R.I.P. Jerry Lee Lewis, rock and country music legend
Jerry Lee Lewis #JerryLeeLewis
The A.V. Club 6 hrs ago Mary Kate Carr
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis, the Grammy-award winning musician, passed away on Friday, according to Variety. He was 87 years old.
Lewis’ death had been erroneously reported earlier this week after “someone claiming to be Lewis’ rep” told TMZ that he had died. Breaking the news of Lewis’ passing, Vareity shared a statement from the artist’s representative Zach Farnum, which read: “Judith, his seventh wife, was by his side when he passed away at his home in Desoto County, Mississippi, south of Memphis. He told her, in his final days, that he welcomed the hereafter, and that he was not afraid.”
Considered a pioneer of rock and roll, Lewis released a number of timeless hits including “Great Balls Of Fire” and “Breathless” before pivoting to country music and topping the charts with tunes like “There Must Be More To Love Than This” and “Would You Take Another Chance On Me.” Over the course of his career, he won several Grammys and was an inaugural inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.
Great Balls Of Fire
Lewis was controversial in his personal life. He was once arrested on the grounds of Graceland with a loaded gun, reportedly intending to assault Elvis Presley, and did shoot his own bassist, Butch Owens, that same year, though “only minor charges were filed,” per Variety. He also infamously nearly ended his own career by marrying his 13-year-old cousin Myra Gale Brown.
He nevertheless managed to win audiences over and navigate an ever-changing music industry for decades, to great acclaim. He was most recently inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2022. According to Variety, he is survived by daughters Phoebe and Lori, sons Jerry Lee III and Ronnie, and two sisters.
Sign up for The A.V. Club’s Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click here to read the full article.