Musician dies at the age of 87

For the Elvis discoverer and “Sun Records” founder Sam Phillips, he was the most talented of all: Jerry Lee Lewis. He was also the last survivor of the “Million Dollar Quartet” that defined the classic “rockabilly” sound on the “Sun” label in Memphis, Tenn. Carl Perkins and he, Jerry Lee.

The “Million Dollar Quartet”, these rebellious white Southern boys, were influenced by the gospel music they heard on Sunday morning and the danceable blues and boogie-woogie from the night before. They were thus already familiar with the styles of their black neighbors from an early age, only apparently separated from them by the officially practiced racial segregation. And so Jerry Lee Lewis soon raved about the singer and pianist Moon Mullican, who was torn between secular “devil’s music” and church hymns.

He turned the pop world upside down

Born on September 29, 1935 in Ferriday (Louisiana), Jerry Lee Lewis was a typical product of cultural fusion and, moreover, a typical representative of the post-war generation that no longer wanted to be satisfied with the traditions of his parents. They were hardly aware that they were supposed to turn the pop world upside down.

As a teenager, Jerry Lee Lewis began touring the South as a singer and pianist. In 1956 he landed in Memphis and recorded the current country hit “Crazy Arms” (by Ray Price) for “Sun”. The following year, the hit parade breakthrough came thanks to a cover version of “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” a song from the repertoire of R’n’B diva Big Maybelle. The single reached #3 on the US pop charts and #1 on Country & Western – and Rhythm & Blues.

“Jerry Lee Lewis and His Pumping Piano” was written on the record, alongside Fats Domino and Little Richard he became the most successful keyboardist in the new youth music called Rock’n’Roll. His next songs, written by the black hit supplier Otis Blackwell, also became classics of the genre: “Great Balls of Fire” and “Breathless”.

Married his own cousin

But Lewis’ first reaction, when Phillips suggested “Great Balls” to him, also became famous: He couldn’t sing that, it was a blasphemous corruption of a biblical term from Revelation! Luckily he sang it after all. And then he was demonized himself when it was revealed on a tour of England the following year (1958) that he had married his 13-year-old cousin, Myra Gale Brown. The scandal was enough to put an abrupt end to his career in America.

But it was enough for one last hit outside of the country world, with a brilliant cover version of Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say”. Apart from that, Jerry Lee Lewis was celebrated as a legend, especially among rock ‘n’ roll fans. Along with Little Richard, he was indisputably considered the wildest performer far and wide, which he proved in 1964 at the famous Hamburg Star Club; the result was one of the best live albums of that era.

In the USA, on the other hand, he had to wait until 1968 for a modest comeback. With the soulful drunkard lament “What Made Milwaukee Famous (Made A Loser Out Of Me)” he conquered the country charts, where he secured a place for the next twenty years.

Jerry Lee Lewis soon cemented his status in the resurgent oldies circus. Like Chuck Berry or Little Richard, he was now one of the heroes of the 1950s. This reputation also carried him to Switzerland: one remembers a concert in Zurich’s Kongresshaus, where he started arguing on stage with his companions, then at Hallenstadion performances with various “Legends of Rock’n’Roll” as well as one or another gig at country festivals.

At the same time he went back to producing top notch rock records like The Killer Rocks On (1972, with a stunning remake of Big Bopper’s Chantilly Lace), a Session Recorded in London (1973, with English guest musicians Albert Lee, Alvin Lee or Peter Frampton). He remained active well into the third millennium, most recently with all-star albums such as Last Man Standing (2006), Mean Old Man (2010) and Rock & Roll Time (2014), on which he worked with musicians duets like BB King, Bruce Springsteen, Keith Richards and Willie Nelson.

Plans for a gospel album

It was long forgotten that he had once fallen into disrepute as a lustful Bluebeard with no fewer than seven wives and at least two unexplained deaths in the immediate vicinity, that perhaps only his friendship with the responsible county sheriff had protected him from some embarrassing investigations.

Since Little Richard’s death, he really was the last of his guard. In February 2019 he suffered a stroke from which he recovered sufficiently to venture into the studio in January 2020 with star producer T-Bone Burnett for a long-planned gospel album. Whether it is finished and when it will appear is currently unclear.

The musician passed away at his home in Desoto County, Mississippi, in the presence of his seventh wife. He was 87 years old. One thing is certain: an era has come to an end with the disappearance of Jerry Lee Lewis.