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The late Johnny Ace
Played Russian roulette.
Last words: “The gun’s not loaded!”
Johnny Ace, Pledging My Love
Wikipedia reports it like this:
After touring for a year, Ace had been performing at the City Auditorium in Houston, Texas, Christmas 1954. During a break between sets, he was playing with a .22 calibre 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. Big Mama Thornton's bass player, Curtis Tillman, however, 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 loaded…see?’ and pointed it at himself with a smile on his face and ‘Bang!’ – sad, sad thing. Big Mama ran outta that dressing room yelling ‘Johnny Ace just killed hisself!"
Thornton said in a written statement (included in the book The Late Great Johnny Ace) that Ace had been playing with the gun, but not playing Russian roulette. According to Thornton, Ace pointed the gun at his girlfriend and another woman who were sitting nearby, but did not fire. He then pointed the gun towards himself. The gun went off, shooting him in the side of the head".
Johnny Ace, Pledging My Love
Wikipedia reports it like this:
After touring for a year, Ace had been performing at the City Auditorium in Houston, Texas, Christmas 1954. During a break between sets, he was playing with a .22 calibre 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. Big Mama Thornton's bass player, Curtis Tillman, however, 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 loaded…see?’ and pointed it at himself with a smile on his face and ‘Bang!’ – sad, sad thing. Big Mama ran outta that dressing room yelling ‘Johnny Ace just killed hisself!"
Thornton said in a written statement (included in the book The Late Great Johnny Ace) that Ace had been playing with the gun, but not playing Russian roulette. According to Thornton, Ace pointed the gun at his girlfriend and another woman who were sitting nearby, but did not fire. He then pointed the gun towards himself. The gun went off, shooting him in the side of the head".
I recall the Confederate General who, peering towards the enemy, said "They couldn't hit an elephant at that dist...."
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