Jerry Lee Lewis 1969. Jerry Lee Lewis: biography and personal life of the American singer and musician

Having received the title of “King of Rock and Roll”, he rightfully has the title of the Godfather of Rock and Roll, the King of American music of the southern states. The true talents in rock and roll can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Many of them are either in the shadow of less talented, but more successfully promoted performers, or have died a long time ago. Such talents include Jimmie Rodgers, Robert Johnson, Ray Charles and the greatest of them, .

House for piano

Jerry Born in 1935 in North Louisiana and raised in an extremely devout family, his earliest musical experiences were related to church music. His life was destined to be a tragedy from the moment he Lewis turned 3 years old, and his older brother Elmo died under the wheels of a car with a drunk driver behind the wheel.

Parents Jerry loved country music, especially Jimmie Rodgers, and soon the young Lewis joined her too. In his aunt’s house, he 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 to buy a piano for the eight-year-old boy.

Then Jerry I liked everything from country and some jazz. He even learned to play Jimmie Rodgers and Al Johnson songs on his instrument. Soon he perfectly mastered all the styles of piano playing he knew. By the end of the 1940s Jerry Lee discovered black blues and saw concerts by such performers as Champion Jack Dupree, Big Macio and B.B. King. During my first public speaking he performed Stick McGee's "Drinkin' Wine Spo-dee O'dee."

Jerry Lee Lewis's first hit

The country singer of the 1940s and early 50s was Hank Williams. Jerry, like many other singers country music, was fascinated by it. Some of his songs Lewis included them in his repertoire, combining them with other blues and country compositions.

Another artist who had a huge impact on Jerry Lee, there was Moon Mulliken, a pianist who played boogie-woogie and combined the styles of blues, jazz and country. He became famous for the hit "I'll Sail My Ship Alone", which Jerry Recorded on Sun Records.

Mid 50's Jerry studied theology at a Bible college in Texas, preparing to become a preacher. In 1954, he recorded two songs for a Louisiana radio station. These were popular hits by Hank Snow and Eddie Fisher. At that time, Sam Phillips, the owner of Sun Records, thought that if he could find a white singer singing in Negro, he would become a millionaire.

White bluesman

Many of the early rock artists on the Sun were just copies of either Hank Williams or black bluesmen, and did not have their own unique style.

Jerry Lee was one of the few original white bluesmen, as well as one of the great country stylists after Hank Williams. Sam Phillips noticed this when he heard Jerry Lee in 1956. Lewis created a completely new style that combined country, blues, rockabilly, boogie and gospel.

Soon the world began to pay attention to the mixture of country blues and boogie performed by Lewis, and hit followed hit. His amazing talent has earned a special place in the world of rock and roll. His style was unique. Jerry Lee could sing and play anything. So Sam Phillips found a white musician who could sing like a black man and even better.

The Hunting and Fall of Jerry Lee Lewis

By 1959, true rock 'n' roll was fading away. Performers like Buddy Holly and Pat Boone were good singers, but much more polished than the early rockers. Soon Jerry Lee discovered that his music was banned. Suitable The pretext for this was marriage to Myra, a 13-year-old cousin. The scandal led to the fact that some of the concerts were disrupted, and the rest had to be canceled due to the widespread persecution of the artist. The real reason was that rock music encouraged youth to rebel. Finally, the fall of rock and roll was accelerated by racists who hated blues, country, and jazz. That's why the charts suffered from the dominance of pop music.

While friends and contemporaries Jerry Lee, such as Roy Orbison switched to a new style, he, as before, continued to produce blues boogie. By 1968 Jerry focused on country and released hits like “Another Place, Another Time.” His albums also sold well.

Jerry Lee Lewis - "The Killer"

His years of collaboration with Elektra were also marked by success. By 1986, he had released over 60 hits, many of which were number 1 or in the top ten. His three albums, released on Elektra, became the most successful.

It is known that musicians who play in one concert try by hook or by crook to be the last to go on stage - this is considered more prestigious. Once played in the same concert with Chuck Berry. "I'll play last," he said. Jerry Lee. “No, I’m the boss, and I’ll be the last,” Chuck Berry stood his ground. He still won the coveted honorable last place. Then Jerry Lee Having finished his performance, he set fire to the piano and threw it into the orchestra pit. “Let him try to play after THIS!” he said as he left. It’s not for nothing that they called it “a killer.”

Phoenix

Meanwhile, the 60s, 70s and 80s filled personal life Jerry tragedies: beloved sons Steve Allen and Jerry Lee Jr. died in accidents. His mother died in 1970, and Myra divorced him the same year. His next two wives also died under tragic circumstances. All these events forced Jerry Lee become addicted to drugs and alcohol. He almost died twice from bleeding ulcers. Kerry, his current wife, helped Jerry get rid of bad habits.

And yet, despite everything, Lewis remains the best vocalist, pianist and showman. His 1995 album Young Blood is filled with the same energy as his previous work. Next year Jerry had a heart attack, but he still continues to play rock.

Not only the King of Rock and Roll Boogie, he is the only one who continues to play true Southern Blues and Country. He is said to be the greatest living rock and roll artist who still records and performs from time to time.

DATA

While celebrating his 41st birthday in 1976 Lewis jokingly pointed the gun at his bass player Butch Owens and, believing it was not loaded, pulled the trigger, shooting him in the chest. Owens survived. But a few weeks later Lewis arrested for something else weapons related incident. invited Lewis to his Graceland estate, but the guards did not know about the visit. When asked what he was doing at the entrance gate, Lewis showed a pistol and told security that he had come to kill Presley.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was created in 1986 and Lewis became one of its 10 first members. Three years later, based on the book by Myra Gale Brown, a film adaptation of the musician’s biography was created. He re-recorded his main hits especially for the film.

Updated: April 13, 2019 by: Elena

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 performed as JERRY LRR LEWIS AND HIS PUMPING PIANO, raping the piano "to the fullest" and beating sounds out of the instrument not only with his fingers, but also with his fists, legs, chin and back of the body - not forgetting the this is what to sing! A few years later, when the artist gained all-American popularity, fans gave him the nickname “Killer” for his similar playing technique. (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 the Sun company, 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 of the song right away, but when he started knocking out sounds from the piano in his inimitable style and shouting the lyrics, which told about how there was a party in a country barn and "everything is shaking", the people present the studio went crazy - in the best sense of the word. A comparison of the recordings of both songs later showed that "Whole Lotta..." is perhaps superior to 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 helped the latter in music business from the very founding of the Sun company, it was possible to arrange for the young artist to participate in the television program “Steve Allen Show” by the famous host Steve Allen (Elvis had previously sung in the same show). 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 Lewis's style perfectly 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. It all started because I tried to tell the truth. I told the story of my past life, because I thought that it was getting better, and I believed that I would not offend anyone if I found the courage to tell the whole truth. 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 loved my talent (if I have one, after all). 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 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 almost moved away from rock and roll and switched to country music (it should be noted that he had recorded country material before, mainly on downsides 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 correct proportion 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.

Jerry Lee Lewis. A resilient rock 'n' roll legend

Today, few people remember Jerry Lee “Killer” Lewis, and some may not have even heard of him. Someone will say that this is an American singer who sang in the style of rock and roll. They will probably also remember that he masterfully played the piano not only with his hands, but also with his feet. But not everyone knows that at one time he was the number one star in America, and Elvis took only second place. But Presley continued to record new records, perform concerts, act in films, and Jerry’s career quickly ended. And one of the reasons for this was his relationships with women.

Jerry Lee Lewis, one of America's greatest musicians, was born in Ferriday, North Louisiana, into a religious family. Since childhood, he was sure that he was destined to become a great musician, and began to play a portable harmonium. Jerry did so poorly at school that he was almost kicked out of second grade. But his parents did not scold him for his poor studies: they also had no doubt that he would become famous as a musician, and even went to a neighboring town and bought a piano for their son. In order to pay for it, they had to mortgage the house.

Jerry was only 11 years old when he got this instrument. At first he played church hymns on it, then country tunes, which his parents loved, then jazz. Very soon he played the piano perfectly and was well versed in all the popular musical styles of that time.

Jerry grew up, graduated from high school, and married the clergyman's daughter, Dorothy Barton. Jerry was only 16 years old at the time and just starting his career as a musician. He played from morning to evening, trying to compose a song that would become a hit. And when it got dark, he went to the local Blue Cat Clab, where unknown black musicians Muddy Waters and Ray Charles performed. The club was only for blacks, and Jerry had to go to all sorts of tricks in order to get inside. Dorothy did not approve of Jerry's hobbies, and after some time they separated.

Jerry then started dating a girl named Jane Mitchum. Very soon she became pregnant, after which Jerry was visited by Jane's brothers and demanded that he marry her. Lewis did not hesitate to go to church a second time, without even bothering to divorce his first wife. A few months later, Jerry's son was born, and at the same time he wrote his first rock and roll hit. Soon he began performing in clubs and bars. A couple of times he had to give concerts even in brothels, he agreed to play wherever he was invited. After some time, the young musician had a second son, but he already had reason to doubt his wife’s fidelity and that she gave birth to a second child from him.

At age 19, Jerry Lee packed his bags and headed to Memphis. Here he settled in the house of his uncle Jay Vee and here he met his 13-year-old cousin Mira Gale. When he first saw her, he realized that he could no longer live without her. The girl also fell in love with him at first sight. Very soon they became lovers and then got married. The fact that Jerry was not divorced from his previous wives did not bother Mira at all.

Then his career began to take off: he recorded the songs “Whole Lotta Shakin” and “Great Balls of Fire”, which became hits, and began to gather huge audiences in concert halls. Spectators went to his concerts not only to listen to songs, but also to watch the show. He began to play and sing while sitting at the piano, then jumped up, threw away his chair, began to dance, play along with his foot, then climbed onto the piano and continued to sing: the Americans had not seen anything like this and left the concerts in complete delight. At Jerry's concerts, many fell into ecstasy.

One day Lewis was supposed to play a concert with Chuck Berry. The musicians argued for a long time over who would perform last and who would warm up the audience. Finally, Jerry Lee, angry, interrupted the argument mid-sentence and went on stage first. He sang, danced in a frantic rhythm, shouted, played the piano with his hands, the heels of his shoes, and finally doused it with gasoline and set it on fire. The instrument began to burn, and Jerry Lee continued to play faster and faster, despite the fact that the flames had already begun to approach the keys, and even after his hands began to burn. Leaving the stage, Lewis threw Chuck over his shoulder: “Try to surpass it, black -haired!”

Lewis received huge royalties, his records were sold in huge quantities: 10 thousand copies were sold in just one day. He was at the zenith of his fame. Billboard magazine published his photograph, under which was a quote from the owner of the most influential recording studio, Sun Records: “I have never heard a more stunning artist in my life.”

Lewis showed up in his hometown, driving a luxury car to his home, hugging his parents and sisters and declaring that they would no longer have to work. He bought them new house and, since the father was not used to sitting idle, a farm, as well as a black Cadillac so that he could drive it from home to the farm. Jerry visited his school, from which he was almost kicked out, and gave a concert there. The mayor presented Jerry Lee Lewis with the keys to the farm.

In America, he reached the top: he became the number one star, surpassing Presley and all black musicians. All he had to do was conquer Europe, and he would become a world star. IN European countries his records sold out as well as in the States, and Jerry went to England. However, instead of a winner, he returned defeated: a huge scandal erupted in England due to the fact that Lewis was married to a 13-year-old girl and had not divorced his previous wives.

In America, this did not shock anyone: here girls often got married very early. But according to British law, Jerry committed a serious crime. His concerts were boycotted, articles appeared in newspapers every day, the authors of which demanded that Lewis be expelled from the country. He was called “the kidnapper of little ones”, “the desecrator of children’s souls”. Journalists asked him questions like “Is it appropriate for a man to marry a little girl?”

Jerry Lee did not understand this attitude of the British towards his personal life at all. He answered questions from journalists in confusion: “Come on! She is a woman like everyone else!” Mira was asked: “God, Mrs. Lewis, isn’t it too early to get married at this age?”, to which the girl replied: “Oh, no, not at all. Here (in America) age does not play a special role. You can get married at ten if you find a husband.” Still, the tour had to be cut short and Lewis was expelled from the UK.

After such a loud scandal, the musician began to be shunned in his homeland: he was invited to television less and less often, his songs were no longer played on the radio, etc. Moreover, he could not compose anything as amazing as the first few hits. Fewer and fewer people began to come to his concerts, he began to drink, take drugs, perform in small concert halls, and then in clubs and bars.

The star of Jerry Lee Lewis, the greatest musician of rock and roll, has sunk. In addition, new stars came to America - The Beatles. The whole country began to frantically buy their CDs and grow their hair. The newspapers began to write about a new word in music. Jerry Lee read rave reviews and just shrugged: he had already said all these “new words in music” before them.

It seemed that Lewis's career was finally over. All his property will soon be auctioned off for his debts. In conclusion, Jerry Lee came to Elvis Presley at three o'clock in the morning, began to make trouble, demand to be let in, and wave a pistol. The security guard called the police and Lewis was arrested. True, he was soon released on bail, and a day later he ended up in the clinic with a diagnosis of nervous exhaustion. This couldn't go on any longer.

Upon leaving the hospital, Lewis said that from now on he would stop playing in bars because they sold booze, that he would perform a religious hymn after every concert, and that he was putting his talent in the hands of God. As a child, he and two friends dreamed of becoming a preacher. Both friends actually became priests, and Jerry became interested in music. But now he finally has the opportunity to return to religion. However, this mood did not last long: very soon he began drinking again.

But his career took off: he abandoned rock and roll, defiantly cut off his gorgeous long and Thick hair, while everyone else was growing them, and started singing country music. He was again invited to television, his songs were played on the radio, and in 1966 he released a new record called “Country Songs.” Jerry began performing all over America again and toured Europe.

But if Lewis’s career took off again, his personal life, on the contrary, did not work out. His son Steve Allen drowned in the pool. In 1970, Mira filed for divorce. At the trial, she stated that the reason for the divorce was her husband’s numerous infidelities, and presented so much evidence (in order to find it, Mira specially hired two detectives) that they were divorced on the same day. Three years later, Jerry's second son died.

After his divorce from Mira, Jerry Lee married twice more, but he seemed to be haunted by an evil fate: both wives died. The fourth wife died in 1981 from a drug overdose, at the same time the musician himself almost went to the next world, having suffered a severe heart attack. Some blamed Lewis for his wife's death because he was by her side as she died. But in reality, no evidence was found of Jerry Lee's guilt. As soon as the newspaper hype died down, Keeler married again, but his fifth wife died in 1983.

However, the dark streak finally passed: in 1984, the musician married again, and his sixth marriage turned out to be successful. His chosen one was Kerry Lynn McArver. With her help, he got rid of his bad habits.

Despite his advanced age, Jerry Lee Lewis continues to make music. In 1995, he released the disc “Young Blood,” which is not inferior in originality and quality to albums from previous years. The musician continues to perform, play country, and sometimes perform his early rock and rolls. He's full of energy. Proof of this is the fact that the musician, who turned 65 in 2000, announced his decision to divorce. He lived with Kerry for 17 years, and she was not only his wife, but also the director of his music company. But their personal relationship ended. It is possible that in the future the legend of rock and roll and country music will again walk down the aisle.

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 song "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 rhythm and blues, such as "Rock The Joint" and "Shake, Rattle & Roll A". 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 (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 accelerated by racists who hated blues, country, jazz and other “roots” music, which is what 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 other tragic events forced 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(born September 29, 1935) is an American singer-songwriter, musician and pianist who is often known by his nickname “The Killers” and is often considered as the first great “rock and roll” wild man.
An early pioneer of rock and roll music, in 1956 Lewis made his first recordings in Sun Records. “Crazy Hands” sold 300,000 copies in the South, but it was his 1957 hit “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Continue” that shot Lewis to fame around the world. Lewis followed this when he recorded songs such as “Great Sultry Beauties”, “Breathless” and “Confidential” high school" However, Lewis's rock and roll career faltered due to his marriage to his 13-year-old cousin when he was 22.
It had little success on the charts after , and its popularity quickly faded. His live performance fees plummeted from $10,000 a night to $250. In the meantime, he was determined to get some of his popularity back. During the early 1960s, he did not have much chart success with rare exceptions such as “What Will I Say.” His live performances during this time were increasingly wild and energetic. His album Live at the Star Club, Hamburg from 1964 is often regarded by many music journalists and fans as one of the wildest and greatest rock and roll concert albums ever. After recording songs such as “I'm Burning” for several years with little success, in 1968 Lewis made the transition to country music and had hits with songs such as “Another Place, Another Time.” This re-ignited his career and throughout the late 1960s and 1970s, he regularly headed Western countries diagrams. He's not there. 1 country hit included “To Make Love Sweeter For You”, “There Must Be More to Love Than This”, “Would You Take Another Bumps into Me” and “Me and Bobby McGee”.
Lewis's successes continued throughout the decade, and he swept his rock 'n' roll past with songs such as a cover of the Big Bopper's “Chantilly Lace” and “Rockin Mack Vickery's My Life Is Away.” In the 21st century, Lewis continues to tour audiences around the world and is still releasing new albums. One such album, entitled Last Man Standing, is his best-selling album to date with over a million copies sold worldwide. It was followed by The Evil Old Man, which received some of the best sales of Lewis's career. Lewis has had a dozen gold records in both rock and country, and has won several Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award. Lewis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, and his pioneering contributions to the genre were recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. In 1989, his life was celebrated in the movie Great Balls of Fire, Dennis Quaid's leading role. In 2003, Rolling Stone listed his set All Killer, No Filler: An Anthology number 242 on their list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. In 2004, they ranked him number 24 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Lewis is the last surviving member of the Million Dollar Sun Records Quartet and Class of '55 albums, which also included Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison and Elvis Presley.

Youth
Lewis was born to a poor family, Elmo and Mamie Lewis, in Ferriday in Concordia Parish in eastern Louisiana, and began playing piano in his youth with two cousins, country music singer Mickey Gilley and television evangelist Jimmy Swaggart. His parents mortgaged their farm to buy his piano. Influenced by the piano playing of an older cousin, Carl McVoy (who later recorded with the Bill Black Company), radio and sounds from a black juke joint across tracks called Big Honey House. On the live album Calling, more of The Biggest Live Show on Earth, Lewis is heard naming Moon Mullican as the artist who inspired him.
His mother enrolled him in the Southwest Bible Institute in Waxahachie, Texas, so that her son would exclusively sing his gospel songs. But Lewis bravely played a boogie-woogie performance of “My God Is Real” at a church meeting that sent him packing that same night. Pirrie Green, then student body president, had an attitude that during a talent show, Lewis played some “secular” music. The next morning, the school's dean named Lewis and Green go to his office to remove them. Lewis said Green should not be expelled because “he didn't know what I was going to do.” A few years later, Green asked Lewis, “Are you still playing the devil's music?” Lewis replied “Yes, I am.” But you know it's strange, the same music they kicked me out of school for is the same kind of music they play in their churches today. The difference is, I know I'm playing for the devil and they don't.”
After that incident, he went home and began playing in clubs in and around Ferriday and Natchez, Mississippi, becoming part of the growing new rock and roll sound and cutting his first demo recording in 1954. He made a trip to Nashville around 1955, where he played clubs and tried to build interest but was turned down by the Grand Ole Opry, as he was on the Louisiana Carriage country stage and a radio show in Shreveport. Record executives in Nashville suggested that he switch to playing guitar.