Season 1

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...

The spring of 1955 brought high billboard charting to Johnny Ace’s song, which became a #1 hit, Pledging My Love , his eighth #1 Billboard hit in R&B. In the spring following Ace’s passing, his songs weren’t only charting at …

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 …

In the days that followed, the press wrote about Ace’s death. Broadcast in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, the day after Christmas, Johnny’s death was heart-wrenching. Having been booked through the winter holidays and th...

Moving on in the next segment of our Johnny Ace story, we jump into a deep dive into his interesting life. It’s the mid-to-late 1950s at this point in our story, and Johnny is out on the road in Florida …

In this episode, we are at The Insanery in Music City, USA talking more about Johnny Ace and his band, along with the “new technology” of the 45 records, how records create sound from those tiny grooves, and how the …

Moving into the mid-career life of Johnny Ace, there is more success for both him and Don Robey, who now orchestrated more collaboration with Big Mama Thornton. However, Don had not openly fused both artists on a song. With t...

Taking another stride, our story moves on to Willie Mae Thornton a. k. a Big Mama Thornton, who would rise to fame after getting signed to Don Robey's record while working at his club. Here, her interaction with Johnny Ace …

The Post World War II Rhythm and Blues Scene Robi was a thug, but he knew how money worked. With an end-to-end music business, he knew what worked in the industry. He understood Johnny Ace had potential, so he outfitted …

Outselling the likes of B. B King, Fats Domino, and Joe Turner, it is surprising how much Johnny remained in the blind spot of musical history. This success, while bringing in a grossly sizable amount of profit for Don Robey,...

Johnny's career moved forward working with both Don Robey and James Mattis, however, following the sale of Duke records, Robey had a rather undefined partnership with Mattis which would play a role in Johnny's music with the ...

Despite playing with the greatest R&B stars, Johnny Ace's story had started much more quietly in Beale Street, the black center of culture, down in Memphis which shares a history with the likes of Elvis. Johnny's career kicke...

Inching further down the story reveals the history behind Don Robey before he met Mattis while trying to acquire Duke Records, all with the intention to work with Johnny Ace. Despite a history of illegal dealings and lack of ...

He is the first true rock-and-roller to live fast and die young. It’s been argued that he’s been in contention for the very first rock and roll record: one that smashed the color barrier and brought R&B to a young …