ACE CANNON
"GODFATHER OF THE SAX"
FAMOUS PERSON FROM CALHOUN CITY
ACE CANNON
"GODFATHER OF THE SAX"
CALHOUN CITY--Even if John Henry Cannon, Jr. had never played
a note on the saxophone, people would still call him Ace. They just
wouldn't mean it.
He is by far Calhoun City's most famous Card, making a
name for himself among the townspeople more than 40 years ago. But not by
blowing his own horn.
"I got it in football," he said, "but it
wasn't for being an ace. I think it was opposite of ace." At the time
Cannon was a 130 pound running back for Calhoun City High School. After
the star 202 pound running back got knocked out , the coach said Cannon in the
game. And I said wait a minute coach. If he got knocked out, I don't want
the ball." In the end, it didn't matter how un-acelike Cannon was on
the football field . Off the field, the name had already begin to fit.
Today, there's even more: Ace Cannon,
Godfather of the Sax. "You want hear anyone play like I do,"
said Cannon, summing up his success. "You may hear them play better,
but you won't hear them play like I do...
Two Top 40 hits, a gold record, a Grammy Award
nomination, astronomical sales of TV records, friend of a friend of Elvis--what
better qualifications for musical acedom and godfathership? And he is
based right here in a peaceful town about the size of Mayberry, N.C.
" I can work as good from here as I can anywhere else," said Cannon,
who has a custom-made cannon sitting in his front yard.
Ace is one heck of a musician and he's a very respected
man in our community...he is pretty well known everywhere.