Rock 'n roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis died on Friday of pneumonia but not the boogie woogie flu. Even a stroke couldn't stop him from making music. But we all take our last bow and Lewis was 87 when he left the stage.
In 1957 and 1958, Lewis' popularity rivaled that of his Sun Records labelmate Elvis Presley with hits like "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On", "Great Balls of Fire", "Breathless" and "High School Confidential".
As quickly as Lewis' career rose it would sink with his marriage to his 13-year old cousin Myra Gale Brown. Mind you, this was already his third marriage with four more to come with two of those wives dying under peculiar circumstances though there is nothing to suggest he had anything to do with their demise.
Lewis would re-establish himself as a country musician in the late 1960's and would have success on the country charts through the early 1980's. He would continue to record and tour well into the 2010s.
But it was his electric performances on the piano and charismatic persona from his early days in rock 'n roll which shall endure. Case in point would be his 1964 performance of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" in London with an exuberant, young British audience giving Lewis even more intensity than usual. R.I.P.
No comments:
Post a Comment