Rock’n’Roll Pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis Dies at Age 87

Rock’n’roll pioneer legend Jerry Lee Lewis has passed away at the age of 87. He died in his home south of Memphis in DeSoto County, Mississippi. His seventh wife, Judith, was by his side when he died from natural causes.

In his final days, Lewis told his wife “that he welcomed the hereafter, and that he was not afraid,” according to a statement.

He was born on Sept. 29, 1935, in Ferriday, Louisiana. When he was 9 years old he began playing piano. Lewis’ playing style was developed as a mixture of Black musicians and preachers that traveled through the area.

The musician taught himself how to play the piano and enjoyed singing in church growing up. One of his favorite past times growing up was listening to radio shows such as Louisiana Hayride and Grand Ole Opry. A few of his early influences were Hank Williams, Al Jolson, and Jimmie Rodgers.

His father mortgaged the family farm to buy Lewis his first piano when he was 10 years old. When he was 14 he wowed the crowd gathered at a local car dealership’s grand opening. It was around this time that he gave up his formal education to pursue his music career.

Eventually, he moved to Memphis, Tennessee where Lewis found work as a studio musician for Sun Studios. He recorded his first single — a cover of Ray Price’s “Crazy Arms” — in 1956. Locally, the song did well.

Becoming Famous

While working at Sun Studios Lewis was able to jam with Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash. During this session, they recorded “Million Dollar Quartet.” This recording was not released until much later though.

A year after he began working for Sun, he became a star when his song “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin On” became a hit on the country, pop, and R&B charts. His stage antics (i.e. lighting the occasion piano on fire or standing while playing) began to take form at this time. Lewis’ enthusiastic energy while playing earned him the nickname “The Killer.” His next big hits were “Great Balls of Fire,” “Breathless,” and “Another Place, Another Time.”

At the peak of his fame, Lewis was blacklisted by the United Kingdom and then the United States when he married his 13-year-old cousin, Myra Brown. She was the third of his seven marriages. His popularity soon faded and he never again had a U.S. Top 20 hit list.

A new generation was introduced to Lewis in 1989 when Dennis Quad depicted him in the biopic film “Great Balls of Fire.”

In 2006, Lewis sang a number of blues, rock, and country classics with the help of Willie Nelson. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Kris Kristofferson, and Buddy Guy during the “Last Man Standing” event.

In the 2010s “Mean Old Man” event, Kristofferson and Lewis sang with Sheryl Crow, Eric Clapton, Tim McGraw, Kid Rock, John Fogerty, and others.

He is survived by his wife, children, family, and friends. May he rest in peace.

Written by Sheena Robertson

Sources:

IMDB: Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis: Biography
The Guardian: Jerry Lee Lewis, notorious US rock’n’roll star, dies aged 87

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