the stage during the song and was quickly arrested. Simon then completed the song. The incident was shown on the concert video on HBO, but the song was excluded from the live album from that concert.
Rock band Dash Rip Rock has written, recorded & released a song named "Johnny Ace" which tells the story of Johnny Ace's life and death.
Will Oldham (as Palace Music) released a 45 "Gezundeit/Let the Wires Ring" in 1995, "Let the wires ring" last verse mentions Johnny Ace's death.
"Next wave wash your pretty face/ And keep in mind that Johnny Ace/ Was drunk, was fucked, was not on stage/ When he made that silly move he made/ And only after once dead we/ Adore him more, adore that money/ After when his corpse was cool/ That ugly memorable fool/ Who shot the Christmas spirit down/ And lit a fame, that half-made clown."
(full lyrics: http://pry.com/pulpit/lyrics/wiresring.html)
His biggest song, the haunting Pledging My Love, became a hit posthumously in 1955 . His single sides were compiled and released as The Johnny Ace Memorial Album.
David Allan Coe released his tribute version of "Pledging My Love" first on the 1981 album 'Tennessee Whiskey' and then later on his 1990 album 'Headed For The Country'.
Johnny Ace and "Pledging My Love" are mentioned in the early Sam Shepard one-act play Cowboy Mouth.
An early scene in Charles Burnett's 1977 film, Killer of Sheep, includes the line "Going out like Johnny Ace."
He is one of the names mentioned in the television adaptation of Stephen King's short story You Know They Got a Hell of a Band from Nightmares & Dreamscapes. Ace is one of the late musical legends set to appear on stage.
"The Night Johnny Ace Died," short fiction by James Lee Burke, appears in the March 2007 issue of Esquire magazine.
Discography
1952 Remember I Love You (SUN, unissued)
1952 I Cried Last Night (SUN, unissued)
1952 My Song / Follow the Rule (Duke 102) - with Beale Streeters
1953 Cross my Heart / Angel (Duke 107) - with Beale Streeters
1953 The Clock / Aces Wild (Duke 112) - Ace playing piano
1954 Midnight Hours Journey / Trouble And Me (Earl Forrest) (rerelease of 1951 Flair 1015)
1954 Saving my Love for You / Yes, Yes, Baby (Duke 118)
1954 Please Forgive Me / You've Been Gone So Long (Duke 128)
1954 Never Let Me Go / Burley Cutie (Duke 132)
1954 Pledging My Love / No Money (Duke 136) (posthumous release, 12 Feb 1955) - #1 on R&B charts for 10 weeks, US pop charts #17.
1955 Anymore / How Can You Be So Mean (Duke 144) - 10" 78rpm
1956 So Lonely/ I'm Crazy Baby (Duke 148)
1956 Don't You Know / I Still Love You So (Duke 154)
1955 Johnny Ace Memorial Album (Duke LP-70) - 10" EP
1974 Johnny Ace Memorial Album (ABC/Duke DLPX71)
Angel
Johnny Ace Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You may not know, but it's true
Oh my dear, you're an angel
I'll always be in love with you
You may not know, but you haunt me
You may not know, but you do
I dream for you just to one day
You're just, just like an angel
So tender and mile
Still, the devil is in you
You're about to, 'bout to drive me wild
You may not know, but I want you
You may not know, but I do
Oh my dear, you're an angel
I'll always be in love with you
I'll always be in love with you
In "Angel," Johnny Ace expresses his love and admiration for someone who may not even know it. He sings about how this person is like an angel, with a tenderness and mildness that is incredibly attractive, but also acknowledges that there is a certain wildness or devilishness in this person that can be overwhelming. Johnny Ace's lyrics suggest that he is almost addicted or obsessed with this person, constantly dreaming of them and wanting them, even if they may not reciprocate his feelings.
The beauty of this song lies in the duality of the angel and devil imagery - Johnny Ace is drawn to this person because they are like an angel, but he also sees the dangerous and thrilling side to their personality. The lyrics are simple, but convey a deep sense of longing and desire. Johnny Ace's smooth, soulful voice adds to the romantic atmosphere of the song.
Overall, "Angel" is a classic love song that captures the intensity of being in love with someone who may not know it or feel the same way. Johnny Ace's lyrics are poetic and heart-wrenching, and his soulful voice makes this song a timeless classic.
Line by Line Meaning
You may not know, but I love you
I have feelings for you that you may not be aware of
You may not know, but it's true
Despite your lack of knowledge, my love for you is real
Oh my dear, you're an angel
To me, you are like an angel in your tenderness and beauty
I'll always be in love with you
My love for you will never falter or fade away
You may not know, but you haunt me
You have a significant impact on my thoughts and emotions, whether or not you realize it
You may not know, but you do
Your actions and presence affect me deeply, even if you are unaware
I dream for you just to one day
I hope and dream that one day we will be together
I dream of you, only you
My dreams are populated only by thoughts and images of you
You're just, just like an angel
I can't help but compare you to an angel in your tenderness and beauty
So tender and mild
Your gentle and loving nature is like a soothing balm to me
Still, the devil is in you
Despite your angelic qualities, there is a part of you that is seductive and tempting
You're about to, 'bout to drive me wild
Your seductive nature is causing me to feel out of control
You may not know, but I want you
My desire for you may not be apparent, but it is present
You may not know, but I do
I am fully aware of my feelings for you
Contributed by Nora F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Roosevelt Davis
This legend recorded 21-songs total. After that,well...you all know the rest. RIP Mr. Ace. You were unforgettable.
Tony Kelly
Wow. I did not know that he took his own life playing with a gun. So sad. Continue to rest in peace. Mr. Johnny Ace.
Leslie Goffe
Tony Kelly Leslie
Nicole Holford Lockney
This song is the 4th song Johnny Ace recorded, and the first of fourteen he recorded at my grandfather Bill Holford’s ACA Studios. It was recorded in August or September 1952 and is number 2268 in the ACA master log book (mis)labeled 1953–1954. Johnny Ace co-wrote “Angel” with David James Mattis, founder of Duke Records.
https://digital.lib.uh.edu/collection/2011_011/item/156/show/63 Note that Big Mama Thornton’s original version of Hound Dog is logged on the same page!
Johnny ReadallLobato
Nicole Holford Lockney —Wasn’t Big Mama Thornton one of the first to find him after he shot himself that Christmas day he shot himself? . . . . I’ve always been a Johnny Ace fan since my older sister would play his memorial album in the late 60’s. . . . R.I.P. Johnny Ace!
William Butler
I was just a young buck, living in the Trumbull homes, in Warren ohio,when we got the word that he had committed suaside,I was seventeen years old,
Nicole Holford Lockney
@Johnny ReadallLobato Big Mama Thornton was with Johnny Ace at the time and saw him shoot himself — or rather, she had just looked away but heard the shot, turned around and saw him fall to the floor. He had been playing around with the gun, which he believed would not shoot. It was definitely an accident, not Russian Roulette as so many people claim. Big Mama’s witness statement to the police remains the best source on what actually happened.
Nicole Holford Lockney
@William Butler That must have been such a terrible shock! Btw, what happened was misrepresented at the time, and still is, by most sources. According to Big Mama Thornton’s statement to the police, he did not intend to kill himself. He was recklessly playing around with the gun (not Russian Roulette, since he kept saying the gun would not shoot) when it went off. Such a tragedy!
Harold Dottin
@Johnny ReadallLobato When the shot rang out everybody who was backstage found him. Including Clarence Gatemouth Brown
Ma'at TV-DMV
My mom and dad met on this song and had their first dance. ❤️