Johnny Ace Auditorium in Houston, Texas, on Christmas Day 1954. During a break between sets, he was playing with a .32-caliber revolver. Members of his 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, Big Mama Thornton's bass player, Curtis Tillman, who witnessed the event, 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
Johnny Pace Johnny Pace Johnny Pace (born 1929, Paterson, New Jersey - 1979) was an American jazz and blues vocalist of the 1950s and 1960s, although he had limited recording and was overshadowed by Frank Sinatra, he rivalled Johnny Desmond, Chet Baker and Bobby Darin Pace was born in Paterson, New Jersey and served in the Army USO in Germany where he met his wife Anneliese Glaser, they traveled back to the states in 1954. Johnny and Anneliese had three children Monica, Suzanne and John. Discovered by Chet Baker in 1958, his sole album, "Chet Baker Introduces Johnny Pace" was recorded in