Jerry Lee Lewis, the rock and roll pioneering singer/songwriter/pianist known as "the Killer" and also known for marrying his younger cousin, has died of natural causes at age 87. He was in the company of his seventh wife Judith at his home in DeSoto County, Mississippi. Several news outlets incorrectly stated that he died two days ago.
Jerry Lee Lewis was born in Ferriday, Louisiana to Elmo Kidd Lewis Sr. and the former Mary Herron, known as "Mamie". He learned piano alongside his cousins Mickey Gilley (who became a country singer) and Jimmy Swaggart (who became a televangelist). Lewis's mother enrolled him at the Southwest Bible Institute in Waxahachie, Texas, from which he was soon expelled after playing a boogie-woogie rendition of the hymn My God Is Real at a church assembly. After returning home, he played in clubs in Ferriday and in Natchez, Mississippi. In 1956, he started his recording career at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee, both as a solo artist and as a session musician. His early hits included Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On and Great Balls Of Fire.
In 1958, he set out on a tour of Britain, but it was canceled after three shows when the British press learned that his wife Myra Gale Brown was his cousin and was just 13 years old. This caused a controversy which resulted in his career faltering. He switched to Smash Records after his contract with Sun Records expired. He would eventually make a comeback performing country music and appeared at the Grand Ole Opry. Lewis returned to the pop charts with covers such as Chris Kristofferson's Me And Bobby McGee, the Big Bopper's Chantilly Lace, and "Sticks" McGee's Drinking Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee. In 1989, the movie Great Balls Of Fire!, based on his early life and career, brought him back into the public eye. During his later years, he continued to record and perform intermittently, including making a gospel album with his cousin Jimmy Swaggart.
Lewis was married seven times and had six children. He is survived by his last wife Judith and his children Ronnie Guy Lewis (born to his second wife Jane Mitchum), Phoebe Allen Lewis (born to his third wife Myra Gale Brown), Lori Lee Lewis (born to his fourth wife Jaren Elizabeth Gunn Pate) and Jerry Lee Lewis III (born to his sixth wife Kerrie McCarver).
Read more at Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Pitchfork, Deadline and TMZ, which had incorrectly reported that he died two days ago.
Naturally, this post must include a little bit of Lewis's music. In 1957, he performed Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On on the Steve Allen show.
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