Johnny Ace

Johnny Ace (born June 9, 1929, Memphis, Tennessee, USA - died December 25, 1954, Houston, Texas, USA) was an American R&B singer and pianist who had a number of hit singles in the early 1950's. Before going solo, he worked with the B.B. King band, then formed The Beale Streeters with Bobby Bland and Earl Forest. After touring for a year, Ace had been performing at the City Auditorium in Houston, Texas, on Christmas Day 1954. During a break between sets, he was playing with a .32 caliber revolver. Members of Ace's band said he did this often, sometimes shooting at roadside signs from their car.
It was widely reported that Ace killed himself playing Russian roulette. However, Curtis Tillman, who was Thornton's bass player, witnessed the event. Tillman later said: "I will tell you exactly what happened! Johnny Ace had been drinking and he had this little pistol he was waving around the table and someone said 'Be careful with that thing…' and he said 'It's okay! Gun's not loaded… see?' and pointed it at himself with a smile on his face and 'Bang!' — sad, sad thing".
Big Mama ran out of the dressing room yelling 'Johnny Ace just killed himself!'" Big Mama Thornton said in a written statement (included in the book The Late Great Johnny Ace) that Ace had been playing with the gun but not playing Russian roulette. According to Thornton, Ace pointed the gun at his girlfriend and another woman who were sitting nearby but did not fire. He then pointed the gun toward himself, bragging that he knew which chamber was loaded. The gun went off, shooting him in the side of the head.
He was the most programmed R&B artist of 1954 according to a Cash Box "Disc Jockeys of America" poll. He had 13 consecutive hits. He won the Citation of Achievement Award from BMI in 1954 and 1955. He won Billboard's Triple Crown Award in 1955. He won the Automatic Music Industry of America award in 1955. He won the Golden Cup Award in 1954.