BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS
Full Name: John Marshall Alexander jnr
Description: Vocalist, USA
Known For: Hit – Pledging My Love
Instruments: Voice, Guitar
Music Styles: Rock
Location: United States of America
Date Born: 9th June 1929
Location Born: Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
Date Died: 25th December 1954
Location Died: Houston, Texas, United States of America
Cause Of Death: Russian Roullette
Memorial: Ace’s funeral was on January 2 at Memphis’ Clayborn Temple AME church. It was attended by an estimated 5000 people.
CONTACT DETAILS
Web Site:Hip-O biography
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YOUTUBE VIDEO
BIOGRAPHICAL PROFILE
Johnny Ace
An American guitarist and singer.
John Marshall Alexander, Jr. (June 9, 1929 – December 25, 1954), known by the stage name Johnny Ace, was an singer. He scored a string of hit singles in the mid-1950s before dying of an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Alexander was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the son of a preacher, and grew up near LeMoyne-Owen College. After serving in the navy during the Korean War, Alexander joined Adolph Duncan’s Band as a pianist. He then joined the B. B. King band. Soon King departed for Los Angeles and vocalist Bobby Bland joined the army. Alexander took over vocal duties and renamed the band The Beale Streeters, 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. Urbane ‘heart-ballad’ “My Song,” his first recording, topped the R&B charts for nine weeks in September. (“My Song” was covered in 1968 by Aretha Franklin, on the flipside of “See Saw”.)
Ace began heavy touring, often with Willie 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,” “Saving My Love for You,” 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.
Alexander was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the son of a preacher, and grew up near LeMoyne-Owen College. After serving in the navy during the Korean War, Alexander joined Adolph Duncan’s Band as a pianist. He then joined the B. B. King band. Soon King departed for Los Angeles and vocalist Bobby Bland joined the army. Alexander took over vocal duties and renamed the band The Beale Streeters, 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. Urbane ‘heart-ballad’ “My Song,” his first recording, topped the R&B charts for nine weeks in September. (“My Song” was covered in 1968 by Aretha Franklin, on the flipside of “See Saw”.)
Ace began heavy touring, often with Willie 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,” “Saving My Love for You,” 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.
Albums and singles include.
1952 Remember I Love You
1952 I Cried Last Night
1952 My Song / Follow the Rule
1953 Cross my Heart / Angel
1953 The Clock / Aces Wild
1954 Midnight Hours Journey / Trouble And Me
1954 Saving my Love for You / Yes, Yes, Baby
1954 Please Forgive Me / You’ve Been Gone So Long
1954 Never Let Me Go / Burley Cutie
1954 Pledging My Love / No Money
1955 Anymore / How Can You Be So Mean
1956 So Lonely/ I’m Crazy Baby
1956 Don’t You Know / I Still Love You So
1955 Johnny Ace Memorial Album
1974 Johnny Ace Memorial Album
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