American singer and songwriter Jerry Lee Lewis has successfully established himself as one of the best music composers of all time while on vacation. When it comes to rock ‘n’ roll, rockability, country, blues, honky-tonk, Lewis had it all and left an indelible mark with his many accomplishments in the competitive entertainment industry. Lewis is also an instrumentalist known for his piano skills. His career has been a journey filled with stories of ups and downs. Here’s everything you need to know about the veteran musician.
Jerry Lee Lewis Bio
He was born on September 29, 1935 in Ferriday.Concordia Parish of Louisana, his parents Elmo and Mamie Lewis. Lewis, always musically inclined, started playing the piano at a very young age. His love and devotion to the musical instrument prompted his poor parents to mortgage their farm to buy him one.
But they wanted him to use that talent in his church. He was enrolled in the Bible Institute of the Southwest where he would later be expelled for breaking school rules by playing worldly music. His expulsion from school prompted him to play for clubs in his home country.
In 1954 Lewis released his first demo recording and continued to play clubs. After a successful audition with Sun Records in 1956, he began recording as a solo artist for several Sun artists. During this time, he released several singles and hits including Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On, Great Balls of Fire, and many more which boosted his solo career. He became very popular at the time especially for his distinct piano stunts on stage.
However, Lewis’ rosy path to success quickly turned thorny in 1958 when it was revealed that his third wife, Myra Gale Brown, was his 13-year-old first cousin. The musician who was 22 at the time was met with tons of criticism from stakeholders and the general public.
The uproar was so overwhelming that his tour of the year was canceled after 3 concerts. It didn’t end there, Lewis’ marriage scandal took a toll on his career, costing him a loyal following. The pianist went from $10,000 a night for gigs to $250 and in smaller clubs.
His contract with Sun Records ended in 1963 and he moved to Smash Records where he released many commercially unsuccessful songs. But towards the end of his contract with Smash, Lewis bought him an idea from Eddie Kilroy who offered him to record a song in Nashville. He then released the Jerry Chestnut song Another Place Another Time which surprisingly topped the country charts and brought him back to the big platform.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1979. Lewis still performs in concerts and continues to gain more recognition in the industry.
His net worth
Jerry Lee Lewis net worth lately is estimated at $15 million. Even though he hasn’t released any new records, he still makes a lot of money from his hit hits from his vibrant era. The pianist also earns through performances at concerts.
Family: husband or wife, children, cousin
News of Lewis’ scandalous marriage to his cousin Myra Gale Brown was greeted with such disgust by those in the fifties industry. Traces had revealed that Myra was his first cousin with whom he shared the same lineage with a grandparent.
In 1989, a biopic titled “Great Balls” from The Fire was released and was based on a book written by Lewis’s cousin’s ex-wife, Myra Gale, about his early rock n roll days. Lewis lent and re-recorded his songs for the film’s soundtrack. The film told the story of the artist’s relationship with Myra, including the marriage scandal that negatively impacted his career in the 1950s.
Lee Lewis was married seven times and had six children from his marriages. He was first married to Dorothy Barton in 1952. However, the couple’s separation only lasted 20 months. His second marriage was to Jane Mitchum and it lasted four years. The couple had two children; Jerry Lee Lewis Jr. born in 1954 and Ronnie Guy Lewis born in 1956. Jerry Lee Lewis Jr. died in a car accident in 1973.
Lewis’s third marriage to his cousin Myra Galed lasted 13 years. He had two children with her. Steve Allen Lewis, who died in a swimming pool accident in 1962, and Phoebe Allen Lewis, born in 1963. Lewis married for the fourth time in 1971 to Jaren Elizabeth Pate and had a daughter, Lori Lee Lewis with her. The marriage ended in 1982 and the following year Lewis married his fifth wife, Shawn Stephens, who died 77 days later.
His sixth marriage was to Kerrie McCarver in 1984. The marriage ended in 2005 after 21 years. They had one child together, Jerry Lee Lewis III, born in 1987. Lewis married for the seventh time in 2012 to Judith Brown.
Is he dead or alive?
Jerry Lewis is very much alive and still plays in concerts. This is contrary to reports that the rockability singer is dead. Rumors of the singer’s death were released after comedian Jerry Lewis lost his life. Due to the similarity in their names and the fact that they were industry counterparts, many have confused the comic legend with singer Lewis. But Lee Lewis is still alive and well.
