The Days Following Johnny Ace’s Death

Johnny Ace’s song, which became a #1 hit, Pledging My Love, his eighth #1 Billboard hit in R&B. Billboard Magazine was just starting an R&B section for the new year, right after the death of Johnny Ace. The section measured record sales and jukebox plays and included buying the single Pledging My Love as the best buy for the week. Unfortunately, since the news industry ran at a slower pace, not everyone knew about Ace’s death when it occurred. This episode covers how the information about Johnny Ace’s passing moved through the music industry and listeners.

What the Press Had to Say About Johnny Ace

The Pittsburgh Courier stated, "Johnny Ace trumped his own ace, in a dangerous game. They carried his body back to the Cradles of the Blues to whence it sprang. He played well, but not wisely. That’s when the Blues walked in, and they carried Johnny out.”

January 1st, 1955, Billboard Magazine proclaimed, “Out of the many things to be thankful for on the R&B scene, Johnny Ace was high on the list - especially coming off eight hits in a row.” Although the magazine was behind in the news, they kept pitching him without letting his audience know that Johnny was dead.

After the initial publication at the beginning of the year, Billboard Magazine added an additional commentary in the following week’s publication. “The recent death of Ace gave an impetus that would have probably been heavy for sales in any case. It’s spiraling upwards at dazzling speed and is almost as popular with pop customers as with R&B.”

Producing His Last Song - Pledging My Love by Johnny Ace

We feel that this last song production was of better quality than the previous productions. The melody was tighter, and it seemed more professional. This hit eluded a culmination of skills and talents that Johnny accrued over his short and brief time in the music industry.

Listen in to discover how Johnny’s death affected his music sales, why we feel that his last love song was his best work, how Don Robey reacted to his death, and why he moved the dates of his death to heighten and romanticize the scandal surrounding Johnny Ace’s passing.

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