'Great Balls of Fire' singer Jerry Lee Lewis dies at 87
October 28, 2022
A key figure in 1950s US rock and roll, Jerry Lee Lewis played a main role in shaping the genre's sound. But his career was marred by scandals and violence.
Advertisement
Jerry Lee Lewis died on Friday at the age of 87.
Known for his talent, boundless energy — and ego — Lewis performed hits including "Great Balls of Fire" and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On."
The last survivor of a generation of groundbreaking performers that included Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash, and Little Richard, Lewis died on Friday morning with his wife, Judith, by his side, representative Zach Farnum said in a statement.
The announcement came two days after the publication of an erroneous report from celebrity and entertainment news outlet TMZ, saying that Lewis had died, which was later retracted.
Lewis was known for his long blond hair, rowdy piano performances, and stage presence. At a 1957 taping of "The Steve Allen Show," chairs were thrown around the stage. He also often would kick away his piano bench and bang on the keys with his foot — to the raucous applause of his younger fans and the chagrin of their parents. At at least one performance he set fire to his piano before leaving the stage.
"I'm a rompin', stompin', piano-playing son of a bitch," Lewis once told Time magazine in his Louisiana drawl. "A mean son of a bitch. But a great son of a bitch."
Music biopics: When legends come alive
Film biographies celebrate the lives of music idols past and present. From the Glenn Miller story to the new Elvis film, here's a selection of films about your favorite singers.
Image: Prod.DB/IMAGO
Elvis (2022)
The most recent biopic, released June 23, is about the life of Elvis Presley, played by Austin Butler. The main focus is on the complicated relationship with his shady manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). Electrifying music and stage scenes thanks to director Baz Luhrmann, and Butler's outstanding portrayal of the King of Rock 'n' Roll, make the film a must-see.
Image: Warner Bros./dpa/picture alliance
The Glenn Miller Story (1954)
Starring James Stewart in the lead role, the film traces the story of big band leader Glenn Miller, who is believed to have died in a plane crash in 1944. The film even featured Miller's musical contemporaries Louis Armstrong and Gene Krupa alongside the actors. The biopic was so successful that the production company came up with a follow-up two years later, "The Benny Goodman Story."
Diana Ross shines in the role of Billie Holiday, the jazz singer who died in 1959 at the age of 44. Raised in a broken home in Baltimore where she was also raped, Holiday stated to sing in nighclubs after moving with her mother to Harlem, New York. A song about a lynching, "Strange Fruit," brought her acclaim before heroin addiction marred her career. The film is based on Holiday's autobiography.
Director Milos Forman created a mad-cap Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, played by Tom Hulce. The character veers between cackling clown and musical genius desperately trying to fight his madness. Mozart was a pop star during his lifetime. His music became so popular again due to the movie's success (it won eight Oscars) that the soundtrack made the Billboard pop charts.
Image: United Archives/Impress/picture alliance
The Doors (1991)
Val Kilmer proved he can sing in the 1984 film comedy ,"Top Secret." He did such a good job playing Jim Morrison that his voice was mixed onto the original Doors recordings, to the delight of audiences and critics. Director Oliver Stone takes us back to the wild psychedelic 1960s and tells the story of the Doors singer who died unexpectedly in 1971 at the age of just 27.
Image: Mary Evans Picture Library/picture-alliance
Tina — What's Love Got To Do With It? (1993)
Tina Turner is one of the few living legends whose life story was made into a biopic. Angela Bassett is brilliant in her portrayal of the soul singer who started her career with her abusive husband Ike, eventually broke free from the relationship and celebrated a sensational comeback as a solo artist in 1985 with the song "What's Love got to do with it?"
Joaquin Phoenix won an Oscar for his 2020 lead role in "Joker," but he probably first deserved the award for his turn playing Johnny Cash. The film about the influential country music singer and songwriter looks at Cash's career, his drug and alcohol problems, as well as his relationship with June Carter, whom he eventually married.
Image: 20th Century Fox/dpa/picture-alliance
Control (2007)
Ian Curtis (Sam Riley) was the lead singer of pioneering post-punk band Joy Division, which shaped the late 1970s and early 1980s new wave sound. Curtis allegedly struggled with fame, and committed suicide at the age of 23. "Control," shot in black and white, was director Anton Corbijn's debut film — he had previously shot music videos with bands including Depeche Mode, U2 and Nirvana.
Image: Capelight Pictures/dpa/picture-alliance
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
The story of the band Queen and their mega success in the 1970s up to their inconic Live Aid performance in 1985. The movie won four Oscars, with best actor going to Rami Malik for his remarkable portrayal of Queen singer Freddie Mercury. "Malek is brazenly resplendent in the role, summoning Mercury’s high-energy performance antics as well as his mournful, introspective side," noted one reviewer.
Image: Fox Deutschland/dpa/picture alliance
Rocketman (2019)
Elton John is another music legend whose story was filmed during his lifetime. Taron Egerton plays the iconic British pop star, composer, song-writer and pianist, while Jamie Bell plays his collaborator and lyricist, Bernie Taupin. The film traces John's rise to super stardom in the 1970s, as well as his drug excesses and coming out as gay.
Image: David Appleby/Paramount Germany/dpa/picture alliance
Respect (2021)
Starring a brilliant Jennifer Hudson,"Respect" immerses the audience in the life story of soul and gospel singer Aretha Franklin, from her early years to the recording of the legendary 1972 gospel record, "Amazing Grace." The best music scenes are not the big concerts but the jam sessions that convey pure joy.
Image: Quantrell D. Colbert/AP/picture alliance
11 images1 | 11
After years outside the spotlight, Lewis restarted his career as a country performer in the 1960s and later worked with other music celebrities, including Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page, Bruce Springsteen, B.B. King, Keith Richards and Sheryl Crow.
During his career, Lewis won three Grammys and was among the first artists inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. Outside of the United States, he remained popular in Europe and a 1964 album, "Live at the Star Club, Hamburg," is widely seen as one of the best concert records.
Advertisement
Turbulent personal life
Before the age of 20, Lewis already had a son and was on his second marriage, even though he had still not divorced his first wife.
His third marriage only added to what was becoming a turbulent personal life
It was during a tour in England in 1958 when news emerged of his marriage to a 13-year-old girl, Myra Gale Brown, who was also his cousin, that his career took a dramatic turn. Following the news, the tour was canceled, and he was blacklisted from radio stations.
"I probably would have rearranged my life a little bit different, but I never did hide anything from people,'' Lewis told the Wall Street Journal when asked about the marriage in a 2014 interview. "I just went on with my life as usual."
While Lewis struggled with drug and alcohol abuse, the girl he married would later divorce him alleging physical and mental abuse that nearly led her to suicide.
"If I was still married to Jerry, I'd probably be dead by now,'' she told People magazine in 1989.
Myra divorced Lewis in 1970 and he went on to marry Jaren Pate but she drowned in 1982. They had been separated for eight years but not divorced.
His next wife, Shawn Michelle Stevens, was found dead of a drug overdose in their home in 1983, just months after they married. Eight months later he started another stormy marriage with sixth wife Kerrie McCarver that lasted 20 years before they divorced and he married his seventh wife, Judith Brown, in 2012.
He had six children in total, but two died. At the age of three, his son Steve Allen Lewis drowned in a swimming pool accident, while another son, Jerry Lee Lewis Jr., died at the age of 19 when he overturned his car.
In addition to Judith, Lewis is survived by four children, a sister and many grandchildren.
45 years after his death, Elvis reaches fans from beyond the grave
The King lives on in the hearts and minds of fans worldwide. Also in Germany, where he was stationed as a GI, Elvis left a legacy. Here are some highlights and unusual facts from his storied musical career.
Image: dpa/picture alliance
From small-town boy to household name
Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, in 1935, Elvis Presley began his career in Memphis, Tennessee. He is pictured here in 1954 while recording at the famous Sun Studio in Memphis, which also helped launch blues guitarist B.B. King's career. Quickly rising to fame, Presley's first hit, "Heartbreak Hotel," propelled him into stardom in 1956. He would go on to become known as the "king of rock and roll."
Image: picture alliance / ASSOCIATED PRESS
A GI in Germany
Presley put his career on hold while serving in the US military in Germany from 1958 to 1960. Stationed in the small town of Friedberg, Presley stayed in a hotel in nearby Bad Nauheim instead of living in the barracks. There, he lived with an entourage: his grandmother, father and two bodyguards. Today, hotel guests can sleep in the Elvis Room, which was preserved to commemorate the King's stay.
Image: Bodo Marks/dpa/picture alliance
Made in Germany
Although he was prohibited from performing during military service, the King still found time to make music. Germany was the birthplace of two chart-toppers: "One Night" and "A Fool Such as I." He also gave global fame to the popular German folk song, "Muss i denn zum Städtele hinaus," or in English, "Wooden Heart."
Image: United Archives/picture alliance
Happily ever after?
While Elvis was stationed in Germany, he also met Priscilla Beaulieu, the daughter of a US military officer. She was just 14 years old at the time. The couple married years later at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas in 1967, although Elvis reportedly continued to enjoy the company of other women.
Image: Bert Reisfeld/dpa/picture alliance
Profiting after death
Elvis passed away at his residence, Graceland, on August 16, 1977. Graceland is the second-most-visited home historical residence in the US, after the White House. It's run by a multi-million dollar company called Elvis Presley Enterprises — making it unsurprising that Elvis regularly hits the top of Forbes' annual "Top-Earning Dead Celebrities" list.
Image: Jerzy Dabrowski/dpa/picture alliance
The King lives on
His legacy is honored all over the world, including at the "European Elvis Festival" in Bad Nauheim, Germany. Elvis also has official fan clubs in at least 38 countries. And of course, "The King" graces stamps as well: Germany issued an Elvis stamp in 1988.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/EPA/T. Maury
License to suit up
Legend has it that Elvis adopted the jumpsuit after he split his pants while performing on stage. Whatever the reason, the garment was an instant hit. B&K, a company in Charlestown, Indiana, creates Elvis jumpsuits based on the originals, such as for impersonator Dave Stovall (pictured). The company also created suits for the 2022 film "Elvis."
Image: Brian Cahn/Zumapress/picture alliance
Inspiration from Hollywood
Elvis has inspired an entire industry of impersonators, as well as films like "Bye Bye, Birdie" (1967), based on his career. But who inspired the King? Elvis was known to enjoy the music of gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and once called actor James Dean (pictured) a "genius."
Image: akg-images/picture-alliance
Inspiration for Hollywood
June 2022 saw the life story of Elvis Presley, played by Austin Butler (pictured), hit movie theaters. The film focuses on the complicated relationship with his shady manager, Colonel Tom Parker (played by Tom Hanks). Director Baz Luhrmann set electrifying music and stage scenes; and Butler has been celebrated for his fantastic portrayal of "The King."