Roots Jerry Lee Lewis. Jerry Lee Lewis. A resilient rock 'n' roll legend. The beginning of creative activity

Jerry Lee Lewis is an American pianist and singer nicknamed the Killer, who became a pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music. The winner of a dozen gold records, he has won several Grammy Awards, including the Outstanding Contribution to Music Award.

His famous composition "Whole Lotta Shakin "Goin" On" was included in the National Recording Registry of the American Library of Congress. Now Jerry Lee is the last surviving member of the Million Dollar Quartet, in which, in addition to him, Carl Perkins and.

Childhood and youth

Jerry Lee Lewis was born on September 29, 1935 in Ferriday, located in East Louisiana. His parents, Elmo and Mamie Lewis, were poor farmers, but they tried to give their only son everything they could afford, even a little more. When, under the influence of cousins ​​Mickey Gilley and Jimmy Swaggart, Jerry Lee became interested in playing the piano, his mother and father mortgaged their house and land to buy an expensive instrument.

Insisting that her son sing exclusively gospel songs, Mami enrolled him in the Southwest Bible Institute in Waxahachie, Texas. Soon Lewis, already distinguished by his impudent character in his youth, played boogie-woogie at a church meeting and was expelled from the school.

The young man returned home and began performing in local clubs. In 1954, Jerry Lee made his first demo recording and went to Nashville in search of a record deal.

Music

At first, producers did not perceive Lewis's work as something worthy of attention. It was only in November 1956 that Sam Phillips, the owner of Sun Records, recognized the talent in the musician and signed him to a contract to release solo albums on the condition that Jerry Lee would take part in the recording of other artists. As a session pianist, Lewis accompanied performances by Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Billy Lee Riley and became the first person to play rockabilly songs on the keyboard.

Since 1957, after the release of the hits "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On", "Crazy Arms" and "Great Balls of Fire", which brought Jerry Lee worldwide fame, the musician began an individual career. On stage, Lewis acted like a madman: pounding his heels on the piano keys, throwing aside the bench and playing without it, waving his arms for dramatic effect, sitting and even standing on the instrument.

In May 1958, during a tour of England and Scotland, a scandal erupted around the musician related to his personal life. Jerry Lee's compositions were blacklisted on the radio, and concerts were cancelled. Sam Phillips betrayed his own client by releasing a fictitious interview with his participation; only American DJ Alan Freed, the inventor of the term rock and roll, remained faithful to the musician and played his recordings.

During this difficult time, Lewis performed in bars and cafes. The desire to be in the public eye prompted him to record an instrumental boogie arrangement of the orchestra's "In the Mood" under the pseudonym The Hawk. The deception was quickly revealed as radio hosts and listeners recognized Jerry Lee's unique performing style.

In 1963, Lewis' contract with Sun Records ended and he moved to Mercury Records. The collaboration began with the recording of the potential hit "I"m on Fire", which was supposed to return the love and trust of the public to the musician. This did not happen, as America became acquainted with the work of , and interest in rock and roll began to fade.

Not losing hope, Jerry Lee recorded the albums "The Return Of Rock", "Memphis Beat" and "Soul My Way", but they were not commercially successful. Fame returned to the performer with the release of Live at the Star Club in 1964, which became one of the greatest live rock and roll recordings ever released.

Lewis's position was finally strengthened after the performance of Jerry Chesnut's country song "Another Place, Another Time", which was released as a single on March 9, 1968 and immediately soared to the top of the country charts. This was followed by a number of hits recorded in the same style, 17 of them entered the top 10 songs on the Billboard charts.

"What"s Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made A Loser Out of Me)", "To Make Love Sweeter For You", "She Still Comes Around (To Love What"s Left of Me)", "Since I Met You Baby ", "Once More With Feeling", "One Has My Name (The Other Has My Heart)" and "Sometimes A Memory Ain't Enough" blasted across radio stations and dance floors across America.

Listeners and critics were captivated by the light, soulful vocals of the rock and roll pioneer, who had the emotional resonance on par with famous performers George Jones and Merle Haggard. After such a turn, Lewis became the highest paid singer in America. The demand for his records grew so much that the new owner of Sun Records re-released the musician's previously recorded albums and sold them in unprecedented quantities.

In January 1973, Jerry Lee made his first and only appearance on the Grand Ole Opry radio broadcast. IN live the musician broke all the rules and traditions of the program: instead of the 8 minutes allotted for music between advertisements, he played for almost an hour without a break, talked about music and life, and then invited one of the employees to sing with him. Until 1977, Jerry Lee continued to record country albums. The last hit released on Smash Records was the song "Middle Age Crazy", recorded in 1977.

In 1986, Lewis became one of the first 10 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. At the same time, the musician returned to the Sun Records studio to participate in the recording of the album "Class of "55" in the company of Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins. The record was supposed to become an analogue of the "Million Dollar Quartet", but, according to critics, it was not enough atmosphere that reigned in 1956.

After 3 years there was another rise in creative biography musician when he re-recorded old songs for the film "Big Balls of Fire", based on memoirs ex-wife Lewis. The main roles in the film about the life and early work of the singer were played by, and.

In 1990, Jerry Lee's new song "It Was the Whiskey Talkin' (Not Me)" became the soundtrack to the blockbuster film Dick Tracy starring , and Lewis toured constantly throughout the country and abroad. In 1998, he joined the star-studded tour and Little Richard.

On February 12, 2005, the musician received a Grammy Award for “Contribution to the Development of Music,” and a year later he released new album called "Last Man Standing", where most of the compositions were duets with world rock stars:, and others. Receiving positive reviews, the album charted four times on the Billboard charts, including a two-week stay at number one on the indie charts.

In March 2007, director Jim Gable released a DVD entitled Last Man Standing Live, featuring concert clips of Lewis and many guest artists, including John Fogerty and others. The disc went gold in the United States, where it sold more than half a million copies.

Personal life

Jerry Lee Lewis was married 7 times and had six children. His first marriage to Dorothy Barton lasted for 20 months, from February 1952 to October 1953. The musician lived with his second wife Jane Mitchum for 4 years. During this time, the couple had two children.

Jerry Lee's tumultuous personal life was hidden from the public until May 1958, when, while on tour in Britain, reporter Ray Berry learned of the musician's marriage to a great niece named Myra Gail Brown, who was 13 years old. The publicity caused an uproar and the tour ended after 3 shows.

The couple married in December 1957 and soon had a son, Steve, who lived only 3 years, and then a daughter, Phoebe. In 1970, the couple divorced because Myra was tired of the endless insults and cruelty from her husband.

Jerry Lee's next wife was Jaren Elizabeth Gunn Pate, who gave birth to a daughter for the musician. The relationship did not work out, and the wife went to live with another man. A few weeks before the divorce, she drowned in a swimming pool. There were rumors that this death was not accidental, but Lewis denied involvement in the tragedy.

A year after Jaren’s death, the musician found his soulmate and again made the wrong choice. The marriage with Shawn Stevens lasted 77 days, and then the wife died of a drug overdose. The public again suspected Jerry Lee of what had happened, but, having found no evidence, soon calmed down.

The longest marriage was with Kerry McCover, who became the singer’s life partner for 21 years. The couple had only 1 child, Jerry Lee Lewis III, born in 1973. Jerry and his sixth wife first lived in the USA, and when problems with taxes began, they left for Dublin.

In 1997, the couple returned to their homeland after Irish promoter Kieran Kavanagh settled financial questions. In 2004, the couple divorced, and Jerry became a bachelor for some time.

The musician last married at the age of 76 to 62-year-old Judith Brown, the former wife of his cousin Rusty Brown. The ceremony took place on March 9, 2012 in Natchez, Mississippi, and for some time was a secret not only for journalists, but also for close friends and relatives.

Jerry Lee Lewis now

Lewis lives on a ranch in Nesbit, Mississippi with his family. He runs his own club, which opened in 2013 on Beale Street in Memphis. The interior of the establishment has the spirit of rock and roll: rare photographs of the musician and his star colleagues are hung on the walls, and there is also a piano on which Jerry Lee plays compositions from different times from time to time.

On December 31, 2018, Lewis plans to perform on Beale Street with a big New Year's concert, and after that the musician's tour of American cities will begin. Performances will take place in Jackson, Mississippi, Sarasota, Florida, and Greenville, Southern California.

Discography

• 1963 – “The Golden Hits of Jerry Lee Lewis”
• 1967 – “Soul My Way”
• 1970 – “She Even Woke Me Up To Say Goodbye”
• 1972 – “Who’s Gonna Play This Old Piano?”
• 1975 – “Boogie Woogie Country Man”
• 1976 – “Country Class”
• 1980 – “When Two Worlds Collide”
• 1982 – “The Survivors”
• 1986 – “Class of ’55”
• 1989 – “Great Balls of Fire”
• 2006 – “Last Man Standing”
• 2010 – “Mean Old Man”

Born on September 29 1935

IN 1954 1955

Born on September 29 1935 years in the city of Ferriday (North Louisiana), Jerry Lee grew up in an extremely devout family, so his earliest musical impressions were related to church music. His life was destined to become a tragedy, starting from the moment when Lewis was 3 years old and his older brother Elmo Jr. (father's name was Elmo Sr.) was killed under the wheels of a car with a drunk driver behind the wheel.

His parents both loved country music, especially Jimmie Rodgers, and young Jerry Lee soon became interested in it, too. In his aunt's house, Jerry played the piano from time to time, and when his parents heard him, they were convinced that their son was gifted by nature, and even mortgaged the house in order to buy him a piano when Jerry was 8 years old. In his youth, Jerry liked everything from country, as well as some jazz, in particular two artists - Jimmie Rodgers and Al Johnson. He learned to play their songs on the piano, but believed that Johnson's songs were more suitable for him to sing.

Soon he perfectly mastered all the styles of piano playing he knew. By the end of the 40s. Jerry Lee discovered black blues and saw performances by such artists as Champion Jack Dupree, Big Maceo and B.B King. Jerry also became acquainted with new songs in the recordings of Piano Red, Stick McGhee, Lonnie Johnson and others. During his first public performance in public, he performed Stick McGee's song "Drinkin" Wine Spo-dee O"dee."

The country singer of the 40s and early 50s was Hank Williams. He was for his time what Jimmie Rodgers was in the 20s and 30s. Jerry, like many other country singers, was fascinated by Hank Williams. His favorite Williams songs were "You Win Again" and "Lovesick Blues." He incorporated these and other songs into his repertoire, combining them with other blues and country songs he had previously studied.

Another performer who had a huge influence on Jerry Lee was Moon Mulliken, a white boogie-woogie pianist who combined blues, jazz and country styles, and became famous for hits such as "I"ll Sail My Ship Alone, recorded by Jerry Lee on Sun Records, and Seven Nights To Rock.

In the mid-50s, Jerry studied theology at a Bible college in Texas, preparing to become a preacher. Like Moon Mulliken before him, Jerry couldn't resist the temptation that came from his boogie roots. And while Moon played a version of Bessie Smith's "St Louis Blues" during a church service, Jerry interpreted the hymn "My God Is Real" in boogie style, for which he was expelled. From that moment on, Jerry turned to music.

IN 1954 -year Jerry recorded two songs for a Louisiana radio station. These were the then popular hits of Hank Snow “I Don't Hurt Anymore” and Eddie Fisher “If I Ever Needed You I Need You Now”. Both songs performed by Jerry combined blues and country Around the same time, Bill Haley had hits with his smoother versions of black R&B, such as "Rock The Joint" and "Shake, Rattle & Roll." 1955 -year Haley thundered with his powerful hit “Rock Around The Clock”. Rock and roll was born, but Haley was not the man who could adequately represent it. At the same time, Sam Phillips, the owner of Sun Records, a rhythm and blues label in Memphis, was thinking that if he could find a white singer singing in Negro, he would become a millionaire.

Rock and roll is really just another name for rhythm and blues, which in turn is another name for the blues, which was derived from Negro spirituals; however, it was new to the white population of the United States and Europe. Many of the Sun's first rockabilly performers were just copies of either Hank Williams or black bluesmen, and did not have their own unique style. Carl Perkins was undoubtedly a great singer and guitarist, but he was too reminiscent of Hank Williams (take his “Let The Jukebox Keep On Playing” for example). Elvis Presley was primarily a pop artist (thanks to the management of Tom Parker). Other performers were less famous and not very original.

Jerry Lee was one of the few original white bluesmen, as well as one of the few country stylists since Hank Williams. Sam Phillips noticed this when he heard Jerry Lee perform things of his own composition: ragtime “End Of The Road”, country “Crazy Arms” and “You"re The Only Star” by Gene Autry in a piano boogie arrangement, as well as blues rock "Deep Elem Blues" 1956 year. Jerry Lee created a completely new style, combining country, blues, rockabilly, Al Johnson, boogie and gospel, which all together created the music of JLL.

Soon the world took notice of JLL's mix of country blues and boogie, and hit after hit followed. His amazing talent has earned a special place in the world of rock and roll. His style was unique. In the blues, rock and roll and country charts 1957 -1958 gg. included killer songs like “Great Balls Of Fire”, “Mean Woman Blues”, “Breathless” and “High School Confidential”, as well as country ballads such as “You Win Again”, “Fools Like Me” and “ I "ll Make It All Up To You." Jerry Lee could sing and play anything, including: old-fashioned country (“Silver Threads”), delta blues “Crawdad Song”), jazz (“No More Than I Get"), Nashville country ("I Can"t Seem To Say Goodbye"), lowdown blues ("Hello, Hello Baby") and rock and roll ("Wild One"). So Sam Phillips found a white musician who could sing like a black man and even better.

TO 1958 -1959 gg. real rock and roll was dying out. Performers like Buddy Holly and Pat Boone were good singers, but much more polished than the early rockers. Performers like Bobby Vee and Fabian became famous more for their looks than for their music. Jerry Lee found that his music was being banned (his marriage to Myra was a good excuse), and the real reason was that rock music encouraged youth to rebel. Finally, the fall of rock and roll was hastened by racists who hated blues, country, jazz and other “roots” music that rock and roll was originally. That's why the charts of that time suffered from the dominance of sweet pop music.

While Jerry Lee's friends and contemporaries such as Elvis and Roy Orbison (largely under pressure from managers like Tom Parker) switched to a new style, "Killer" continued to deliver his blues-based roots. boogie. Some of the greatest hits of his career were recorded on Mercury Records with 1963 By 1968 years Among them are “Corrine, Corrina”, “She Was My Baby”, “Whenever You"re Ready”, etc. He also performed soul at that time, for example “Just Dropped In”, “It"s A Hang- up, Baby" and "Turn On Your Lovelight".

TO 1968 In the year, Jerry focused on country and released powerful hits like “Another Place, Another Time,” “What’s Made Milwaukee Famous,” “To Make Love Sweeter For You,” and “She Still Comes Around.” 1969 By 1981 Among Jerry's hits were wonderful ballads such as “Would You Take Another Chance”, “She Even Woke Me Up”, “Touching Home”, “He Can't Fill My Shoes” and “When Two Worlds Collide”. He also studied blues, his song “I"ll Find It Where I Can” entered the hit parade in the C&W category (Country & Western - country and western). His albums also sold well, especially "The Session" and "Killer Rocks On".

His years of work with Elektra (since 1979 By 1981 gg.) were also marked by the success that came with such hits as “Two Worlds Collide”, “Rocking My Life Away”, etc. 1986 He released over 60 hits, many of which were number 1 or in the top ten. His three albums released on Elektra became some of the best. They were followed by good albums recorded at MCA.

Meanwhile, the 60s, 70s and 80s filled Jerry's personal life with tragedies: his beloved sons, Steve Allen and Jerry Lee Jr., died in accidents, respectively 1962 And 1973 years, in 1970 his mother died in the same year 1970 - in the year Myra divorced him; his next two wives died in 1981 And 1983 year as a result of tragic accidents. Rolling Stone magazine published a monstrously false article blaming Jerry for the death of his fifth wife in 1983 year, without citing a single grain of facts. All these and more tragic events caused Jerry Lee to become addicted to drugs and alcohol. He almost died twice: in 1981 And 1985 years from ulcerative bleeding. Kerry, his current wife, helped Jerry get rid of bad habits.

And yet, despite everything, Killer remains the best vocalist, pianist and showman of them all. His album 1995 "Young Blood" is filled with the same energy as the work of previous years. As Hank Cochran noted, George Jones can sing traditional country great, but nothing else; Frank Sinatra excels at his music, but Jerry Lee can do everything from blues to country to Jimmie Rodgers to gospel and do it right.

IN 1996 -year Jerry had a heart attack, but he still continues to play rock. Jerry Lee is not only the King of Rock and Roll Boogie, but also the King of American Music in the Southern States. And he is the only one who continues to play true Southern Blues and Country in the 90s.

Jerry Lee Lewis is a true legend in the world of music. He is one of the founders of the style of rock and roll. Would you like to know the details of his personal life? All necessary information contained in the article.

Biography: childhood and youth

He was born on September 29, 1935 in the American town of Ferriday. From an early age he demonstrated a love of music. At the age of 10, Jerry began to master the piano. At first, the boy independently became familiar with the capabilities of this instrument. But soon his parents invited a teacher for him. Piano lessons were held several times a week.

The future world pop star was raised in a religious family. The boy even planned to become a clergyman. After graduating from high school, he went to Texas, where he entered a Bible institute. However, the guy did not study at this institution for long. He was expelled. And all because Jerry performed the song “My God Is Real” in the boogie style. The teachers considered this composition blasphemous.

Our hero was not at all upset about being expelled from the institute. By that time, he had already realized that the career of a clergyman was not his calling. The guy got real pleasure from music. He wanted to develop in this direction.

The beginning of creative activity

In 1954 he recorded two cover compositions. They were broadcast on a Louisiana radio station. In just a few days, the young performer acquired a small army of fans.

In the fall of 1956, Jerry went to Memphis. There he auditioned for one of the largest recording studios. Professionals highly appreciated the vocal abilities of our hero. However, his repertoire seemed irrelevant to them. In those days, Americans preferred rock and roll songs. And Jerry Lewis worked in the “country” direction.

The young performer had to reconsider his musical style. And soon he fell in love with rock and roll with all his heart. Jerry recorded the song "End Of The Road" in this genre. The chairman of Sun Records really liked it.

Difficulties

In the first half of 1958, a huge scandal erupted around Jerry Lewis. And all because he got married to his 13-year-old cousin.

At some point, the largest US radio stations stopped airing his songs. Jerry Lee Lewis was blacklisted for a long time. Concerts planned in advance had to be celebrated. In printed publications his name was mentioned only in a negative way.

Only in 1963 did the musician manage to restore his career. Jerry Lee Lewis concerts began to take place again in major European and American cities. Listeners missed their favorite singer. Soon he pleased them with his new (second) album Jerry Lee's Greatest. The compositions contained on the disc were liked by his fans.

Career continuation

After some time, representatives of the record company Smash Records offered Jerry Lee mutually beneficial cooperation. Our hero could not miss such a chance. He began studio work.

The management of Smash Records was pleased to have such a talented and hardworking musician as Jerry Lee Lewis as a partner. The artist's albums were released one after another. Between 1971 and 2013. At least 40 records were released. They sold millions of copies around the world. Each of the albums contained at least 2-3 hits.

Personal life

Jerry Lives has always been a conqueror of women's hearts. And he himself often fell in love. Our hero first got married at the age of 15. His chosen one was the daughter of a local priest. However, this marriage did not last long. The reason for the divorce was a scandal involving the performer's young cousin. You talked about this above.

So Jerry married his 13-year-old niece, Myra Gail Brown. Many people condemned him for his vicious relationship. But our hero was not interested in other people's opinions. He was married to Myra for almost 12 years.

Subsequently, the performer tried 5 times to build family happiness. Some of the marital unions fell apart due to a mismatch of characters and interests. There were also mystical cases. For example, Jerry's fourth wife drowned in the pool. That's not all. His fifth wife died due to a drug overdose. It was as if an evil fate was hanging over the famous musician.

At the beginning of 2012, our hero decided to go to the altar for the seventh time. At that time he was 76 years old. The performer's chosen one was his nurse. She is 14 years younger than Lewis. It must be said that both spouses are not embarrassed by such an age difference.

Present tense

The American singer is as full of energy as he was 10-15 years ago. He continues to record songs and give concerts. Of course, due to his age, he had to significantly reduce the number of his performances. But this did not make his listeners love him any less.

In 1986, Jerry Lewis was inducted into the top ten inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. You simply cannot imagine a better recognition for a creative person.

And 3 years later a film adaptation of his biography was released. The film, titled “Balls of Fire,” received high praise from audiences and critics. The role of Jerry was played by an American film actor. He coped 100% with the tasks set by the director.

Finally

Now you know what path Jerry Lee took to worldwide popularity. His life had ups and downs, marital happiness and the bitterness of loss. However, our hero passed all the tests sent by fate with his head held high. We wish him good health and creative inspiration!

American singer and composer, one of the musicians who influenced the creation of rock and roll.

Childhood and youth

Jerry was born into a poor religious family in Louisiana. Thanks to his religious upbringing, the boy often showed his talents in the church choir and, together with his brothers, mastered the basics of playing the piano. Despite the fact that Jerry's family was decent, the boy himself was still a bully; at school he was nicknamed “The Killer” because of his explosive character. After graduating from school, the young man entered a religious university and planned to become a clergyman. However, he did not study for long; soon, during one of the holidays, he performed with the song “My God Is Real” remade as “boogie”. Such an act was accepted as sacrilege and he was expelled from the university. Apparently this became the impetus for the further development of his musical talents.

The beginning of a musical career

The career of a clergyman was finally over after the release of covers of several popular songs on local radio. Even if the success was small, it became enough of an incentive to work on further songs.

In 1956, the young performer went to Memphis where he auditioned at a recording studio. Although the agency liked the voice and style of singing, the producers did not like the songs themselves and their style. During the heyday of rock and roll, no one was interested in performers of already outdated country music. The young musician had to change his direction and keep up with fashion trends. The first composition appeared almost immediately, “End Of The Road,” and brought the head of the agency into indescribable delight. Lewis easily changed the direction of work if necessary, he wanted to write good music, and it didn’t matter to him what style it would be written in as long as the public liked it.

Rapid rise and fall

Since 1958, when the first studio album of the artist “Jerry Lee Lewis” was released, vibrant activity began on the radio where several of the most successful songs were played around the clock. The musician's career rose rapidly and incredibly successfully to the top. Many concerts and eventually a world tour began everyday affairs in the life of a young talent. The existence of all this came into question when the Lee Lewis scandal erupted. He married his 13-year-old cousin, an event that did not go unnoticed. The European tour was cancelled, and in the US the public greeted the performer with a wave of indignation when he took the stage. For many years, the singer was remembered only with malicious criticism and was not allowed to hold concerts. However, the diligent and persistent young man continued to compose, no matter what. His young wife supported him and always served as his support.

In 1963, the black streak in the musician’s life ended. With the release of the new album, his popularity returned, because the public was in love with his music and forgave his past scandals. “Jerry Lee's Greatest” rose to the top of the charts and topped the lists not only of the US, but also of Britain, Canada and Europe.

Return to the top of popularity

The new wave of popularity brought back endless world tours. The audience joyfully greeted his explosive songs and no less explosive character. Soon the musician divorced his wife after 12 years of marriage. In 1963, after completing his tour, Lewis severed all ties with the Sun Records music label. After leaving the agency, Jerry returned to his long-loved country music, which he had once abandoned for the sake of popularity. This time, despite the resounding success of rock and roll, the singer managed to take a leading position with new country songs. After such a brilliant return, the singer left the stage for 13 long years, during which he managed to get married and divorced several times. The first composition released after the break was “Would You Take Another Chance on Me”; the title was quite symbolic. Once again, Lewis managed to return to the top of popularity and capture the attention and love of the public.

Loud scandals

In 1971, another popular country single, “Chantilly Lace,” was released, which was number one on the country music charts for just under a month. It would seem that everything was going well, but the singer’s unusual character made itself felt during the celebration of his birthday. Members of the concert cast and many friends were invited to the celebration. During one of the minor arguments during the party, Lewis jokingly pointed a gun in the direction of his bassist Butch Owens. No one assumed that the weapon was loaded; the musician hit Butch in the chest. The wound was not fatal, but the holiday was ruined, and the press exploded with theories about a deliberate assassination attempt. Soon there was another incident involving weapons. Jerry was invited to Elvis Presley's mansion, but unfortunately the security did not recognize him. Deciding to make a joke, he pulled out a gun and said that he had come to kill Elvis because he was too popular. The security response was immediate; the singer was disarmed and taken to the police station. After all the circumstances were clarified, he was released, but another explosion of attention from the press and public followed immediately.

Last years of activity

In 1986, Jerry Lewis was one of the first to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Was soon removed documentary about his career in fairly detailed form. After that, another film was released, this time a feature film. “Balls of Fire” became a very popular film product for the sake of this film, the musician re-recorded several of his songs. The film was successful and brought quite a bit of popularity and rave reviews about his work. Now the singer still writes new hits and continues to visit different countries world, with his magnificent works.

• In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Jerry Lee Lewis's "Great Balls of Fire" at number 96 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Additionally, “Great Balls of Fire” is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.
• In November 1976, hours before Lewis was arrested for drunk driving, the pianist arrived at Graceland with a loaded gun and demanded to meet Elvis, and, as Geri would later claim, was only joking about wanting to kill Elvis. Presley immediately called the police through security, fearing that Lewis would actually shoot him.
• In September 1978, while celebrating his forty-first birthday, Lewis jokingly pointed a gun at his bass player, Butch Owens, and, believing it was not loaded, pulled the trigger, shooting him in the chest. Owens fortunately survived.
• During a group tour with Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry in 1958, he lost to Berry in a backstage dispute over who would close the show. During his final act, Lewis took a Coke bottle filled with gasoline, doused the piano, set it on fire and told Berry “you can come out now.”

Awards:

• Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2005)
• Best Spoken Album (1987)
• Grammy Hall of Fame (1998, 1999)
• Academy of Country Music Award for Pianist/Keyboardist of the Year (1976)

Lewis, Jerry Lee
"Killer" with the face of a musician

In the early 70s. The following episode took place in the life of John Lennon. Once, a close friend of the famous Beatle, Elliott Mintz, took him to the Hollywood club "Roxy" to a concert of an American rock performer. According to Mintz, after the concert, John fell to his knees backstage and... kissed the singer’s shoe, and he, condescendingly patting him on the shoulder, said: “Well, okay, son, okay.” Intrigued? Today we will talk about the one before whom even the Great John fell prostrate...

Jerry Lee Lewis was born in Ferriday, Louisiana on September 29, 1935. Legend has it that when their son was 8 years old, the Lewises mortgaged their house to buy him a piano for $900. The boy mastered the instrument within literally two weeks, but his parents were unable to pay the debt on time and lost their home. (The legend is only a legend, so that its details in the mouths of various storytellers are vague: in some musical sources there is a mention of the loss of a house, in others not, but the piano appears in all of them in childhood).
As a teenager, Lewis studied to become a priest (!) at the Assemblies of God religious institute in Texas, secretly visiting blues clubs with his cousins ​​and watching the masters of the genre play the piano. The hobby did not pass without a trace, and in the end the young man was thrown out of the institute for “blasphemous” music. Jerry's first public performance took place in 1948 in his native Ferriday at an event dedicated to the presentation of a new Ford model, then he began playing country music in bars and clubs. The first professional recordings were still far away.
In February 1952, a 17-year-old boy got married, and we would not have mentioned this fact, which at first glance has nothing to do with music, if since then family failures and scandals had not begun to accompany the entire further personal life of the legendary rocker, directly affecting his musical career. Very soon he abandoned his first wife and, without divorcing her, married a second girl, thus becoming a “bigamist.” True, in October 1953, the loving guy finally filed for divorce. By this time, his second wife gave him a son, Jerry Lee Jr.
By the mid-50s, Jerry Lee was performing as JERRY LRR LEWIS AND HIS PUMPING PIANO, raping the piano full program"and knocking out sounds from the instrument not only with the help of his fingers, but also with his fists, legs, chin and back of the body - without forgetting to sing! A few years later, when the artist gained all-American popularity, fans gave him the nickname for such a playing technique" “Killer.” (A decade and a half later, Elton John would begin to use a similar arsenal of tricks in his concerts, but he would be second, right?).
After Elvis Presley's first successes at Sun, Jerry Lee Lewis also headed there. Label owner Sam Phillips needed a good country and rock 'n' roll pianist, and after auditioning Lewis, he hired him. For some time he accompanied such artists as Carl Perkins, Warren Smith and Billy Lee Riley. Many years later, Phillips recalled that Elvis really liked Jerry Lee Lewis's playing and that he wanted to learn to play the piano as well as he did.
Over time, Phillips discovered that the young man also had good vocal abilities, and decided to release a record with him. They recorded the country song "Crazy Arms" (December 1956), but it did not receive wide publicity. Lewis was working on a song for his second single, "It'll Be Me," and during a break in the session, someone suggested that he try singing "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," which he had previously performed with the singer Johnny Littlejohn Jerry Lee didn't even remember the words to the song right away, but when he started beating out the piano in his inimitable style and shouting the lyrics about how there was a party in a country barn and "everything's shaking," those present the studio went wild - in the best sense of the word. A comparison of the later recordings of both songs showed that "Whole Lotta...", perhaps, surpasses the number that was planned for the main side of the single.
Sam Phillips was initially against it, but at the second session the composition sounded even more convincing, and the boss was broken. In June 1957, "Whole Lotta..." became Lewis's second single for Sun.
Soon, Judd Phillips, Sam’s brother, who had helped the latter in the music business from the very founding of the Sun company, managed to arrange for the young artist to participate in the television program “Steve Allen Show” by the famous host Steve Allen (he had previously sung on the same show). Elvis). Jerry Lee performed last - but how! During the performance of "Whole Lotta...", he stood up from the piano and kicked the chair, sending it flying away. Allen, deciding to “play along,” threw the chair back at the pianist, and then threw something else at the musician. He continued to play - now using his leg for this purpose. And all this in front of a large television audience! The scandalous performance brought the singer unprecedented popularity. The album went up in the international charts, taking 2nd place in the USA and 8th in England. Lewis did not forget the service Allen provided him, but more on that below. "Whole Lotta Shakin" Goin" On", a classic "piano" rock, entered the repertoire of almost all performers of those years - Little Richard, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard, Bill Haley, but no one put so much frantic energy into this composition like Jerry Lee Lewis.
Having seen the latter on TV, the black composer Otis Blackwell, who had recently composed the super-popular “Don’t Be Cruel” and “All Shook Up” for Elvis, sent Phillips a demo of his new song “Great Balls Of Fire.” The composition suited the style perfectly. Lewis and was immediately recorded.The choice turned out to be correct: the single climbed the charts in the musician’s homeland to 3rd place and reached the top of the charts in England (end of 1957).
Lewis begins to tour the country, and a more than modest accompanying line-up (a bass guitarist plus a drummer with one small drum) allows him to sometimes perform directly... from the back of a car decorated with the inscription “Pay less from the Jerry Lee Lewis music truck,” which will become understandable if we mention that at the same time the musicians were selling records.
The Warner Brothers company is making the musical film "Disc Jockey Jamboree" (1957), where the maestro performs with such stars as Carl Perkins, Fats Domino, Connie Francis. It was at this time that the slogan “Rock and roll is the thing and Jerry Lee is the king!” was born. (Rock and roll is a thing, and Jerry Lee is its king!) - in the end, Lewis's violent behavior on stage (as well as in life) gave some reason for this.
Around the same time, Jerry Lee secretly married for the third time - to his cousin Myra Gale Brown. What made the situation even more scandalous was that the bride was only...13 years old!
In the spring of 1958, Lewis went on tour to England, having another, third, hit to his name, “Breathless” (7th position in the USA, 8th in the British Isles). He is accompanied on the trip by his sister and teenage wife, even though Sam Phillips warned him not to play with fire. On May 22, 1958, a press conference was held at London Heathrow Airport. The couple stayed together, although the singer's manager tried to move Mira away when they got off the plane. One of the journalists asked who this girl was. “This is my wife Mira,” Jerry Lee announced. “And how old is she?” “Fifteen.” “God, Mrs. Lewis, isn’t it too early to get married at that age?” “Oh, no, not at all.” , - Mira chirped. - Here (in America. - I.M.) age does not play a special role. You can get married at ten if you find a husband."
The sensational news spread not only to England - in the musician’s homeland, journalists immediately discovered that the young people got married 5 months before Lewis officially divorced his second wife, and that his chosen one was not fifteen years old, as she said at a press conference, - her age was only approaching fourteen!
The musician's tour was actually disrupted. British newspapers burst out with abusive articles on the topic of the “moral character” of the overseas star, some demanded the artist’s deportation, and the audience at concerts booed him and awarded him epithets like “baby snatcher.” It was decided to stop the tour. Finally, Lewis told reporters: “In general, you English are good guys, but some of you are stifled by envy, just envy!” When asked whether this scandal would affect his career, the singer replied: “I have two excellent houses in America, three Cadillacs and a farm. What more does a person need?”/
In the United States, there was no end to the questioning of journalists. Jerry Lee had to explain that he was not deported, but that he “got bored” and returned on his own. Only once did the musician almost lose his temper - when someone again asked about Mira’s age. "You can write down that she is a woman!" - he barked.
It’s simply amazing how many musical careers were trampled by the heavy heel of fate at the turn of the 50s - 60s! Buddy Holly, Big Bopper and Richie Vallens died in a plane crash, Eddie Cochran died in a car accident, Chuck Berry went to prison, Carl Perkins was crippled in an accident and bedridden for a long time. Jerry Lee Lewis's career was also going through hard times...
Sam Phillips made desperate attempts to save the situation, even turning to such unconventional methods as, for example, releasing the single “The Return Of Jerry Lee,” on which he combined excerpts from his protégé’s songs in such a way that they seemed to answer journalists’ questions. Phillips also purchased a full page of Billboard magazine in which he and Lewis published an open letter to the public. “In the last few weeks I have gained enormous popularity,” the artist wrote. “But this popularity is entirely negative. Even the worst people must have something good, and according to reports from London, I am the worst of all and do not deserve any normal press release. This all started because I tried to tell the truth. I told the story of my past life because I thought it was getting better and I thought I wouldn't hurt anyone if I found the courage to tell the whole truth. I admit, that my life has been turbulent. I must also say that since I became popular, I sincerely wanted to be worthy of the admiration of all the people, young and old, who fell in love with my talent (if I have one). This, in the end after all, that’s all I can offer as a professional...".
But the persecution of the musician continued. The famous American disc jockey and TV presenter Dick Clark, after a call from above, refused to show Lewis in his programs. The engagement at the New York nightclub Café de Paris was canceled literally a week later, even though the establishment was in a critical financial situation. The artist's next single, "Break-Up" (August 1958), barely rose to number 52 in the United States.
And yet, Jerry Lee had another major hit - the composition "High School Confidential" became the title song of the film of the same name. The film “about drugs” gained considerable popularity, and the song reached 12th place in both the USA and England (1958).
In February 1959, Mira gave birth to a son, and Lewis named him Steve Allen - in honor of the TV presenter mentioned above, on whose program he became famous. Unfortunately, three years later the boy drowned in the pool.
The “black” period, when the artist’s records were either ignored altogether or occupied purely symbolic places, lasted about two years. It wasn't until 1961 that his interpretation of Ray Charles's classic "What'd I Say" rose to number 10 in England and number 30 in the U.S. In 1962-63, two cover versions by Lewis - "Sweet Little Sixteen" by Chuck Berry and "Good Golly Miss Molly" by Little Richard - reminded the world that the singer is alive and well (38th and 31st place in the British Isles, respectively). This was also confirmed by the artist's second album "Jerry Lee" Lewis Vol. 2", which rose to 14th place in the British bestsellers (summer 1962). Let us note in passing that in the first 8 years of his career the musician recorded only two long-playing records.
In 1963, Mira gave birth to her husband’s daughter. The girl was named Fibby Allen. The event coincided with the artist’s transfer to the Smash company: the contract with Sun ended. Finally, Jerry Lee recorded the single "Teenage Letter" on Phillips' label - this time in a duet with his sister Linda Gail. The record went unnoticed. (Linda recorded until 1974, but her career never took off).
By the mid-'60s, Lewis had largely moved away from rock 'n' roll and into country music (it should be noted that he had recorded country material before, mostly on the flip-sides of rock singles). His first country album was the disc "Country Songs For City Folks" (1965), and the hit single in this style was the composition "Another Time, Another Place", which took 4th place in the country charts in 1968. But if in Although the legendary performer settled down in music, the same cannot be said about his life - he continued to regularly find himself in scandalous chronicles with his alcoholic and drug escapades. The marriage with the “minor” Mira ended in early 1971 - oddly enough, it lasted for 13 years! (Ten years later, Mira would write a book of memoirs about her famous husband, Great Balls of Fire.) At the end of the year, Lewis married for the fourth time.
A tour of England in 1972 ended almost in failure: rock fans did not accept country numbers, country fans did not want to hear rock, and verbal altercations with the audience constantly arose at concerts. Over time, Lewis learned to find the right proportion of both. In the spring of 1973, the famous rocker recorded a double "The Session" with covers of classic rock and roll. The session featured leading guitarists of the time - Peter Frampton, Rory Gallagher, Alvin Lee and Albert Lee. The album entered the American charts for the first time in 9 years (37th place). In the same year, the artist suffered a new tragedy: his first son Jerry Lee Jr., who by this time had become a drummer in his father’s band, died in a car accident.
In 1976, the artist's scandalous life entered a new phase - this time firearms were used. This year, Jerry Lee accidentally shot his bass player Norman Owens and was also caught waving a gun at Elvis Presley's estate (the second episode occurred just hours after he was arrested by police for drunk driving). In 1978 he signed a contract with the Elektra company, but after 3 albums he began to sue the company. In July 1981, the singer underwent a complex operation on the stomach, and his chances were estimated as “50 to 50,” but he still recovered - so much so that in 1983, at almost 50 years of age, he was able to resume performing and... marry 25-year-old Shawn Michelle Stevens. The fourth wife, Jaren Pate, with whom Lewis had not lived for some time, drowned in the pool a year earlier. In general, as we see, scandals and tragedies accompanied the life of Jerry Lee Lewis, like no other musician (or just a person), and if an individual is still somehow interested in scandals, then he certainly does not create tragedies for himself! Two months later, the artist's young wife was found drowned in their home pool. The police suspected Lewis of the incident, but could not prove anything. 22-year-old Kerrie McCarver became the sixth chosen one of the hero of our story. In 1987, she gave birth to his son, Jerry Lee Lewis III.
In 1989, a feature-biographical film about the life of Jerry Lee Lewis called "Great Balls Of Fire" was released on screens around the world. The main character was played by Dennis Quaid. The soundtrack to the tape with re-recordings of old hits returned the singer to the American pop charts for the first time since 1973. In the spring of 1997, literally following Chuck Berry, the maestro visited Russia. Two of his performances were sold out - partly due to the high cost of tickets, partly, probably, because the inexorable time has laid its heavy paw on the artist’s popularity. Oh, if only 20 years ago! It’s not for nothing that they say: a spoon goes to dinner.
This is the musician at whose feet John Lennon himself fell. And, probably, there is some kind of symbolism in the fact that in most English rock encyclopedias and reference books the surnames Lewis and Lennon are the rebels of the 50s and the rebels of the 60s. - standing nearby.