We sat there for a while wondering if B.B. Johnny Ace Is Dead stats Dave Alvin Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore Reverend Horton Heat Dave Alvin and The Guilty Men Performing Artists 1 All rights reserved. “Pledging” went on to become a posthumous hit for the 25-year-old singer. [15][16][17] However, Thornton's bass player, Curtis Tillman, who witnessed the event, said, "I will tell you exactly what happened! Staff, Johnny Ace Is Dead by Dave Alvin Capo 1st fret E Down in Houston, Texas on a Christmas night With a gun in his hand and his name up in lights He was young and handsome, the Prince of the Blues In a sharkskin suit and alligator shoes He was flirting with some women who … Tucker said he would comb through albums at record shops where the R&B discs were grouped as “Race Music.” American life was segregated in 1954. The flip side was "Trouble and Me" by Forest.[9]. The Squirrel Nut Zippers' Christmas album, Christmas Caravan (1998), contains the song "A Johnny Ace Christmas", a love song about Ace killing himself on Christmas. "Johnny Ace Is Dead"Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin w/the Guilty [email protected] Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival Dave Alvin & Jackshit - Johnny Ace is Dead - Live at McCabe's Download SoundHound The only App that can give you results through singing and humming search! But how weird that Ace decided to play the deadly game during a five minute break in a concert? What the hell are you talking about?’, “Everybody was kind of shocked and started filing out. John Marshall Alexander Jr. (June 9, 1929 – December 25, 1954), known by the stage name Johnny Ace, was an American rhythm-and-blues singer and musician. Russian roulette was the fatality for this young, gorgeous pianist/singer. King was going to play, and finally we left. “The Johnny Otis Band was playing and then, all of sudden, they stopped and Big Mama Thornton came out and grabbed the microphone. The Swiss singer Polo Hofer and the Schmetterband wrote the song "Johnny Ace" in 1985; it was released on the album Giggerig. The song develops a touching counterpoint with the death of two other Johnnies – John Lennon and John F. Kennedy. "Pledging My Love" was used in the 1973 film Mean Streets, directed by Martin Scorsese; the 1983 film Christine, directed by John Carpenter; the 1985 film Back to the Future, directed by Robert Zemeckis; and the 1992 film Bad Lieutenant, directed by Abel Ferrara. '"[18], Thornton said in a written statement (included in the book The Late Great Johnny Ace) that Ace had been playing with the gun but not playing Russian roulette. A guy named Mike Cox rode along and I forget who his date was, but I took this little girl named Beth Puckett with me, who could really dance.”. Another thing we used to do was get a big pickle jar and get it filled with draft beer and cups. Elvis Presley recorded "Pledging My Love" in his last studio session, in 1976. The network of local musicians became known as the Beale Streeters, which included B. Johnny Ace Is Dead ". B. We’re thinking, ‘Johnny has been killed? He was flirting with some women who had come backstage. Until Elvis came along and did crossover, they just didn’t play it on the ‘Hit Parade’ stations, as you would call them. How we didn’t get caught for drunk driving, I don’t know, but I had this ’49 Chevrolet and it seemed like I could get about 12 people in that thing.". Contact Us, [6][7] He began heavy touring, often with Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton. However, Alexander's younger brother, St. Clair Alexander, claimed that the singer himself came up with the name Ace when Mattis changed his first name from John to Johnny. This page was last edited on 25 January 2021, at 18:14. “Harlan County Line” begins things with a Spaghetti Western noir feel that rolls into the tough shuffle of “Johnny Ace Is Dead,” where Alvin spends a few minutes going over the details of the late, great singer’s death by Russian Roulette. Support Us “’Pledging My Love’ was later covered by Teresa Brewer and, in 1955, by The Four Lads, of all things. Cause Johnny Ace is gonna make me a million bucks." It was Christmas day and during a break with his bandmates, he began playing with .22 caliber revolver. In a sharkskin suit and alligator shoes. In doing so, they recall what life was like in Houston before, during and after the encores. DAVE ALVIN. " And on Christmas day? [Part 2]", https://www.allmusic.com/album/aces-wild-mw0002390084, "Gezundheit/Let the Wires Ring – AllMusic Review", "Here Are Hundreds More Artists Whose Tapes Were Destroyed in the UMG Fire", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johnny_Ace&oldid=1002702696, Firearm accident victims in the United States, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, "Saving My Love for You" / "Yes, Baby" (the B-side is a duet with Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton) (1954), "Please Forgive Me" / "You've Been Gone So Long" (1954), "Never Let Me Go" / "Burley Cutie" (instrumental) (1954), "Anymore"/ "How Can You Be So Mean" (1955), "So Lonely" / "I'm So Crazy, Baby" (1956), "Don't You Know" / "I Still Love You So" (1956), "Mid Night Hours Journey" (Johnny Ace) / "Trouble and Me" (. Johnny Ace 25, died on Christmas, 1954 when he shot himself during a break between sets in Houston, Texas. As Billboard bluntly put it, Ace's death "created one of the biggest demands for a record that has occurred since the death of Hank Williams just over two years ago. The Audience Member: Two years ago, Jim Tucker shared his recollections of producing A Day of Joy, a 1970 music fest that may have been Houston’s first outdoor rock festival. Our city has a long, compelling, live concert history. He couldn’t recall how much the tickets set him back. [12] Their son, Glenn Alexander, was born later that year. Listen to Johnny Ace Is Dead (Live) by Dave Alvin - Eleven Eleven (Live at The Ark + Bonus Tracks). Lift Up Local, Down in Houston, Texas on a Christmas night. [1] After he was discharged,[1] Alexander joined Adolph Duncan's Band as a pianist, playing around Beale Street in Memphis. Offering our readers free access to incisive coverage of local news, food and culture. Johnny has been killed. Johnny Ace had been drinking and he had this little pistol he was waving around the table and someone said ‘Be careful with that thing…’ and he said ‘It’s okay! “On the way back to Texas City to drop off my date, we tuned into one of those stations. Alexander died of an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 25. She was … Privacy, During a break between sets, he was playing with a .32 caliber revolver. Paul Simon wrote and performed the song "The Late Great Johnny Ace" (1983), in which a boy, upon hearing of the death of Ace, orders a photograph of the deceased singer: "It came all the way from Texas / With a sad and simple face / And they signed it on the bottom / From the Late Great Johnny Ace." The same song would also be covered by Luther Vandross in 1993, as the title track to his eighth studio album. Johnny Ace Is Dead. But that was after the show. I think they charged us a nickel more for our beer and we had to pay a fifty-cent cover charge instead of twenty-five, but we were welcomed.”. That was the first we knew of it, going home, listening to it on the radio. And when they did, it was funny. The auditorium was packed that night. The crowd was an estimated 3,500. [19], Ace's funeral was held on January 2, 1955, at Clayborn Temple AME church in Memphis. “(Ace’s) records had Don Robey as the songwriter. [5], Ace signed to Duke in 1952 and released his first recording, "My Song", an urbane "heart ballad" which topped the R&B chart for nine weeks beginning in September. Tucker grew up in La Marque, by way of Galveston, and moved into the city to pursue a career as a lawyer. Early in 1955, Duke Records announced that three of his 1954 recordings, along with Thornton's "Hound Dog", had sold more than 1,750,000 copies. “Whites were welcomed. Well, I really wasn't Such a johnny ace fan But I felt bad ali the same So I sent away for his photograph And I waited till it came It came all the way from texas With a sad and sim-ple face And they signed it on the bottom From the late great johnny ace, yeah, yeah, yeah Peacock had some recordings by Little Richard, and the most famous on Duke was Bobby Blue Bland. Careers, Simon also performed "Pledging My Love" on his tour of Europe and North America in 2000. Support the independent voice of Houston and help keep the future of Houston Press free. But with local journalism's existence under siege and advertising revenue setbacks having a larger impact, it is important now more than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. “The African-American clubs back then were called ‘black and tan clubs,’” he said. 16 days ago - … ““He was, of course, to close the show. Readers! Johnny Ace was performing at the City Auditorium in Houston, Texas. Johnny Ace Is Dead by Dave Alvin Capo 1st fret E Down in Houston, Texas on a Christmas night With a gun in his hand and his name up in lights He was young and handsome, the Prince of the Blues In … We use cookies to collect and analyze information on site performance and usage, and to enhance and customize content and advertisements. And there was KYOK,” he recalled. David Allan Coe covered "Pledging My Love", introducing the song with his own recollections of hearing the news of Ace's death. Bashe, Patricia Romanowski; George-Warren, Holly; Pareles, Jon (1995). [14] Ace was barred from the home for playing blues music, so he mostly took residence at the Mitchell Hotel, owned by Sunbeam Mitchell, in Memphis. In the next two years, Ace had eight hits in a row, including "Cross My Heart", "Please Forgive Me", "The Clock", "Yes, Baby", "Saving My Love for You" and "Never Let Me Go". Ace met Lois Jean Palmer, a freshman at Booker T. Washington High School, in 1949. King. Ace was a rising R&B crooner with a hit song titled “The Clock” and a mega-hit to come, “Pledging My Love.” He was on the bill with Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton, Johnny Otis and headliner B.B. The gun went off, shooting him in the side of the head. Share. “It wasn’t that expensive to go, but understand, that music was not that popular back then among the whites. Genres, Styles, Moods & Themes for Johnny Ace Is Dead - Dave Alvin on AllMusic We agreed if such a tragedy occurred today, audience members would have the full story within minutes, thanks to Twitter and Facebook. This was the first of the many teen tragedy records that were to follow in the later 50s and early 1960s." Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our terms of use, our cookies policy, and our privacy policy. Big Mama cried, "Dear Lord," Big Mama said, He put a 22 pistol right up to his head Then he smiled at the ladies Now Johnny Ace is dead When Johnny came home to Memphis, Tennessee Everyone on Beale Street came out to see There were pimps and gamblers, husbands and wives, Women young and old all came to say goodbye And as the choirs sand and the preachers prayed Five thousand mourners … “I had a job at the only big grocery store in town. An evening pause: Hat tip Mike Nelson. Watch the video for Johnny Ace Is Dead from Dave Alvin's Eleven Eleven for free, and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists. Dave Alvin. "The song develops a touching counterpoint with the death of another Johnny - John Lennon. She incorporated many of Ace's song titles in the lyrics. About Us, “Oh no, we had a cooler of beer lined up in the back,” he said matter-of-factly. I don’t know how they got it up there,” he said. I don’t know if he got credit for their songs or not, but there was a rumor that Johnny Ace had given notice to Don Robey that he was getting off of his record label and was going to sign with another one.”. By clicking 'X' or continuing to use the site, you agree to allow cookies to be placed. 16 on the Billboard 1954 Disk Jockey Poll for R&B Favorite Artists. He said Robey ran his music empire, which included Duke and Peacock Records, from offices on Southmore, pointing as if it were within our line of sight. Join the Press community and help support independent local journalism in Houston. It was widely reported that Ace killed himself playing Russian roulette. But Johnny Ace is dead, yeah, yeah, yeah G |Abmaj7 Well, I really wasn't |D7 Such a Johnny Ace fan |Abmaj7 |D But I felt bad alI the same |Abmaj7 |D So I sent away for his photograph |G |G7 And I waited till it came |C F/C |C C7 It came all the way from Texas |F Gm7 F/A|Bb9 | The Teen Queens' song "Eddie My Love", originally entitled "Johnny My Love", was written in memory of Ace. [4], David James Mattis, program director at WDIA and founder of Duke Records, claimed gave Alexander the stage name of Johnny Ace – "Johnny" for Johnny Ray and "Ace" for the Four Aces. With a gun in his hand and his name up in lights. To find out more, visit our cookies policy and our privacy policy. Big Mama cried, "Dear Lord," Big Mama said, He put a 22 pistol right up to his head Then he smiled at the ladies Now Johnny Ace is dead When Johnny came home to Memphis, Tennessee Everyone on Beale Street came out to see There were pimps and gamblers, husbands and wives, Before he did any of that, he fell in love with blues and R&B music. But even 50 years ago Tucker and his friends knew at least the basics before they ever made it home that night. Producing stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who've won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. “The whites had to sit up in one section and the African-Americans could dance on the floor. “Back then, there were two black radio stations —  KCOH, which had the King Bee and Daddy Deep Throat and Dizzy Lizzy. He was only 15 at the time, but Tucker had a drivers' license and a fascination with R&B music. Stream Johnny Ace is Dead by Dave Alvin from desktop or your mobile device He was the big dog at that time. I got to be a stocker and it was not unusual for a case of beer to make its way out onto the dock, with plenty of ice in it, to be picked up by a co-conspirator. Ace moved Palmer into his parents' home in Memphis. The Show: Johnny Ace, City Auditorium, Christmas Day 1954. Then, the Johnny Otis Band started playing a lot of songs to get people out on the dance floor and dancing. "Pledging My Love"[17] was a posthumous R&B number 1 hit for ten weeks beginning February 12, 1955. In 1951, Ike Turner, who was a talent scout and producer for Modern Records, arranged for Alexander and other Beale Streeters to record for Turner's label. During an intermission, Ace fatally shot himself backstage with a .32 caliber pistol. He had another child with his wife, a daughter named Janet Alexander, but the couple were rarely together due to his womanizing lifestyle, and by 1953 he had abandoned his family.[1]. The legend of his death not only obscures his talent but is built upon a misreading of what really happened backstage that Christmas night in 1954 by Burt Kearns & Jeff Abraham Dave Alvin's 2011 album, Eleven Eleven, contains the song "Johnny Ace Is Dead", about Ace's death. To enjoy Prime Music, go to Your Music Library and transfer your account to Amazon.com (US). "[24][25], In addition to Dillard's "Johnny Has Gone", at least four other tribute records to Ace were released in 1955: Frankie Ervin's "Johnny Ace's Last Letter"; The Rovers' "Salute To Johnny Ace"; Linda Hayes' "Why, Johnny, Why? This was not uncommon for Johnny Ace as he often played with his gun and would shoot roadside signs … The show was held at the City Auditorium, a venue at Texas and Louisiana that dated back to 1910 and would be replaced by Jones Hall in the 1960s. “The Johnny Otis Band was playing and then, all of sudden, they stopped and Big Mama Thornton came out and grabbed the microphone. He then pointed the gun toward himself, bragging that he knew which chamber was loaded. But Johnny Ace is dead Well, I really wasn't Such a Johnny Ace fan But I felt bad all the same So I sent away for his photograph And I waited till it came It came all the way from Texas With a sad and simple face And they signed it on the bottom From the Late Great Johnny Ace It was the year of The Beatles It was the year of The Stones It was 1964 [10] In December 1954, he was named the Most Programmed Artist of 1954, according to the results of a national poll of disc jockeys conducted by the U.S. trade weekly Cash Box. Gun’s not loaded… see?’ and pointed it at himself with a smile on his face and ‘Bang!’ — sad, sad thing. We always had those two stations on. Johnny Ace died at 25, allegedly during a game of Russian Roulette. [11] Ace's recordings sold very well during those times. Here’s Jim: “I had a ’49 Chevrolet that had twin Smithy mufflers, no lead on the back, of course standard shift, and a hula girl knob on the steering wheel. Dave Alvin & The Guilty Ones – Johnny Ace Is Dead. Big Mama ran out of the dressing room yelling ‘Johnny Ace just killed himself! But johnny ace is dead, yeah, yeah, yeah. In November 1954, Ace ranked No. Tucker said there was enhanced interest in Ace’s music after his death, which helped solidify his place in music history but also had some negative consequences. Bob Dylan and Joan Baez performed "Never Let Me Go" on tour with the Rolling Thunder Revue in 1975. He was young and handsome, the Prince of the Blues.
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