Lewis was a legendary performer, but his private life was marred by a scandal involving an underage marriage and substance abuse.
Jerry Lee Lewis, who was best known for his 1957 song Great Balls of Fire, has passed away at the age of 87.
Lewis passed away at home in Memphis, Tennessee, according to his reps.
The rock & roll pioneer, who called himself The Killer, was also renowned for the song Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On. He was the last surviving member of a generation of innovative musicians that included Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard.
Once, he was described as a “one-man rush.” During a 1957 television performance of Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On, chairs were hurled at him.
“It contained rockabilly. Elvis was present. However, there was no genuine rock ‘n’ roll before Jerry Lee Lewis opened the door “He famously said about himself following the performance.
He became famed for his stage antics, which included playing the piano while standing and occasionally setting it on fire.
His private life, however, was marred by controversy.
After Elvis was drafted into the army in 1958, he was briefly a contender to replace Presley as rock’s number one.
But while Lewis was touring in England, the media found he was married to Myra Gale Brown, a 13-year-old (maybe 12-year-old) girl. She was his cousin when he was still married to his former wife.
His tour was canceled, he was blacklisted from radio, and his revenues were reduced to almost nothing overnight.
Lewis told the Wall Street Journal in 2014 when asked about the marriage, “I probably would have rearranged my life slightly differently, but I never hid anything from anyone.” I continued with my life as usual.
‘Mental brutality’
In the decades that followed, Lewis, who was married seven times, struggled with substance misuse, legal conflicts, and physical disease.
Brown divorced him in the early 1970s and later said that his physical and mental abuse nearly drove her to suicide.
In 1989, she told People magazine, “If I were still married to Jerry, I’d likely be dead by now.”
In the 1960s, Lewis rebuilt himself as a country artist, and the music industry eventually forgave him.
He recorded with some of the industry’s finest stars, including Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Sheryl Crow, and Tim McGraw, and won three Grammys.
Lewis was the father of six children. Steve Allen Lewis, age 3, drowned in a swimming pool in 1962, and Jerry Lee Jr., age 19, was killed in a car accident in 1973.
Among the tributes to the musician was one from Elton John, who referred to him as a “forerunner of innovation.”
The seasoned musician, who has previously mentioned Lewis as an inspiration for his passion for the piano, posted a snapshot of the two of them on Instagram.
He penned: “Without Jerry Lee Lewis, I would not be the individual I am today.
“He was innovative and thrilling, and he destroyed the piano.
“A talented singer as well. Many thanks for your pioneering inspiration and rock ‘n’ roll memories.”
The Country Music Association tweeted, “It is with great regret that we have learned of Jerry Lee Lewis’ demise. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame just last month.”
