Johnny Ace (June 9, 1929 – December 25, 1954), born John Marshall Alexander… Read Full Bio ↴Johnny Ace (June 9, 1929 – December 25, 1954), born John Marshall Alexander, Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee, the son of a preacher. He was one of the stars of U.S. rhythm and blues singing.
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)
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)
So Lonely
Johnny Ace Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'So Lonely' by these artists:
19. Tech N9ne So lonely, so lonely So lonely, so lonely Yeah When I came u…
5¢ Deposit It's not O.K. It happens to me every day it's in my…
A.M Driving by the window where you work Is when I should've…
AM Driving by the window where you work Is when I should've…
AM (Pop/Rock) Driving by the window where you work Is when I should've…
Bad Jokes It's time to surrender Your dreams are falling down on my…
Berner Without my guns, I feel so lonely Without my chips bitch,…
Blind Fury; Mackenzie O'Guin; Tech N9ne So lonely, so lonely So lonely, so lonely Yeah When I cam…
Chevy P [Talkin: Chevy P] So talented I am Oh! this rap shit gon…
Chris Sorbello Ever so lonely Ever so lonely without you Ever so lonely Sin…
delofamilia Just a little moment I know I will find you through it About…
DJ Feel & Vadim Spark & Chris Jones I feel so bad I′ve got no one to rely on Will…
Drag the River You must be so lonely It's written on your face Right or…
EAST END×YURI 聞こえているの 消え入りそうな願いの声 口づけかわす 口もとさえも今はもう Lost in your heart 濡れ…
EASY FREAK I've been searching round & round, Looking through this whol…
Eve St. Jones Come on - Joey get out of school We got places…
Feel Vadim Spark Chris Jones I feel so bad I've got no-one to rely on Will we…
G.Roy & NyK Detlor Said I'm so gone Tickets sold out I can't even find a…
Good Golly! It's Mr. Nick! Oh I did my best Oh how i’ve tried So close to…
Harry & Alex Don't blame me for fallin' I was just a little boy Don't…
J-Zone 7 billion people on this earth Didn't think that I'd be…
J.A.M. Your love was like a drug You had me sprung Every touch…
Jackson Stone Let's get with it Can I take you out treat you…
Jakatta Well someone told me yesterday, That when you throw your lov…
Jamie T Trying to find a way to get off this depression Cant…
Joe Budden See the haters is still soupin' and Y'all ain't happy to…
Junkyard Saints Prabhu yeshu tu mahan sab se ucha tera nam tere…
KÜCHE - The Police Well someone told me yesterday That when you throw your love…
Lil Suzy I feel so lonely I can't stop thinking of you The…
Limbeck Well someone told me yesterday That when you throw your love…
Living End (The) We may be small but that's alright Sleep all day…
Loudness So far away You've been gone all the while I'm feeling…
Mackenzie O'Guin So lonely, so lonely So lonely, so lonely Yeah When I came u…
Mariah Carey (Darkchild, Darkchild) It's ya boy Twista That girl Mariah …
Mariah Carey feat. Twista (Darkchild) It's ya boy Twista, that girl Mariah It's th…
MariahCarey Its ya boy twista That girl Mariah This that fiyah I've…
Matt McAndrew Where were you, when I was on the line? Playing truth…
maxim novitskiy So lonely ... Last night you slept alone Last night you stay…
Morgain Listening to the warning, warning of the past Nobody is tal…
Mozzy Block shit, when we out, nobody's comin' out (Yung Lan…
Nouvelle Vague Well, someone told me yesterday That when you throw your lo…
Nouvelle Vague - www.baixemusicascompletas.blog.br Well, someone told me yesterday That when you throw your lov…
Novaspace Well, someone told me yesterday That when you throw your lo…
Pasukan Lima Jari Pagi Pagi pagi sendiri Papi Mami pergi ga permisi Ga ninggal…
Petrus We met a long time ago And shared our lives And I…
PJ Morton feat. Wale Yeah, yeah Oh, ya-ya-ya, yeah-huh Can't figure out how we a…
Police Well someone told me yesterday That when you throw your love…
Sonya Kitchell It's been a long, a long, long day, oh why? I…
Sting Well, someone told me yesterday That when you throw your lo…
Sting & The Police/The Police Well someone told me yesterday That when you throw your love…
T.S.T Every time I see you walkin' down the street with…
T.S.T. Sometimes I get So lonely…
Tai Ji 留低的记忆不断追逐 但仍旧象以往心痛 随她的背影一静一动 象一切是个梦 寻找到爱恋可是孤独 但谁愿为你细倾诉 让灯光透出…
Tech N9ne So lonely, so lonely So lonely, so lonely Yeah When I came u…
Tech N9ne Blind Fury & Mackenzie O'Guin So lonely, so lonely So lonely, so lonely Yeah When I cam…
Tech N9ne Blind Fury Mackenzie O'Guin So lonely, so lonely So lonely, so lonely Yeah When I came u…
Tech N9ne ft. Blind Fury & Mackenzie O'Guin So lonely, so lonely So lonely, so lonely Yeah When I cam…
The Bleeders And through it all These blood she'd tears Don?t count for n…
The Everly Brothers Every time I see you walkin' down the street with…
The Hippos Well someone told me yesterday That when you throw your love…
The Hollies Every time I see you walking down The street with…
The Living End We may be small but that's alright Sleep all day…
The Living End (Runaway Boys) We may be small but that's alright Sleep all day…
The Police Well someone told me yesterday That when you throw your love…
The Steel Wheels When the sun's sinking down, I make my bed on…
The Superjesus I saw you walking away, I caught my breath Without…
The Sweet Remains Well someone told me yesterday That when you throw your love…
The Whigs SHE’S BRINGING ME BACK TO 1960 AGAIN WHEN WE MET ON…
Tim Buckley Oh, I don't get no letters Nobody calls Nobody comes 'round …
Twista (Darkchild, Darkchild) It's ya boy Twista That girl Mariah …
Twista (Feat. Mariah Carey) (Darkchild) It's ya boy Twista, that girl Mariah It's th…
Twista Feat. Mariah Carey (Darkchild, Darkchild) It's ya boy Twista That girl Mariah …
Twista ft Mariah (Darkchild) It's ya boy Twista, that girl Mariah It's th…
Twista Mariah Carey (Darkchild, Darkchild) It's ya boy Twista That girl Mariah …
Twista/Mariah Carey (Darkchild) It's ya boy Twista, that girl Mariah It's th…
Waltham Driving by the window where you work Is when I should've…
¡Nappo! - The Show Yeah it ain't fair but what the fuck y'all thinkin You…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Johnny Ace:
Angel You may not know, but I love you You may not…
Anymore Now darling, I proved I really love you And I've always…
Cross My Heart I cross my heart And I hope to die If I should…
My Song You told me, That you would leave me here in tears. But…
Never Let Me Go Just let me love you tonight. Forget about tomorrow. My da…
Please Forgive Me Please forgive me, I've been wrong all my life. Please forg…
Pledgin My Love Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
Pledging My Life Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
Pledging My Love Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
Pleding My Love Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
Saving My Love For You You said you want me, baby, I'm glad I feel so…
The Clock I looked at the face of the clock on the…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Nicole Holford Lockney
My grandfather Bill Holford recorded this gorgeous song for Duke Records at his ACA Studios in Houston in January 1954, but it wasn’t released until January 1956. It’s the B-side of “I’m Crazy, Baby” and is number 2799 in the ACA master log book for 1953–1990. Johnny Ace wrote this one himself.
Yvonne Watts
Walk around in circles and I don't know where to goooo!!! I love this song!!!!
tatubert82
Real deep down blues ... great song ... TY for sharing!! RIP Johnny
Vincent Reed
Good song...
Sadsack Kvisling
Longing. With a fine backing band.
Ronnie Reza
Nice
Celeste Milenia
Aún te pienso
Mile
Y te seguire pensando