By:

Jessica Cervantes

Jerry Lee Lewis

Born September 29, 1935, in Ferriday,

Louisiana.

Began playing the piano at age 9.

Got his first piano at age 10.

He taught himself to play piano and

sang in church growing up.

Jerry Lee Lewis

He gave his first public performance at the age of 14 for

the opening of a Ford dealership in Ferriday.

Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams and Al Jolson were some

of his early big influences.

Lewis didn’t write much himself, but he transformed other

people’s songs into rock and roll that even he called “the

devil’s music.”

Biography

In 1956 Lewis headed for Memphis,

Tennessee.

He signed with Sun Records and became a

rockabilly star.

In 1956, he recorded his first single, "Crazy

Arms." 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9LKSOM2R

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Biography

"Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" became a hit on

the pop, country and R&B charts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yRdDnrB5kM

By this time, Lewis developed some of his famous

stage actions, such as playing standing up and

even lighting the piano on fire.

Top Hits

His next single, "Great Balls of Fire," proved

to be another big hit in December 1957.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGIsx2r9G

-E

Lewis struck again with "Breathless," which

made it into the Top 10 of the pop charts.

Top Hits Cont.

He earned the nickname "The Killer" for the

way he knocked out his audiences.

"The Killer"

Lewis' career came to a stop, after he

married his third wife.

His 13-year-old second cousin,

Myra Gale Brown, in December 1957.

The Downfall of His Career

News of his underage bride broke as Lewis

started a tour of the United Kingdom in 1958.

Radio stations refused to play his songs, and

Lewis had a hard time lining up any live

performances.

The Downfall of His Career

Jerry Lee Lewis managed to get one more hit

with "High School Confidential" in 1958 before

his career took the drop.

His career ran dry for nearly a decade.

In 1963 he left Sun for Smash/Mercury.

The Downfall Cont.

Eventually, Lewis and his producer, Jerry

Kennedy, decided to abandon rock & roll for

country music.

In 1968 he came back with "Another Place,

Another Time" (Number Four country).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEXEhUO7np

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Later Albums

Lewis recorded several country albums over

the next few years.

Including 1970's Olde Tyme Country

Music and 1975's Boogie Woogie Country

Man.

Later Albums Cont.

He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall

of Fame in 1986.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

For 2006's,”Last Man Standing,” Lewis sang a

lot of rock, blues and country classics with help

from famous admirers such as Mick Jagger,

Keith Richards, Kris Kristofferson, Wille Nelson

and Buddy Guy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j1OU9aqq0

8

Recent Music

Lewis and Kristofferson worked together

again in 2010's ”Mean Old Man”.

Recent Music Cont.

He is currently married to his seventh wife,

Judith Brown.

Personal Life

http://www.jerryleelewis.com/"Jerry Lee Lewis." 2012. The Biography Channel

website. Nov 27 2012, 05:19http://www.biography.com/people/jerry-lee-lewis-9381145.

"Jerry Lee Lewis." Rollingstone.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2012. <http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/jerry-lee-lewis/biography>.

Bonomo, Joe. "Lost." Jerry Lee Lewis: Lost and Found. New York: Continuum, 2009. 14-20. Print.

"The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum." Jerry Lee Lewis Biography. Web. 5 Nov. 2012. <http://rockhall.com/inductees/jerry-lee-lewis/bio/>.

Works Cited