I Remember Johnny Ace

Around 15 years ago, I officiated a wedding. It was not necessarily a traditional wedding. The bride walked down the aisle to a song considered to be the biggest hit Johnny Ace ever recorded: "Pledging My Love." Johnny Ace died on Christmas of 1954. During that time, I was an 8th. grader at National City Junior High School. In one of my classes, I had a classmate named Robert Gonzalez. He sat behind me in the first row of Mrs. Lawson's "American Culture" class. It was actually US History. I knew a little about Johnny Ace. If I recall correctly, it was sometime in January of 55, that Robert told me: "Hey Bobby, Johnny Ace shot himself." Years passed, and I forgot about Johnny Ace. I had been told he killed himself playing Russian roulette at the City Auditorium in Houston, Texas. I left it at that. Just recently, upon reading an excerpt from a book entitled: "The Late Great Johnny Ace," I realized that it was not like that. Here is an actual quote from the book: "The Late Great Johnny Ace:

"It was widely reported that Johnny Ace killed himself playing Russian roulette. Big Mama Thornton's bass player Curtis Tillman, however, who witnessed the event,said 'I will tell you exactly what happened! Johnny Ace had been drinking and was waving this little gun around the table and someone said 'be careful with that thing'....and he said...'its' okay...guns' not loaded....see?' and pointed it at himself with a smile on his face and 'Bang!'...sad, sad thing. Big Mama ran outta that dressing room yelling...Johnny Ace just killed himself!"

On January 9, 1955, the funeral of Johnny Ace was held at the Clayborn Temple AME Church in Memphis, Tennessee. An estimated 5000 people attended. May he rest in peace. I remember Johnny Ace.