Jerry Lee Lewis died Friday at age 87 at his home in Memphis, Tennessee, his publicist confirmed to the media. The musician had been struggling with several health problems since 2019 after suffering a stroke. On Wednesday, TMZ magazine erroneously reported his death, which ultimately occurred on Friday.
In a statement, Lewis' publicist, Zach Farnum, remembered Lewis as a rock and roll pioneer and the last of the legends:
He was there at the beginning, with Elvis, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Carl Perkins, Fats Domino, Buddy Holly, and the rest, and watched them fade away one by one till it was him alone to bear witness, and sing of the birth of rock'n'roll..
Lewis died at his home in Desoto County, Mississippi, with his seventh wife, Judith, by his side, his publicist said.
Great Balls Of Fire: the birth of a rock legend
Born in 1935 in Louisiana, Lewis began playing the piano at the age of nine. His father, a carpenter, had to mortgage his home to buy the instrument. Inspired by the African-American musicians who performed in the state's bars, Lewis shaped his own style and he began playing in local venues at a very young age. Later, Lewis traveled to Memphis to record his first songs, which produced hits such as Whole Lotta Shakin' Shakin' Goin' On, Breathless or Great Balls of Fire.
In 1956, during a visit to Sun Records studios, Lewis recorded with Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins, a session that led to the nickname Million Dollar Quartet.
Successes and scandals of a rock star
In the late 1950s, Lewis consolidated his image as a star while starring in some episodes that were engraved in Rock and Roll history. One of the most memorable came in 1958, when Lewis lit a piano on fire upon learning that Chuck Berry, not himself, would be closing a concert. The artist took out a Coke bottle full of gasoline and sprayed the piano. He then threw a match and began to perform his hit Great Balls of Fire. The moment was recorded and included in the Hollywood movie which was named after the song.
In the 1970s, Lewis left rock and roll behind but not the scandals. The musician himself acknowledged his own substance abuse. One time he even drove his car into the gates of Graceland, Elvis Presley's mansion. Jerry Lee Lewis got married seven times. one of them with a 13-year-old girl from his own family when he was 22.
Lewis received an honorary award at the 2005 Grammy Awards and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
