Johnny Vincent

Johnny Vincent was the founder of Ace Records, one of the pioneering forces in New Orleans R&B. Born John Vincent Imbruglio in Laurel, MS, on October 3, 1925, as a teen he earned pocket money by selling used records retired from his parents' restaurant's jukebox, charging a nickel apiece -- by the mid-'40s, the venture was a full-time job, and he serviced 28 jukeboxes across the region. Demand was particularly strong for so-called "race records," in large part because they received airplay on so few radio stations -- by 1946, Vincent was selling records for the William B. Allen Supply Company, traveling throughout the Deep South, scouting for new talent at local roadhouses and becoming friendly with any number of radio station DJs. In 1949 he purchased the Jackson, MS-based Griffin Distributing Company, which enjoyed a lucrative business throughout the state -- the company carried records from the majority of independent R&B labels, and Vincent immersed himself in the music, displaying an uncanny knack for anticipating which singles would click with audiences and, accordingly, how many copies to order.

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