Late great Johnny Ace and the transition from R&B to rock n roll
Salem James M1999
Book
Total copies: 1
Subject: If Elvis Presley was a white man who sang in a predominantly black style, Johnny Ace was a black man who sang in a predominantly white one. His soft, crooning "heart ballads" took the black record-buying public by storm in the early 1950s, and he was the first postwar solo black male rhythm and blues star signed to an independent label to attract a white audience. His biggest hit, "Pledging My Love," was at the top of the R & B charts when he died playing Russian roulette in his dressing room between sets at a packed "Negro Christmas dance" in Houston. This first comprehensive treatment of an enigmatic, captivating, and influential performer takes the reader to Beale Street in Memphis and to Houston's Fourth Ward, both vibrant black communities where the music never stopped. Following key players in these two hot spots, James Salem constructs a multifaceted portrait of postwar rhythm and blues, when American popular music (and society) was still clearly segregated.
Author:
Imprint:
US 1999 University of Illinois Press
Collation:
274p
Series title:
ISBN:
0252069692
Dewey class:
AR.8.03SAL
Local class:
AR.8.03/SAL
Language:
English
BRN:
1839993