Johnny Ace, December 1954

   On Friday, December 24, 1954, while playing Russian roulette backstage at the City Auditorium in Houston, Texas, Johnny Ace accidentally shoots himself. He dies the next day at the age of 25, making him the first fatality of the rock 'n' roll era. His song "Pledging My Love" goes on to become one of the big hits of early 1955.

  wikipedia_Johnny Ace   discogs_com Johnny Ace   Pledging My Love

   December 25, 1954 - Rock 'n' roll suffers its first tragedy as one of its biggest stars Johnny Ace accidentally shoots and kills himself playing Russian Roulette backstage at a Houston Auditorium in between shows on Christmas Night. 

PITTSBURGH COURIER, January 15, 1955: FINAL NOTE - 

Members of the Johnny Ace band leave Memphis' Clayborn Temple 

A.M.E. Church with the body of their deceased leader.

Johnny Ace's funeral

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Joe Turner, Johnny Ace, Ruth Brown, rnb, rnr - 1953

   April 1953-The Rhythm & Blues Charts begin to reflect the overwhelming dominance of emerging rock 'n' roll with such hits as Big Joe Turner's "Honey Hush", Johnny Ace's "The Clock" and Ruth Brown's "Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean". Only one pure blues record tops the chart the entire year, a significant shift from past years when blues had a steady presence on those charts.

  en.wikipedia.org Rhythm and blues   Rock and roll

Joe Turner

Big Joe Turner

Honey Hush-Joe Turner and his Band - Atlantic 1001

Johnny Ace

The Clock-Johnny Ace, The Beale Streeters - Duke 112

Ruth Brown

(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean-Ruth Brown with Orchestra - Atlantic 986

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Dick Clark with Johnny Ace, Bandstand, 1953.08.00

   1953 - Producer Tony Mammarella substitutes for the vacationing Bob Horn.

  en.wikipedia.org Tony Mammarella   Bob Horn   Dick Clark   Johnny Ace

Dick Clark with Johnny Ace

   1953.08.00-TV host Dick Clark with singer Johnny Ace on Bandstand in the WFIL studio, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1953

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Johnny Ace

1952

08/1952

My Song - 1 R&B

1953

01/1953

Cross My Heart - 3 R&B

07/1953

The Clock - 1 R&B

12/1953

Saving My Love for You - 2 R&B

rnb jukebox     rnb selling - debut

Johnny Ace, The Beale Streeters - My Song, September, 1952

   September, 1952 - Johnny Ace, a former piano player with The Beale Streeters, a group that included blues legends B.B. King and Bobby "Blue" Bland, records his first record in Memphis and watches it hit #1 launching him as a major R&B star.

en.wikipedia.org Johnny Ace   en.wikipedia.org Bobby Bland

My Song-Johnny Ace with The Beale Streeters - Duke 102

Johnny Ace

The Beale Streeters:(L-R) Earl Forest (drums), Adolph "Billy" Duncan (tenor sax), Bobby Bland (vocals), and John Alexander [aka Johnny Ace] (piano)

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