Jerry Lee Lewis. Resilient rock and roll legend

Jerry Lee Lewis is a legendary musician who is distinguished not only by great talent, but also by an unlimited supply of creative energy. Today he is already seventy-eight years old, but the cult performer is still cheerful and full of energy. He records new songs, gives concerts and is constantly working on the implementation of new creative projects. And this approach brings results.

Today, like many years ago, Jerry Lee Lewis concerts attract thousands of people. But what is the secret of such an impressive success? We will try to understand this today by presenting to your attention a short story about the life and creative destiny of the great musician.

Early years, childhood and family of Jerry Lee Lewis

As reported in most modern sources, our today's hero began to play the piano back in early childhood. Literally from the age of ten, he methodically sorted out chords, and also took over the skill from his cousin, Mickey Gilly (now a famous country performer). Sometimes he also took lessons from invited teachers, but such cases were quite rare.

Due to the fact that Jerry's family was extremely religious, this quality was soon transferred to him. From an early age, he dreamed of becoming a clergyman, and therefore, after graduating from school, without hesitation, he entered the Southwestern Bible Institute in Texas. Here he continued to improve his musical skills. However, studying at a Texas university was short-lived for him.

The reason for the expulsion, oddly enough, was the music. The thing is that during one of the performances, the young musician got the idea to perform the song “My God Is Real” in the “boogie” style. Soon he successfully put his idea into practice. But to the teachers of the religious institute, this idea seemed not the most successful. The song was called blasphemous, and very soon our today's hero was expelled from the university.

Realizing that the career of a clergyman is, to put it mildly, "not his", Jerry Lee Lewis decided to devote his life to his favorite pastime - music. In 1954, our today's hero recorded two cover songs for a Louisiana radio station. The songs hit the air, and this small success made the young musician believe in himself.

An excerpt from the film about Jerry Lee Lewis "Great balls of fire"

In the fall of 1956, he arrived in Memphis and arranged an audition for one of the local record companies. Musical Talents young guy were appreciated, but his repertoire was recognized as "not relevant". The thing is that at that time, rock and roll was the fashionable and most sought-after style, but Jerry's repertoire included only compositions in the country style. Representatives of Sun Records asked the musician to revise his musical style, and Jerry Lee Lewis had no choice but to agree.

It is worth noting that our today's hero wrote the necessary compositions quite soon. "Rock 'n' roll" "End Of The Road" brought the chairman of Sun Records to indescribable delight, and he subsequently spoke about young musician none other than the "new Elvis Presley".

It is noteworthy that the ability to easily switch from one style to another later became one of the characteristic features the musical work of Jerry Lee Lewis.

Star Trek by Jerry Lee Lewis

In 1958, our today's hero presented to the public his first studio album, which received the modest name "Jerry Lee Lewis" several songs from this disc very soon got into active rotation of all radio stations in North America and some time later turned into real hits.

In the late fifties, the musician went on a long tour of the cities of the USA, Canada and Great Britain. The singer's career developed rapidly. However, in the second half of 1958, a serious scandal erupted around the popular musician associated with his marriage to his thirteen-year-old cousin Myra Gale Brown. Due to this incident, many of the singer's concerts in Europe were canceled. No less cold reception of Jerry Lee Lewis awaited at home.

Jerry Lee Lewis - Whole Lotta Shakin Going On (Live 1964)

Because of the scandal that broke out, our today's hero was blacklisted by all radio stations for a long time. His concerts were cancelled, and newspaper publications about himself and his work were predominantly critical.

It was only in 1963 that the musician managed to get out of a protracted peak. During this period, he again began to give concerts, and compositions from the second studio album musician ("Jerry Lee's Greatest"). Soon, Lewis again began to tour a lot. During this period, not only American and Canadian, but also German and English cities became frequent points of his tour.

In the first half of the sixties, our today's hero signed a contract with Smash Records and began active studio work. Subsequently, he released several albums a year, and in 1971 he again managed to record a "golden single" with the symbolic title "Would You Take Another Chance on Me".

From that moment on, the career of Jerry Lewis developed rapidly. In the period from 1971 to 2013, he recorded about forty (!) new albums, the last of which - the compilation "Sun Recordings: Greatest Hits" - was released in 2012. Almost each of the studio records gave the world at least two or three real hits.

Jerry Lee Lewis at present

Currently, Jerry Lee Lewis is still as full of energy as ever. He often performs in various cities in Europe and North America, and is also working on the implementation of several new studio projects.

In 1986, our today's hero was included in the first ten members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Directly or indirectly, the life of the legendary musician is told in two biopics at once.

Personal life of Jerry Lee Lewis

The novels and marriages of Jerry Lee Lewis could easily be the subject of a separate article. For the first time, the now legendary musician had a chance to go under the altar at the age of fifteen. His wife was the daughter of a local priest. The reason for the collapse of this marriage was the above-mentioned romance of the performer with his young niece.

The marital union with a young girl lasted 12 years and subsequently also broke up. In the future, our today's hero decided to tie the knot five more times. Some of these marital unions broke up by themselves, and some were interrupted by the fault of the case.

So, the fourth wife of the musician drowned in the pool, and the fifth died from an overdose. In early 2012, the 76-year-old musician married for the seventh time. The new wife of Jerry Lee Lewis was his nurse, who at that time was 62 years old.

(divorced, two children), Judith Brown

Biography

Jerry Lee Lewis is an American singer, pianist, composer, and one of the leading performers of rock and roll.

Jerry Lee Lewis was born in Ferryday, Louisiana on September 29, 1935 to a poor family of Elmo and Mami Lewis. Lewis began playing the piano at an early age with his cousins ​​- Mickey Gilly (later - famous performer country) and Jimmy Swaggart (who later became a popular TV preacher). It was in those years that Lewis received the nickname "The Killer" (The Killer).

Career

Lewis's career began in Memphis, recording for Sun Records in 1956. The label owner, Sam Phillips, had high hopes for Lewis, hoping to raise the next Elvis Presley. The singer's first hit was the single Crazy Arms (1956). The next hit - "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" (1957) - became calling card singer. This was followed by the successful "Great Balls of Fire" (1957), "Breathless" (1958), "High School Confidential" (1958). Being a pianist and unable to leave the instrument, Lewis directed all his whirlwind energy into the game, often supplementing it with kicks and headbutts on the keys.

Lewis's booming career was almost ruined by a scandal that erupted in May 1958 during a tour of England and Scotland around his marriage to his 13-year-old great-niece Myra Gail Brown. The scandal led to the fact that some of the concerts were disrupted, and the rest had to be canceled due to the unfolding large-scale persecution of the artist in the British press. At home, the artist also received a cold welcome.

His songs disappeared from the air of American radio stations for a long time, only Alan Freed remained devoted to the musician and continued to put his recordings on the air of his radio station until the payola scandal that erupted in 1959. Lewis was the only successful Sun Records artist who continued to record with Sam Phillips, unlike other labelmates who moved to larger record labels after one or two years. In the early 1960s Lewis turned to modern rhythm and blues and recorded his cover versions of songs such as "Money (That's What I Want)", "What'd I Say", "Save the Last Dance for me.

In 1963, Lewis parted ways with Sun Records and began to search for his new path. By the mid-1960s, when the effects of the scandal faded, Jerry Lee Lewis again gained some popularity among the European public, mainly in the UK and Germany. At the same time, he re-recorded his rock and rolls of the 50s. for Smash Records (a division of Mercury Records). Then, like many rock musicians of his generation, Lewis gradually began to turn to country music, where success awaited him. In 1968, the name of Jerry Lee Lewis returned to the first lines of the hit parade of the Billboard country category with the single "What's Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me)", in 1971, after a 13-year hiatus, the artist reappeared golden single - "". In 1973, the single "Chantilly Lace" topped the country charts for three weeks.

While celebrating his forty-first birthday in 1976, Lewis jokingly pointed a gun at his bass player, Butch Owens, and, believing he was unloaded, pulled the trigger, shooting him in the chest. Owens survived. A few weeks later, on November 23, Lewis was arrested in another gun-related incident. Lewis was invited by Elvis Presley to his Graceland estate, but the guards did not know about his visit. When asked what he was doing at the front gate, Lewis showed a gun and told the guards that he had come to kill Presley.

In 1986, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was created and Jerry Lee Lewis became one of the 10 original members. Three years later, Myra Gail Brown's book was adapted into a biography of Jerry Lee Lewis, covering the period from childhood to the 1958 scandal. main role in the film "Fireballs" played by Dennis Quaid, the role of Myra - Winona Ryder. Especially for the film, Lewis re-recorded his biggest hits. Lewis was also featured prominently in Walk the Line (2005), a biopic about Johnny Cash.

Jerry Lee Lewis still records and performs occasionally.

Heritage

IN hometown the singer named a lane in his honor. In honor of the Lewis song "What's Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me)" musical group.

Discography

Albums
2012 Sun Recordings: Greatest Hits
2010 Mean Old Man
2006 Last Man Standing
1995 Young Blood
1986 Get Out Your Big Roll Daddy
1986 Class of "55 (with Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison)
1985 Six of ONe, Half a Dozen of the Other (recordings from a concert at the Palomino Club)
1984 I Am What I Am
1984 Four Legends (with Webb Pierce, Faron Young and Mel Tillis)
1982 The Survivors (with Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash)
1982 My Fingers Do the Talkin
1981 The Million Dollar Quartet (recorded 1956 with Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins)
1980 When Two Worlds Collide
1980 Killer Country
1979 Jerry Lee Lewis
1978 Jerry Lee Lewis Keeps Rockin
1977 Country Memories
1976 Country Class
1975 Boogie Woogie Country Man
1974 I-40 Country
1973 The Session
1973 Southern Roots- Back Home to Memphis
1973 Sometimes a Memory Ain't Enough
1972 ?
1972 The "Killer" Rocks On
1971 Would You Take Another Chance On Me?
1971 Touching Home
1971 There Must Be More To Love Than This
1971 In Loving Memories: The Jerry Lee Lewis Gospel Album
1970 She Even Woke Me Up To Say Goodbye
1970 Live at the International, Las Vegas
1969 Jerry Lee Lewis Sings the Country Music Hall of Fame Hits, Vol. 2
1969 Jerry Lee Lewis Sings the Country Music Hall of Fame Hits, Vol. 1
1968 She Still Comes Around
1968 Another Place, Another Time
1967 Soul My Way
1967 By Request: More of the Greatest Live Show on Earth
1966 Memphis Beat
1965 The Return of Rock
1965 Country Songs for City Folks
1964 The Greatest Live Show on Earth
1964 Live at the Star Club, Hamburg
1963 The Golden Hits of Jerry Lee Lewis
1961 Jerry Lee's Greatest
1958 Jerry Lee Lewis

Singles
1989 Never Too Old to Rock "n" Roll (duet with Ronnie McDowell)
1986 Sixteen Candles
1986 Get Out Your Big Roll, Daddy / Honky Tonkin "Rock" n "Roll Piano Man
1984 I Am What I Am / That Was The Way It Was Then
1982 Why You Been Gone So Long / She Sings Amazing Grace
1982 My Fingers Do the Talkin' / Forever Forgiving
1982 I "m So Lonesome I Could Cry / Pick Me Up On Your Way Down
1982 Circumstantial Evidence / Come As You Were
1981 Thirty-Nine And Holding / Change Places With Me
1981 I "d Do It All Again / Who Will Buy The Wine
1980 When Two Worlds Collide / Good News Travels Fast
1980 Honky Tonk Stuff / Rockin' Jerry Lee
1980 Folsom Prison Blues / Over The Rainbow
1979 Who Will The Next Fool Be / Rita May
1979 Rockin' My Life Away / I Wish I Was Eighteen Again
1978 I "ll Find It Where I Can / Don" t Let The Star s Get In Your Eyes
1978 Come On In / Who's Sorry Now
1977 Middle-Age Crazy / Georgia On My Mind
1976 The Closest Thing To You / You Belong To Me
1976 Let's Put It Back Together Again / Jerry's Rock'n'Roll Revival Show
1976 Don "t Boogie-Woogie / That Kind Of Fool
1975 I Can Still Hear The Music In The Restroom / (Remember Me) I "m The One Who Loves You
1975 Boogie-Woogie Country Man / I "m Still Jealous Of You
1975 A Damn Good Country Song / When I Take My Vacation In Heaven
1974 Telltale Signs / Cold, Cold Morning Light
1974 Just A Little Bit / Meat Man
1974 He Can't Fill My Shoes / Tomorrow's Taking Baby Away
1973 Sometimes A Mermory Ain't Enough / I Need To Pray
1973 No More Hanging On / The Mercy Of A Letter
1973 No Headstone On My Grave / Jack Daniel's (Old Number Seven)
1973 Falling To The Bottom / I "m Left, You" re Right, She's Gone
1973 Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee / Rock Medley
1972 Who's Gonna Play This Old Piano / No Honky Tonks In Heaven
1972 Me And Jesus / Handwriting On The Wall
1972 Lonely Weekends / Turn On Your Lovelight
1972 Chantilly Lace / Think About It Darlin
1971 When He Walks On You / Foolish Kind Of Man
1971 Touching Home / Woman, Woman
1971 Me & Bobby McGhee / Would You Take Another Chance On Me
1970 There Must Be More To Love Than This / Home Away From Home
1970 I Can't Have A Merry Christmas, Mary (Without You) / In Loving Memories
1969 She Even Woke Me Up To Say Goodbye / Echoes
1969 Roll Over Beethoven / Secret Places
1969 One Has My Name / I Can't Stop Loving You
1969 Once More With Feeling / You Went Out Of Your Way
1969 Don "t Let Cross Over / We Live In Two Different Worlds
1968 What's Made Milwaukee Famous / All The Good Is Gone
1968 To Make Love Sweeter For You

September 29th 1935

IN 1954 1955

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September 29th 1935 Years in Ferriday, North Louisiana, Jerry Lee grew up in an extremely devout family, so his earliest musical impressions are connected with 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. (his 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 it wasn't long before young Jerry Lee got into it too. In his aunt's house, Jerry occasionally played the piano, 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 something from jazz, in particular, two performers - Jimmie Rodgers and Al Johnson. He learned to play their songs on the piano, but he felt that Johnson's songs were more suitable for him to sing.

He soon mastered all the styles of piano playing known to him. By the end of the 40s. Jerry Lee discovered the Negro blues and saw performances by the likes of Champion Jack Dupree, Big Maceo and B.B King. Jerry also got to know new songs from Piano Red, Stick McGhee, Lonnie Johnson and others. During his first public appearance in public, he performed the Stick McGee song "Drinkin" Wine Spo-dee O "dee".

The most famous country singer in the 1940s and early 1950s was Hank Williams. He was for his time what Jimmy Rogers was in the 20s and 30s. Jerry, like many other country singers, was fascinated by Hank Williams. His favorite songs from Williams were "You Win Again" and "Lovesick Blues". He included them and other songs in his repertoire, combining them with other blues and country things he had studied earlier.

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

In the mid-1950s, 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 if Moon played a version of Bessie Smith's "St Louis Blues" during a church service, then Jerry interpreted the anthem "My God Is Real" in a boogie style, for which he was expelled. From that moment on, Jerry turned to music.

IN 1954 Jerry recorded two songs for a Louisiana radio station. These were Hank Snow's "I Don't Hurt Anymore" and Eddie Fisher's "If I Ever Needed You I Need You Now" hits that were popular at the time. Both songs, performed by Jerry, combined blues and country . At about the same time, Bill Haley released hits with his more reduced versions of the Negro rhythm-end-Blue, such as Rock the Joint and Shake, Rattle & Roll. 1955 th year, Haley thundered with his powerful hit "Rock Around The Clock". Rock and roll was born, but Haley was not the right person to represent it. At the same time, Sam Phillips, the owner of Sun Records, a rhythm and blues label in Memphis, thought that if he could find a white singer who sang in a Negro, he would become a millionaire.

Rock 'n' roll is really just another name for rhythm and blues, which in turn is another name for the blues that came from the Negro spirituals; however, for the white population of the United States and Europe, it was new. Many of the early rockabilly performers on the Sun were just copies of either Hank Williams or black bluesmen, and did not have their own unique style. Carl Perkins was an undeniably 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 basically a pop artist after all (thanks to the management of Tom Parker). Other performers were less known and not too original.

Jerry Lee was one of the few original white blues players, and also one of the few country stylists since Hank Williams. This was noticed by Sam Phillips when he heard Jerry Lee performing things of his own composition: ragtime "End Of The Road", country "Crazy Arms" and "You "re The Only Star" by Gene Autry (Gene Autry) in the piano-boogie arrangement, as well as blues-rock "Deep Elem Blues" in 1956 year. Jerry Lee has created a perfect a new style, connecting country, blues, rockabilly, Al Johnson, boogie and gospel, which together created the music of JLL.

JLL's mix of country-blues-boogie soon took notice, and hit followed hit. His amazing talent has taken a special place in the world of rock and roll. His style was unique. To the charts of blues, rock and roll and country 1957 -1958 gg. included both kick-ass stuff like "Great Balls Of Fire", "Mean Woman Blues", "Breathless" and "High School Confidential" and country ballads like "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. true rock 'n' roll was dying out. Artists like Buddy Holly or Pat Boone were good singers, but far more polished than the early rockers. Artists like Bobby Vee or Fabian are more famous for their looks than their music. Jerry Lee discovered that his music was being banned (his marriage to Myra was a suitable excuse for this), and the real reason for this was that rock music encouraged youth to revolt. Finally, the fall of rock 'n' roll was hastened by racists who hate blues, country, jazz, and other music "from the roots" that rock 'n' roll was originally. That is why the charts of that time suffered from the dominance of sweet pop music.

While friends and contemporaries of Jerry Lee such as Elvis and Roy Orbison (mostly under pressure from managers like Tom Parker) switched to a new style, "Killer", as before, continued to issue their blues- boogie. Some of the greatest hits of his career were recorded on Mercury Records with 1963 By 1968 years Among them - "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 music 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 g. Jerry's hits included 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 played the blues, his thing "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 (from 1979 By 1981 years) were also marked by success, which came with such hits as "Two Worlds Collide", "Rocking My Life Away" and others. 1986 He has released over 60 hits, many of which were number 1 or in the top ten. Three of his albums, released on Elektra, became one 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 year his mother died, in the same 1970 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 providing a single grain of facts. All these and other tragic events made Jerry Lee addicted to drugs and alcohol. He nearly died twice: in 1981 And 1985 years from ulcer bleeding. Kerry, his current wife, helped Jerry kick his bad habits.

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

IN 1996 th 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 American Music Southern States. And he's the only one who continues to play real Southern Blues and Country in the 90s.

Jerry Lee Lewis is one of the pioneers of rock and roll, nicknamed "the killer" for his striking listener on the spot expressive manner of performance. Surrounded by a scandalous halo, both on stage and in life, this musician was still very popular, and he was one of the first to get a place in the "Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame" that opened in the 80s. Jerry Lee was born in the remote Louisiana town of Ferriday on September 29, 1935. The boy's talent for playing the piano was evident when he was not yet ten, and although the Lewis family did not live well, the parents mortgaged a farm in order to acquire the instrument, so that their son could practice as much as he wanted. By the way, at first Jerry did not study alone, but together with his brothers, but he very quickly overtook them in skill. At first, Lewis copied the style of black musicians and churchmen, but when older cousin Carl McVoy taught him the secrets of boogie-woogie, he began to mix new knowledge with country and gospel music and thus develop an original style. And although the guy did not do well at school, achievements in music compensated for this shortcoming. At the age of 14, Jerry Lee gave his first concert at a local car dealership and was already ready to conquer new heights, but then his mother intervened. She did not want her young son to be spoiled by show business, and she pushed her offspring into a bible college in Texas. The naive woman believed that Jerry would use his gift for the glory of the Lord, but he did not justify her hopes and flew out of a charitable institution for singing the gospel "My God Is Real" in the boogie-woogie style.

After this incident, Lewis returned to Louisiana and began performing in small clubs, and in 1955 paid a visit to Nashville. In the country capital, they did not appreciate the young man's abilities and, as if in mockery, advised him to learn to play the guitar, but Jerry Lee continued on his way and the next year found himself on the threshold of the Memphis studio "Sun". In the absence of label owner Sam Phillips, he managed to successfully pass the audition, and soon he recorded his first record with a cover of Ray Price's "Crazy Arms". The single was a local success, and that was enough to keep Lewis on "Sun". His expressive piano could be heard on many "sunny" things of the end of 1956 - beginning of 1957, and, in addition, on the eve of Christmas days, historical sessions took place, at which the musician jammed with Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. This event was of a spontaneous nature, but the savvy sound engineers guessed to turn on the tape recorder in time, and subsequently a record called "Million Dollar Quartet" was born.

1957 was a year of triumph for Lewis and his crazy piano. Unable to wobble on stage with a guitar, Jerry jumped up in the middle of a song, kicked his chair back and violently attacked the keys while standing. His piano drive first hit the vinyl EP "Whole Lotta Shakin" Going On ", and if Phillips initially doubted the release of the record, then he realized that he had hit the jackpot. Killer rock and roll took the highest positions in country music - and rhythm and blues tables, entered the top three of the pop chart and announced to the world that a new superstar appeared on the American scene. Success in recording was fueled by enchanting concerts, in which Jerry Lee revealed himself as a grandiose showman. The musician played not only with his fingers , but also with his elbows, legs, head and ass, and once, in order to kill Chuck Berry, who spoke after him, he even set his instrument on fire. rammed the top ten with the hit "Breathless". Unfortunately, his further career was spoiled by the artist's personal life, namely his marriage to 13-year-old cousin Myra Gail Brown. In principle, in the southern states, such marriages were considered commonplace, but when Jerry arrived on tour in England, the local press presented him as a child molester, and burst into major scandal. The tour was canceled, but even upon returning to America, the artist turned into an outcast, and his songs were banned from the air, and the fees fell from $10,000 to $250 per concert. However, Lewis did not give up so easily and continued to play boogie-woogie on small venues and release rock and roll records, and before leaving at the peak he managed to score one more goal against show business with the single "High School Confidential" . Over time, the incident with Myra slowly began to be forgotten, and in 1961, Ray Charles' cover of "What" d I Say "returned Jerry to the American Top 40, and in 1964 the musician showed the Europeans how to work live, capturing his energy in the hall" Live At The Star Club, Hamburg".

When Lewis's rock 'n' roll career, which moved from Sun to Smash Records, still came to a standstill, he remembered his youth and switched to country music. The first success in the new direction was waiting for him in 1968, when the song "Another Place, Another Time" hit the top ten. This EP was followed by a number of other hits in the Top 10, and in the same 1968, the composition "To Make Love Sweeter For You" was at the very top of the specialized chart. For the next few years, Lewis regularly riveted country albums, and sometimes even curtsied gospel style (as in the case of "In Loving Memories"), but in the early 70s he was again drawn to rock and roll during a visit to London he cut the program "The Session". He was assisted in recording this double by local stars such as Jimmy Page, Peter Frampton, Alvin Lee, Rory Gallagher, Matthew Fisher, etc. And although the album was somewhat inferior to the energy of the early records, the public took it well, and "The Session" found itself in the fortieth "Billboard".

The return to the charts coincided with another tragedy in the Lewis family - his 19-year-old son died in an accident. I must say that the musician’s personal life was generally full of black moments - back in 1962, his first son drowned in the pool, later a similar accident occurred with his fourth wife, and the fifth wife died from an overdose of methadone. In 1976, Jerry almost killed his bassist (pulled the trigger of his revolver, thinking that he was not loaded), and just a few weeks later he was tied with a weapon at the residence of Elvis Presley. Many of these misfortunes could have been avoided if the musician had led a more correct lifestyle, but alcohol and drugs brought such turbulent chaos into her life that misfortunes were inevitable. In 1978, Lewis signed a deal with Elektra Records and released the radio hit "Rockin' My Life Away" the following year, but soon quarreled with this company, and the case ended in a scandalous trial. The last major country hit from Jerry ("Thirty -Nine And Holding") was released in 1981, when the musician almost went to the other world due to a bleeding ulcer. Fortunately, the doctors managed to save Lewis, and in 1986, after a series of regular adversities, he found himself in the Hall of Fame Rock and Roll". Another surge of interest in the artist's work occurred in 1989, when the film "Great Balls Of Fire" appeared on world screens, telling about his early career. Jerry Lee performed all the songs for the soundtrack personally, and all the things sounded as energetic and incendiary as in the 50s.

IN Once again Lewis proved that young blood still flows in his veins by releasing an appropriately titled record in 1995. And although both the vocal delivery and the keyboard pressure were quite high level, the impression of "Young Blood" was smeared by a not very successful selection of accompanists. In the following decade, avoiding studio visits, Jerry toured sporadically, and his new album only came out in 2006. On "Last Man Standing" Lewis managed to gather almost the entire elite of rock and roll (Jimmy Page, "Rolling Stones", Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, Little Richard, etc.), and four years later he repeated the idea of ​​duets in the "Mean Old Man" program. On the eve of his 80th birthday, "Killer" again used the help of some of his friends, but now he left them behind the scenes and, photographed alone against the backdrop of the Sun building, presented the album "Rock & Roll Time" as a real solo album.

Last update 01.11.14

Lewis's career began in Memphis, recording for Sun Records in 1956. The label owner, Sam Phillips, placed special hopes on Jerry Lee, hoping to raise a new Elvis Presley. The first hit... Read all

Jerry Lee Lewis (eng. Jerry Lee Lewis, born September 29, 1935) is an American singer, one of the leading rock and roll performers of the 1950s. In America, Lewis is also known by the nickname "The Killer" (The Killer).

Lewis's career began in Memphis, recording for Sun Records in 1956. The label owner, Sam Phillips, placed special hopes on Jerry Lee, hoping to raise a new Elvis Presley. Lewis' first hit single was "Crazy Arms" (1956). The next hit - "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On" (1957), of his own composition - became the singer's hallmark and has since been recorded by many performers. This was followed by the successful "Great Balls Of Fire", "Mean Woman Blues", "Breathless", "High School Confidential". Being a pianist and unable to leave the instrument, Lewis directed all his whirlwind energy into the game, often supplementing it with kicks and headbutts on the keys.

Lewis's booming career was almost ruined by the scandal that erupted in 1959 around his marriage to a 13-year-old cousin. After that, the success of the singer began to fade. He continued to play rock and roll, recording with Sam Phillips until 1963, when he switched to new label and started looking for a new path. After a series of experimental albums, Lewis, like many rock musicians of his generation, eventually turned to country music, where success awaited him. The single "Chantilly Lace" (1972) topped the US country chart for three weeks.

When the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was created in 1986, Jerry Lee Lewis was invited to the gala dinner as one of the original seven members. Three years later, his biography was filmed. Denis Quaid starred in Great Balls Of Fire. The role of Lewis was also given a prominent place in the movie Walking the Line (2005) about Johnny Cash.

Lewis still occasionally records and performs live.

Interesting Facts
While celebrating his forty-first birthday in 1976, Lewis jokingly pointed a gun at his bass player, Butch Owens, and, believing he was unloaded, pulled the trigger, shooting him in the chest. Owens survived. A few weeks later, on November 23, he was arrested in another gun-related incident. Lewis was invited by Elvis Presley to his Graceland estate, but the guards did not know about his visit. When asked what he was doing at the front gate, Lewis showed a gun and told the guards that he had come to kill Presley.