Paul Simon Writes and Dedicates Music to Johnny Ace

While Elvis Presley recorded Pledging My Love in his last studio session in 1976. Pledging My Love appeared on the Moody Blue album, which premiered in 1977 and was a #1 Country & Western hit for Elvis. However, Elvis’ single didn’t make it as high up the pop charts as Johnny’s original version. Although there were other versions of Ace’s hit, none of the subsequent versions ever hit as high on the charts as Johnny’s original hit.

Johnny’s Singles Resung Again by Music Artists

Even after his death, Johnny’s musical influence rang on in movies and in artists playing versions of his songs. His #1 hit, Pledging My Love, was used in the films Mean Streets, Christine, and Back to the Future. Aretha Franklin also covered a version of My Song in 1968 as the flip side of the track SeeSaw. Dave Allen wrote the song Johnny Ace was Dead in 2011, and another band created A Johnny Ace Christmas for one of their albums.

Paul Simon Writes and Performs The Late Great Johnny Ace

Paul Simon writes The Late Great Johnny Ace. Upon hearing this song, a boy orders a photograph of the singer. Noting that Kennedy and Lennon became the Johnny Aces of their time, Simon adds a one-minute coda by Johnny Glass.

First performed during the Simon & Garfunkel reunion conference, an audience member rushes the stage as Paul is singing his song in NYC. In Central Park, just feet away from where John Lennon was shot and killed, Paul talked to the man who rushed the stage. He later talks about this experience while performing on the David Letterman show in 1982. Halfway through performing the Johnny Ace song, one of his guitar strings broke. Simon commented that he didn’t know if he would ever sing the song again as he was so choked up from the song.

Finishing and performing the Johnny Ace song on Saturday Night Live in 1986, on the 23rd anniversary of the JFK assassination.

Listen in to discover why Paul Simon wrote the song about Johnny Ace even though he wasn’t a huge fan of the singer, how his music has affected music industry culture, and our final reflections on Johnny Ace.

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