John Vincent

American producer and founder of the labels Champion Record (2), Ace Records (3), Vin, TEEM Records, and Avanti Records (4). Born 3 October 1925 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi; died 4 February 2000 in Jackson, Mississippi. Vincent sold Rock-Ola jukeboxes in the 1940s. In the early 1950s he opened a record store and formed his own label, Champion Record (2). In 1953 he signed for Los Angeles-based label Specialty to find talent in New Orleans. In 1955, Vincent left Specialty to found Ace Records (3). In 1962 he made a distribution deal with Vee Jay Records, including producing for them. Vee Jay went bankrupt in 1965, and Ace was shut down shortly after. Vincent re-activated the label in 1971 with a limited success, which lead him to get involved in various other enterprises, including a restaurant. In the early 1990s he returned to music business, and he reoriented Ace to the contemporary soul-blues market. Vincent sold the Ace catalogue to British Music Collection International Ltd. in 1997 but started a new label, Avanti Records (4).