Johnny Ace

Johnny Ace's untimely demise in a backstage game of Russian roulette at Houston's City Auditorium on Christmas Day 1954 continues to eclipse the short yet distinguished span of his Duke Records output. His understated, emotionally resonant ballad style merits attention in its own right, independent of the notoriety attached to that fatal episode.

Born John Marshall Alexander, he belonged to the Beale Streeters, the informal Memphis collective that at times featured B.B. King, Bobby Bland, and Earl Forest. After inking a deal in 1952 with Mattis's fledgling Duke imprint, the newly renamed vocalist topped the R&B charts on his debut outing with the subdued ballad "My Song." A string of subsequent releases in the same polished, cosmopolitan vein followed without interruption: "Cross My Heart," "The Clock," "Saving My Love for You," "Please Forgive Me," and "Never Let Me Go" all reached the upper tier of the listings. That trajectory ended abruptly with one gunshot, prompting a series of mournful tribute sides from Frankie Ervin, Johnny Fuller, Varetta Dillard, and the Five Wings.

Ace's largest success arrived after his passing. The wistful "Pledging My Love," recorded with Johnny Otis & His Orchestra, held the top spot on Billboard's R&B chart for ten weeks during the first half of 1955. Duke next issued "Anymore" from its remaining Ace masters. When the label sought to duplicate his appeal by enlisting his younger brother St. Clair Alexander under the name Buddy Ace, the results proved unsuccessful. Don Robey then rechristened singer Jimmy Lee Land as Buddy Ace and kept the pseudonym active on record through the late 1960s.