The iconic musician who was one of the pioneers of the earliest days of rock and roll has passed. Lewis was eighty seven years old, and his passing was reported by his representatives. There were reports earlier this week and retractions of Lewis’ passing but sadly Jerry Lee Lewis passed away at home in Mississippi.
Lewis took America by storm with his fiery piano playing and ribald lyrics, for the time. His early hits “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On” were among the first major hits in a blossoming rock and roll music phenomenon that was sweeping the country and the globe.
Controversy dogged Lewis as his career developed with romantic scandals and eventually a total of seven wives. He had six children two of whom tragically died quite young.
Nicknamed “The Killer” because of the effect he had on audiences, Lewis along with Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and Elvis Presley helped to define the rebellious nature of rock and roll. He continued to perform throughout his life, and even had a major motion picture biopic made of his life. The film “Great Balls of Fire” was released in 1989 and starred Dennis Quaid.
Jerry Lee Lewis had twelve number one singles. This month he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Lewis was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame back in 1986. He continued to perform until recently, with shows even after he suffered a stroke back in 2019.
Our deepest sympathies go out to fans and family of Jerry Lee Lewis.
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