Ace Cannon

{{Other people|John Cannon}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Ace Cannon

| image = Ace Cannon.png

| image_size = 250px

| landscape =

| alt =

| caption = Cannon in 1968

| birth_name = John Henry Cannon

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| alias =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1934|5|5}}

| birth_place = Grenada, Mississippi, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2018|12|6|1934|5|5|mf=yes}}

| death_place = Calhoun City, Mississippi, U.S.

| genre =

| occupation = Musician

| instrument = Saxophone

| years_active =

| label = Hi

| associated_acts =

| website =

}}

John Henry "Ace" Cannon (May 5, 1934 – December 6, 2018) was an American tenor and alto saxophonist. He played and toured with Hi Records stablemate Bill Black's Combo, and started a solo career with his record "Tuff" in 1961, using the Black combo as his backing group. "Tuff" hit #17 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1962, and the follow-up single "Blues (Stay Away from Me)" hit #36 that same year.{{cite book|first=Joel|last=Whitburn|author-link=Joel Whitburn|title=The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits|edition=7|year=2000}}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/277934/ace-cannon/chart|title=Billboard Hot 100 - Ace Cannon|magazine=Billboard |accessdate=July 2, 2017}} In April 1965, he released Ace Cannon Live (HL 12025); according to the liner notes by Nick Pesce the album was recorded in front of a live audience inside Hi's recording studio, and Pesce claims this was the first time such an album had ever been recorded (as opposed to previous live albums recorded in concert venues).

Cannon was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 2000.{{cite web |url=http://www.rockabillyhall.com/AceCannon1.html |title=RAB Hall of Fame: Ace Cannon |publisher=Rockabillyhall.com |date= |accessdate=2014-08-20 |archive-date=2018-10-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181020062336/http://www.rockabillyhall.com/AceCannon1.html |url-status=dead }} In May 2007, his hometown of Calhoun City, Mississippi, hosted its first annual Ace Cannon Festival, and on December 9, 2008, he was honored with induction into the Mississippi Musicians' Hall of Fame.{{cite web|url=http://www.msmusic.org/mississippi-rock-and-roll-musicians.html|title=Mississippi Musicians' Hall of Fame|accessdate=July 4, 2017|archive-date=December 23, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223102816/http://www.msmusic.org/mississippi-rock-and-roll-musicians.html|url-status=dead}}

After years of traveling and entertaining fans the world over, he moved back to Calhoun City in the late 1980s, where he resided until his death. He played numerous dates each year, and would be found most days working on his golf game at his home course.

He died at his home on December 6, 2018, at the age of 84.{{cite web|url=https://obittree.com/obituary/us/mississippi/calhoun-city/pryor-funeral-home/john-henry-ace-cannon/3672574/|title=John Henry "ACE" Cannon May 05, 1934 - December 06, 2018 |website=obittree.com|accessdate= December 14, 2018}}{{cite web |title=Ace Cannon |url=http://calhouncountyjournal.com/ace-cannon/ |website=Calhoun County Journal |accessdate=6 December 2018}}