Black Ace

Babe Turner, also known as Black Ace, fashioned his own guitar during childhood and mastered the instrument through self-instruction, establishing himself as a capable guitarist and vocalist. He further sang in a gospel choir based in Hughes Springs, TX. During the 1920s he refined his abilities through performances at local community events, later joining Smokey Hogg for dance engagements in Greenville, TX throughout the 1930s. Hogg and Buddy Woods frequently collaborated with Turner, who also undertook multiple solo tours across the 1930s and 1940s. His screen credits include appearances in the 1941 production The Blood of Jesus and the 1962 film The Blues. From 1936 to 1941 he hosted a program on Fort Worth’s KFJZ radio station, and in 1937 he cut sides for Decca. Following army service in the early 1940s, Turner’s employment remained largely outside music aside from his occasional film work; nevertheless, he issued a 1960 LP on Arhoolie. His professional alias derived directly from the 1936 recording titled “Black Ace.”