He was torn between a biblical upbringing and wanting to make one hell of a rock 'n' roll with hits like "Great Balls of Fire" and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On."
Jerry Lee Lewis - one of the greatest music legends, a pioneer of rock and roll - died on Friday at the age of 87, leaving behind a huge legacy and a large number of hits.
Related Articles
He was nicknamed "The Killer", he was one of the first performers accepted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, and what kind of influence he had on music is perhaps best told by a story from Los Angeles. When in the "city of angels" the great John Lennon (Beatles) met him backstage after the performance, he got down on his knees and kissed Louis' feet, writes Reuters.
Like Chuck Berry's guitar, Lewis's piano shaped rock and roll in the mid-XNUMXs. He was part of a great company at Sun Records in Memphis that included Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison.
He was a genius not only for revolutionary rock and roll, but also for gospel music, country, rhythm and blues, so hits like "Me and Bobby McGee" and "To Make Love Sweeter for You" are not forgotten.
On the other hand, his life was often filled with alcohol, drugs and tragedy (his two sons tragically lost their lives), and his music was sometimes overshadowed by scandal - including his marriage to his 13-year-old cousin Mayra in 1957. He was married seven times in total, and died of natural causes next to his wife, Judith.
In 1976, Lewis accidentally shot his bass player, and in the same year he was arrested in front of Elvis Presley's mansion in Memphis in an alcoholic state with a loaded gun. Then he demanded to see Presley.
"I'm a son of a bitch who plays the piano. A bad son of a son. But a big son of a son," he once said.
Lewis' later works also included famous guests such as Jimmy Page, Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Neil Young, John Fogerty, Ringo Starr and other rockers he influenced.
See more:
Download the app and follow the news
FOLLOW US ON
