The Aces were first a local band in Knoxville, Tennessee in the late 1960s early 1970s although they went by another name. The band consisted of founding members Russell Smith, Jeff Davis, and Butch McDade. They left Knoxville for greener pastures in the early seventies.

The Aces came together in Memphis, Tennessee in 1972, first with bassist Jeff Davis and drummer Butch McDade, who had recorded and toured with singer-songwriter Jesse Winchester. Davis and McDade recruited vocalist/guitarist Russell Smith, keyboardist Billy Earhart III, lead guitar, multi-instrumentalist, Barry 'Byrd' Burton, and pianist James Hooker to develop a sound mixing pop, country and blue-eyed soul.

Stacked Deck, their debut album released in 1975, resulted in two crossover (rock and country) hits, "Third Rate Romance" and "Amazing Grace (Used to Be Her Favorite Song)," the group's lone Top 10 country single. In 1976 "The End Is Not in Sight (The Cowboy Tune)," from the album Too Stuffed to Jump, won a Grammy for Country Vocal Performance by a Group.

Burton left the group after the release of 1977's Toucan Do It Too, and was replaced by Duncan Cameron.

In 1978, the Aces released Burning the Ballroom Down, followed the next year by a self-titled effort featuring songs with Joan Baez, Tracy Nelson and the Muscle Shoals Horns. Both albums received critical approval, but sold poorly. They released another album, How the Hell Do You Spell Rhythum, before disbanding.