Ace Cannon born 5 May 1934

John "Ace" Cannon (born 5 May 1934 in Grenada, Mississippi) is an American tenor and alto saxophonist. Nicknamed The Godfather of Sax. 

One of Nashville's premier session men from the late '50s through the early '70s, alto saxophonist Ace Cannon began playing at the age of ten and started working with country bands in Memphis in his teens. He signed with Sun Records during the early days of rock & roll and performed with Billy Lee Riley and Brad Suggs, but then in 1959 joined the original Bill Black Combo, recording for the Hi label. 

He stayed with the band until 1961, when he made his solo chart debut with the instrumental "Tuff," which made it to t #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. This in turn was followed by a Top 40 hit, "Blues (Stay Away From Me)," and a minor hit for the Santos label, "Sugar Blues." He had two more hits in the mid-'60s with "Cotton Fields" and "Searchin'," both recorded for Hi. 

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).

In 1974  he became the subject of the documentary film, Ace's High. After moving to Nashville in the mid-'70s, Cannon's version of "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" became a minor hit and was nominated for the Best Country Instrumental Performance Grammy that year. He has recorded 67 albums and 46 singles also  million selling TV albums such as "Golden Classics"amd "The Entertainer" and when paired with trumpeter legend Al Hirt resulted in a historic duet TV album of country classics.

Cannon was inducted into both the Rock and Soul Hall of Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 2000. In May 2007, his hometown of Calhoun City, Mississippi, hosted its first annual Ace Cannon Festival, and on December 9, 2008, he was honoured with induction into the Mississippi Musicians' Hall Of Fame. 

After a year of travelling and entertaining fans the world over, he moved back to Calhoun City in the late 1980s and resides there today. Cannon continued to perform into the '90s and frequently toured with such legends of early rock & roll as Carl Perkins and can be found most days working on his golf game at his home course.

He still loves being part of the music business and has no desire to quit. 

(Info edited mainly from Wikipedia & All Music)