Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis was born on the 29th of September 1935, in Ferriday, Louisiana. He grew up in an impoverished farming family where his parents mortgaged their farm to buy him a piano. His early musical education came from playing with cousins Mickey Gilley and Jimmy Swaggart at Haney's Big House, a black juke joint across the tracks. On the 19th of November 1949, he made his first public performance at a car dealership in Ferriday. The set featured a cover of Stick McGhee's "Drinkin' Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee".
His mother enrolled him at the Southwest Bible Institute in Waxahachie, Texas, hoping he would sing evangelical songs exclusively. That plan ended abruptly when he played a boogie-woogie rendition of "My God Is Real" during a church assembly. Pearry Green, then president of the student body, recalled how the dean called Lewis into his office the next morning to expel him. After that incident, he began playing at clubs around Ferriday and Natchez, Mississippi. In 1952, he cut his first demonstration recording for Cosimo Matassa at J&M Studio in New Orleans.
In November 1956, Lewis traveled to Memphis to audition for Sun Records. Label owner Sam Phillips was away in Florida, but producer Jack Clement recorded his renditions of Ray Price's "Crazy Arms" and his own composition "End of the Road". By December 1956, Lewis began recording prolifically as a solo artist and session musician for other Sun artists like Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash. His distinctive piano style appeared on tracks such as Perkins's "Matchbox" and Billy Lee Riley's "Flyin' Saucers Rock'n'Roll".
On the 4th of December 1956, Elvis Presley dropped by Phillips's studio while Perkins was cutting new tracks with Lewis backing him. Johnny Cash watched from the sidelines before the four started an impromptu jam session. These recordings, released later as Million Dollar Quartet, included gospel songs and covers like Chuck Berry's "Brown Eyed Handsome Man". Lewis's own singles advanced his career as a soloist during 1957. Hits like "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" brought him international fame and criticism that prompted some radio stations to boycott them.
Lewis's turbulent personal life remained hidden until a May 1958 British tour where reporter Ray Berry learned about his third wife, Myra Gale Brown. She was his cousin and only 13 years old when they married in December 1957, though Lewis claimed she was actually 15. The publicity caused an uproar that canceled the tour after just three concerts. His popularity quickly eroded following the scandal, and he did not have much chart success in the early 1960s except for a cover of Ray Charles's "What'd I Say".
His live performances became increasingly wild and energetic during these lost years. In June 1963, Lewis returned to the UK to headline a performance on the MV Royal Daffodil from Southend, Essex, to Boulogne, France. He was backed by Ritchie Blackmore and the Outlaws. None of his early Smash albums, including The Return of Rock and Memphis Beat, were commercial successes. Mercury held the presses thinking they had found his comeback hit with "I'm on Fire", but the arrival of the Beatles changed radio playlists almost overnight.
One major success during these lost years was the concert album Live at the Star Club, Hamburg, recorded with the Nashville Teens in 1964. Producer Siggi Loch used uncomplicated recording setups with microphones placed close to instruments and a stereo microphone in the audience to capture ambience. Milo Miles wrote in Rolling Stone that the album felt like one long convulsion where Lewis slaughtered his rivals in a 13-song set. Detractors complained about crashing noisiness and the piano mixed too loudly, yet the results remained sonically astonishing.
The album showcased Lewis's skills as a pianist and singer honed by relentless touring. Checksfield noted in Record Collector that the recording captured something brutally honest about the Killer. Stephen Thomas Erlewine later reviewed it as one of the greatest live rock albums ever. In a 5-out-of-5-stars review, Miles described it not as an album but as a crime scene. The performance demonstrated how Lewis could turn a simple song into a primal experience through sheer energy and technical mastery.
Frustrated by Smash Records' inability to score a hit, Lewis planned to leave when promotions manager Eddie Kilroy pitched cutting a pure country record in Nashville. He agreed to record Jerry Chesnut's "Another Place, Another Time", released as a single on the 9th of March 1968. To everyone's amazement, the song shot up the country charts and reached number four after remaining on the charts for 17 weeks. This marked the beginning of a string of hits that no one had predicted despite country music always being a major part of his repertoire.
Between 1968 and 1977, Lewis had 17 top-10 hit singles on the Billboard country chart including four chart toppers. Hits included "What's Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me)" and "To Make Love Sweeter for You". The production on early country albums like She Even Woke Me Up To Say Goodbye was sparse compared to the slick Nashville sound. Critics were most taken aback by his effortlessly soulful vocals which possessed emotional resonance on par with respected singers like George Jones and Merle Haggard.
On the 29th of September 1976, Lewis fired a .357 Magnum at a Coke bottle in his bedroom. The bullet ricocheted and accidentally hit bassist Butch Owens in the chest before Owens survived. On the 23rd of November 1976, he was arrested outside Elvis Presley's Graceland home for allegedly intending to shoot him. Lewis claimed Presley had been trying to reach him but he was busy getting his father out of jail for driving under the influence. He arrived at Graceland in a new Lincoln Continental with a loaded pistol on the dash and a bottle of champagne.
Lewis smashed into the famous Graceland gates just before three o'clock in the morning. Presley's cousin Harold Lloyd watched as Lewis attempted to hurl the champagne bottle out the car window, smashing both glass panes. The Memphis police found the gun in the car and put Lewis away in handcuffs. Released on a $250 bond, his defiant mugshot was wired around the world. In 1984, he was found innocent of evading taxes but still owed money to the IRS. By 1988, he filed for bankruptcy claiming over $3 million in debt.
Lewis had a minor stroke in Memphis on the 28th of February 2019, which forced him to cancel several appearances. He died at his home three years later on the 28th of October 2022, in Nesbit, Mississippi, at the age of 87. His funeral was held on the 5th of November 2022, in Ferriday, Louisiana, officiated by Jimmy Swaggart and Swaggart's son. A documentary titled Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind released in 2022 directed by Ethan Coen chronicled his life.
In 2006, his album Last Man Standing became his best-selling release with over a million copies worldwide. It featured many rock and roll elite as guest stars including Elton John and Keith Richards. The album charted on four different Billboard charts including a two-week stay at number one on the Indie charts. Lewis continued touring worldwide throughout the 21st century despite health issues. In May 2022, he was announced as a member-elect to the Country Music Hall of Fame before his death that same year.
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Common questions
When and where was Jerry Lee Lewis born?
Jerry Lee Lewis was born on the 29th of September 1935, in Ferriday, Louisiana. He grew up in an impoverished farming family where his parents mortgaged their farm to buy him a piano.
What happened during Jerry Lee Lewis's 1958 British tour scandal?
A May 1958 British tour ended abruptly after reporter Ray Berry revealed that Lewis married his cousin Myra Gale Brown when she was only 13 years old. The publicity caused an uproar that canceled the tour after just three concerts and eroded his popularity for several years.
How did Jerry Lee Lewis return to success in country music?
Lewis returned to chart success with the single Another Place Another Time released on the 9th of March 1968 which reached number four on the country charts. Between 1968 and 1977 he had 17 top-10 hit singles including four number one hits like What's Made Milwaukee Famous Has Made a Loser Out of Me.
Why was Jerry Lee Lewis arrested at Graceland in November 1976?
Jerry Lee Lewis was arrested outside Elvis Presley's Graceland home on the 23rd of November 1976 for allegedly intending to shoot him while driving a loaded Lincoln Continental. Police found a gun in the car and placed Lewis in handcuffs before releasing him on a $250 bond.
When did Jerry Lee Lewis die and how old was he?
Jerry Lee Lewis died at his home in Nesbit, Mississippi on the 28th of October 2022 at the age of 87. His funeral was held on the 5th of November 2022 in Ferriday, Louisiana officiated by Jimmy Swaggart and Swaggart's son.