Johnny Ace

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Paul Simon's song "The Late Great Johnny Ace" lamented over the loss of the R&B artist, but the 1983 song never mentioned how Ace died. The 25-year-old Ace was in between sets during a show with Big Mama Thornton on Christmas Eve, 1954, when he accidentally shot himself in the head while playing with a gun. Some said Ace, having consumed too much alcohol, was playing Russian roulette.