Johnny Vincent, born John Vincent Imbragulio on October 3, 1927, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, was a significant figure in the American music industry as a record producer. He began his career in the late 1940s when he moved to Jackson, Mississippi, and opened a record shop. In the early 1950s, he started the short-lived Champion Records label. Vincent's career took a pivotal turn when Art Rupe hired him as an A&R man at Specialty Records, where he worked with notable artists such as John Lee Hooker, Earl King, and Huey "Piano" Smith. His production of Guitar Slim's "The Things That I Used to Do" became an R&B number one hit in 1954.

In 1955, Vincent founded Ace Records in Jackson, Mississippi, initially focusing on local blues musicians. By 1956, he expanded into New Orleans rhythm and blues and rock and roll, signing artists like Huey "Piano" Smith, who developed a unique New Orleans shuffle style. Ace Records achieved national success in the late 1950s with hits like Huey "Piano" Smith's "Rockin' Pneumonia & Boogie Woogie Flu" and Frankie Ford's "Sea Cruise," both produced by Vincent. Despite these successes, distribution challenges led to the label's closure in 1962.

Vincent revived Ace Records in 1971 to produce new music and reissue older material, eventually selling the label to Music Collection International in 1997. Johnny Vincent passed away from heart failure on February 4, 2000, in Jackson, Mississippi, at the age of 72. His contributions to the music industry, particularly in rhythm and blues and rock and roll, remain influential.