Johnny Ace would have been 84 today...

Johnny Ace was born on this day in Memphis in 1929. He died of a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head at the age of 25 on Christmas night, 1954 between sets at the City Auditorium in Houston, TX.

"Depositions given by three witnesses indicate at least five people were in the dressing room, including Olivia Gibbs and her friend Mary Carter, who had a pint of vodka she was sharing with people as they came into the room. The events are described in deposition below, given to authorities by Willie Mae (Big Mama) Thornton at 12:40 A.M. on December 26, 1954:

We arrived at the City Auditorium at around 7:20 p.m. and the dance started about eight o’clock. I did not sing until about nine o’clock when I sing five numbers. The band played several numbers before Johnny Ace came on to sing. He sing several numbers and he and I sing the duet "Yes Baby." The band played two more numbers. I then went to the dressing room to change clothes, but I got busy signing autographs and I did not get to change clothes. Johnny Ace came to the dressing room and he signed some autographs. He started to leave out the door when some people stopped to talk to him. About that time, Olivia, Johnny Ace's girl friend walked up and Johnny and Olivia came into the dressing room. Johnny sit on a dresser in the dressing room and Olivia sit on his lap. Shortly after he sit down, two more people who were in the dressing room, Mary Carter and Joe Hamilton, began running around. I looked over at Johnny and noticed he had a pistol in his hand. It was a pistol that he bought somewhere in Florida. It was a .22 cal. revolver. Johnny was pointing this pistol at Mary Carter and Joe Hamilton. He was kind of waving it around. I asked Johnny to let me see the gun. He gave it to me and when I turned the chamber a .22 cal. bullet fell out in my hand. Johnny told me to put it back in w[h]ere it wouldn’t fall out. I put it back and gave it to him. I told him not to snap it at nobody. After he got the pistol back, Johnny pointed the pistol at Mary Carter and pulled the trigger. It snapped. Olivia was still sitting on his lap. I told Johnny again not to snap the pistol at anybody. Johnny then put the pistol to Olivia’s head and pulled the trigger. It snapped. Johnny said "I’ll show you that it won't shoot." He held the pistol up and looked at it first and then put it to his head. I started toward the door and I heard the pistol go off. I turned around and saw Johnny falling to the floor. I saw that he was shot and I run on stage and told the people in the band about it. I stayed there until the officers arrived."

Johnny Ace (John Alexander) signed with Duke Records in 1952 as one of its original artists. Duke was owned by a principal of Memphis radio station, WDIA.  Unable to fund an expanding roster and support a hit record, Duke was acquired by Peacock Records of Houston, owned by Don Robey. Robey, according to Jerry Leiber (of Leiber/Stoler fame) was a 5^th Ward gangster who used threats and intimidation to expand his empire. Really? In the music business?  Robey is famously mentioned in the tune ‘Johnny Ace Is Dead’ by Dave Alvin: “Slick Don Robey, the record company man, had big diamond rings on both his hands. ‘I’m gonna take him back to Memphis in a refrigerated truck. ‘Cause Johnny Ace is gonna make me a million bucks.’”  

The picture above was taken by Ernest Withers, Memphis street photographer and portraitist. Visiting his Beale St. studios in 1999, I saw a shot he’d taken of Johnny's car, a big white Caddy with 'Johnny Ace' painted on either side, framed by black musical notes. I asked him how much he wanted for it – he said $100. I wish I’d parted with the dough.  

Johnny’s biggest hit occurred posthumously, ‘Pledging My Love’ – later covered by Elvis, among others. Take a listen – simple, powerful, soulful. Five thousand folks attended his funeral. Women sobbed. The white Caddy followed the hearse.  They laid him to rest. The next year, Don Robey made his million bucks.