The Late Great Johnny Ace
Encyclopedia
"The Late Great Johnny Ace" is a song by Paul Simon
, which appears on his 1983 Hearts and Bones
album.
singer Johnny Ace
, who is said to have shot himself in a game of Russian roulette
in 1954 (eyewitness accounts say otherwise). Simon goes on to reference former Beatle John Lennon
, who was murdered on December 8, 1980, as well as referencing John F. Kennedy
who was assassinated in 1963, the year Beatlemania
started.
The album version features a sad one-minute coda composed by Phillip Glass, performed with strings, clarinet, and flute; the aria resembles Glass' own Pruit Igoe from Koyaanisqatsi
. This reflects the sad mood of the song.
The 2004 reissue of Hearts and Bones
also contains a solo acoustic demo of the song.
In an interview on Late Night with David Letterman
on May 20, 1982, Simon discussed the Central Park experience with Letterman. Asked to sing the song and using a spontaneously loaned guitar, Simon performed from his chair instead of taking the stage. The director cut to a commercial before the end of the song because one of the strings on the guitar broke, and Simon commented he "will never do that one again." However, he did later perform the song in Osaka , Japan on August 5 , 1982 , along the Simon And Garfunkel's Tour . Also on Saturday Night Live
on November 22, 1986, the 23rd anniversary of Kennedy's assassination. He also performed the song on the 2000 "You're The One" tour, preceding it with part of the Johnny Ace hit "Pledging My Love". This features on the DVD recorded in Paris.
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
, which appears on his 1983 Hearts and Bones
Hearts and Bones
Hearts and Bones is the sixth solo album by Paul Simon. It was released in 1983.The album was originally intended to be a Simon & Garfunkel reunion album called Think Too Much, following their Central Park reunion concert in 1981, and the world tour of 1982 - 1983. In fact, some of the songs...
album.
History
The song initially sings of the rhythm and bluesRhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
singer Johnny Ace
Johnny Ace
Johnny Ace , born John Marshall Alexander, Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee, was an American rhythm and blues singer. He scored a string of hit singles in the mid-1950s before dying of an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound....
, who is said to have shot himself in a game of Russian roulette
Russian roulette
Russian roulette is a potentially lethal game of chance in which participants place a single round in a revolver, spin the cylinder, place the muzzle against their head and pull the trigger...
in 1954 (eyewitness accounts say otherwise). Simon goes on to reference former Beatle John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, who was murdered on December 8, 1980, as well as referencing John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
who was assassinated in 1963, the year Beatlemania
Beatlemania
Beatlemania is a term that originated during the 1960s to describe the intense fan frenzy directed toward The Beatles during the early years of their success...
started.
The album version features a sad one-minute coda composed by Phillip Glass, performed with strings, clarinet, and flute; the aria resembles Glass' own Pruit Igoe from Koyaanisqatsi
Koyaanisqatsi
Koyaanisqatsi also known as Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance, is a 1982 film directed by Godfrey Reggio with music composed by Philip Glass and cinematography by Ron Fricke....
. This reflects the sad mood of the song.
The 2004 reissue of Hearts and Bones
Hearts and Bones
Hearts and Bones is the sixth solo album by Paul Simon. It was released in 1983.The album was originally intended to be a Simon & Garfunkel reunion album called Think Too Much, following their Central Park reunion concert in 1981, and the world tour of 1982 - 1983. In fact, some of the songs...
also contains a solo acoustic demo of the song.
Live performances
The song was first performed live by Paul Simon during the Simon & Garfunkel reunion concert in Central Park in 1981. Near the end of the performance (possibly in response to Simon mentioning John Lennon's death), an audience member rushed the stage, causing Simon to pull away from the microphone. The man was quickly pulled away by security and was heard yelling "I gotta talk to you, I gotta talk to you." Simon was clearly shaken—especially as the lyrics deal with assassinations—but he continued the song without a break. The performance was included in the subsequent video release of the concert but was omitted from the live album.In an interview on Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman is a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC that was created and hosted by David Letterman. It premiered in 1982 as the first incarnation of the Late Night franchise and went off the air in 1993, after Letterman left NBC and moved to Late Show on CBS. Late Night...
on May 20, 1982, Simon discussed the Central Park experience with Letterman. Asked to sing the song and using a spontaneously loaned guitar, Simon performed from his chair instead of taking the stage. The director cut to a commercial before the end of the song because one of the strings on the guitar broke, and Simon commented he "will never do that one again." However, he did later perform the song in Osaka , Japan on August 5 , 1982 , along the Simon And Garfunkel's Tour . Also on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
on November 22, 1986, the 23rd anniversary of Kennedy's assassination. He also performed the song on the 2000 "You're The One" tour, preceding it with part of the Johnny Ace hit "Pledging My Love". This features on the DVD recorded in Paris.