John Vincent

American producer and founder of the labels 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, 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 Avanti Records (4).