When you think of rock n’ roll’s first great wild man, who comes to mind? Elvis Presley? Jim Morrison? While these rock n’ roll legends certainly deserve their accolades, there is another musician who deserves equal recognition: Jerry Lee Lewis. Nicknamed The Killer because he performed with such intensity that it was said he killed his audiences, Lewis established himself as one of the genre’s first true stars, even though his career was marred by controversy that resulted from his marriage to his 13-year-old cousin. The Killer Jerry Lee Lewis: Rock n Roll s First Great Wild Man
Table of Contents
Early Life
Jerry Lee Lewis was born in Louisiana on September 29, 1935. He grew up with a love for music, taught himself to play the piano by age nine and joined his first band at age fifteen. In 1957, Jerry signed a recording contract with Sun Records and released his first hit Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On which sold over one million copies. The Killer Jerry Lee Lewis: Rock n Roll s First Great Wild Man
Early Career
Jerry Lee Lewis was born in 1935 in Ferriday, Louisiana. He began his career at the age of 13, playing piano on the street for tips. In 1951, he joined a band called The Drifting Cowboys and became a full-time musician. As their lead singer and songwriter, they recorded Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin On that same year.
Later Career
Jerry Lee Lewis signed with Sun Records in 1957, and released a string of hits including Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin On, Great Balls of Fire, and Breathless.
In 1958, he became one of the first rock and roll artists to perform in London, England. His show at the London Palladium on New Year’s Eve 1958 was broadcast live on BBC Television.
As early as 1959, his success had begun to fade from the charts.
Personal Life
Jerry Lee Lewis was born in 1935 in Ferriday, Louisiana to a local sharecropper, Elmo Shufford. He had an older sister, Dorothy. His father taught him how to play the piano when he was six years old and by the time he turned ten, he was playing boogie-woogie music for local dances.
Accomplishments
Jerry Lee Lewis is best known for his rock-and-roll recordings, such as Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On, Great Balls of Fire, and Breathless. He has also recorded such diverse tunes as You Win Again and I’m on My Way to the Old Home. His American recordings sold about 50 million copies worldwide. In 1956, he became the first person to sell a million copies of a rock and roll record.
Awards & Honors
– Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986
– Ranked number 25 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time
Q.&A.
Q. What is your favorite song by The Killer?
A. Great Balls of Fire
Did Jerry Lee Lewis pass away?
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Nicknamed the Killer, he has been described as rock n’ roll’s first great wild man and one of the most influential pianists of the 20th century. He had a long string of hit singles on both country and pop charts as well as hits in other genres including blues, rock ‘n’ roll, gospel music and Southern rock.
How old was Jerry Lee Lewis when he married his 13 year old cousin?
Jerry Lee Lewis was born on September 29, 1935. He is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Nicknamed the Killer, he has been described as rock n’ roll’s first great wild man and one of the most influential pianists of the 20th century. On October 25th 1957 Jerry married his 13-year-old cousin Myra Gale Brown in Ferriday, Louisiana. It was a shotgun wedding to avoid scandal.
Did Jerry Lee Lewis stay married to his cousin?
Jerry Lee Lewis married his first cousin, Myra Gale Brown, on December 15, 1957. The marriage ended in divorce in 1966. His second wife was Jaren Gunn Lutts. They married on September 5th 1968 and remained married until her death from cancer on October 10th 1983. His third wife was Shawn Stephens-Lewis with whom he remained married until his death from respiratory failure in 2013 at the age of 78.
Did Jerry Lee Lewis get saved?
Jerry Lee Lewis was born on September 29, 1935 to a Southern sharecropper family in Ferriday, Louisiana. He grew up singing gospel music and church hymns. In his teenage years, he played piano and drums for various gospel singers and made his first recordings at 14 years old. In 1953 he signed with Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee where he became a recording artist of some renown as one of the pioneers of rock & roll.