Quick Facts

Jerry Lee Lewis was a pianist, singer, and songwriter from the United States. Jerry, who is credited as a founding father of rockabilly and rock & roll music, is well-known for his inventive and flamboyant piano playing as well as his catchy, upbeat lyrics. In 1956, he recorded his debut at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee. 300,000 copies of “Crazy Arms” were sold in the South, and Lewis catapulted to stardom internationally with his 1957 smash “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.”

The top singles “Great Balls of Fire,” “Breathless,” and “High School Confidential” were then released by him in response. Many music critics and fans in general consider his live CD Live at the Star Club, Hamburg from 1964 to be one of the wildest and best live rock albums ever. He transitioned to country music in 1968 and had success with songs like “Another Place, Another Time.”

“To Make Love Sweeter for You,” “There Must Be More to Love Than This,” “Would You Take Another Chance on Me,” and “Me and Bobby McGee” were among his No. 1 country singles. More than a million copies of his 2006 album “Last Man Standing” were sold globally. Mean Old Man, another of his best-selling albums, came out in 2010. Jerry Lee Lewis’ 41st and last studio album, “Rock & Roll Time,” was released on November 7, 2014, on Vanguard Records. His death occurred on October 28, 2022.

How much was the Net worth of Jerry Lee Lewis?

At the time of his passing, Jerry Lee Lewis’ net worth was reported to be $10 million. He was a pianist, singer, and songwriter. He was earning millions of dollars annually from his professional career. The music business served as his main source of income. Before his passing, he was leading a wealthy lifestyle. He has published a large number of albums and songs during the course of his career.

Before becoming famous for his music, he reportedly worked as a “sewing machine salesperson,” even though he didn’t actually sell the machines. Customers were told they had won the machines and simply needed to pay tax of $10.

Early years and Bio

The date of Jerry Lee Lewis’ birth is September 29, 1935. He was a native of Ferriday, Louisiana, in the USA. Also, He was conceived by his parents, Mary “Mamie” Herron Lewis and Elmo Kidd Lewis Sr. He was an American citizen who belonged to the White American ethnicity. He was raised in a rural, underprivileged family in Eastern Louisiana. With two of his cousins, Mickey Gilley (later a well-known country music performer) and Jimmy Swaggart, he started playing the piano when they were little (later a popular televangelist). To get him a piano, his parents mortgaged their land.

His piano-playing cousin, Carl McVoy, and Moon Mullican were some of his earliest musical influences. Additionally, he had access to the music being played at “Haney’s Big House,” a nearby juke club. To enable him to perform only Christian songs, his mother enrolled him at the Southwest Bible Institute in Waxahachie, Texas. He was instantly expelled from the “Southwest Bible Institute” in Waxahachie, Texas, after playing a boogie-woogie rendition of “My God Is Real” at a church gathering. He celebrated his 87th birthday for the last time.

What is the Professional Career of Jerry Lee Lewis?

He performed in front of an audience for the first time on November 19th, 1949, when he joined a country and western band at a Ferriday car dealership. His rendition of Sticks McGhee’s “Drinkin’ Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee,” an R&B song, was the breakout smash of his set. In 1952, he recorded his first demo for Cosimo Matassa in New Orleans and joined the emerging new rock and roll style. He gave a Sun Records audition in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1956. Both his performance of “Crazy Arms” and his original song “End of the Road” were recorded. Lewis started making a ton of recordings in December 1956, both as a solo performer and as a session musician for other Sun performers like Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash.

As “Million Dollar Quartet,” these recordings, of which over half were gospel tunes, were made available on CD. Other songs on the album include “Don’t Be Cruel” and “Paralyzed” by Elvis Presley, “Brown Eyed Handsome Man” by Chuck Berry, and “Don’t Forbid Me” by Pat Boone. On July 28, 1957, he made his debut on television and performed some of these techniques on “The Steve Allen Show.” He appeared in the 1958 criminal thriller movie “High School Confidential” and sang the title song, which he and Ron Hargrave co-wrote. After his contentious union with his cousin, who was 13 years old, his career reached an all-time low. Later, he issued other singles, including his renditions of In the Mood, Good Golly Miss Molly, and Sweet Little Sixteen.

More on Career

Then he made the decision to record folk songs. He recorded “Another Place, Another Time” and “To Make Love Sweeter For You,” two popular singles in 1968. His 1969 album “The Golden Cream of the Country” featured the hit “Invitation to Your Party,” which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles list. Many singles gained popularity between 1968 and 1971, including There Must Be More to Love Than This, She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye, and What’s Made Milwaukee Famous. His brief return to rock and roll in 1972 was marked by the release of songs like Chantilly Lace and Drinkin’ Wine Spo-dee-o dee.

When he opted to redo all of his songs for the “Great Balls of Fire!” soundtrack, a huge film picture based on his early rock and roll career, he was reintroduced to the public eye. On is early days in rock and roll and his marriage to Myra Gale, this popular movie was inspired. In 2006, the album “Last Man Standing” was made available. He performed a medley of Great Balls of Fire and Good Golly Miss Molly at the 50th Grammy Awards in 2008 alongside Little Richard and John Fogerty.

He recorded duets with well-known musicians for his 2010 album “Mean Old Man,” including Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Keith Richard, Willie Nelson, and Sheryl Crow. Jerry Lee Lewis’ 41st and last studio album, “Rock & Roll Time,” was released on November 7, 2014, on Vanguard Records. Lewis personally attended The Country Music Television Skyville Live concert in 2017. The Boys from Ferriday, a gospel record produced by Jerry Lee Lewis and his cousin Jimmy Swaggart, was released earlier in 2022. A documentary about Lewis with the working title “Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind” will be presented in 2022.

Awards and Achievements

• Was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986
• Was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1989
• Received the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005
• Presented with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s American Music Masters Award in 2007
• Received four Grammy Awards, including two Grammy Hall of Fame Awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
• Awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6631 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California
• Was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2022

Who was the wife of Jerry Lee Lewis?

Jerry Lee Lewis had seven marriages throughout his life, including bigamous unions and a union with his cousin who was underage. In his marriage, he had six kids. He wed Dorothy Barton, a preacher’s daughter, when he was 16 years old. They were together from February 1952 to October 1953, a period of 20 months. Due to the fact that it took place 23 days before his divorce from Barton was final, his second marriage, to Jane Mitchum, in September 1953, was of questionable validity. In October 1957, following four years, he filed for divorce. Ronnie Guy Lewis (1954–1973) and Jerry Lee Lewis Jr. (1954–1973) are the result of their marriage (b. 1956).

On December 12, 1957, he wed Myra Gale Brown, a 13-year-old first cousin once removed. Prior to the wedding, his divorce from Jane Mitchum had not been legally confirmed, so on June 4, 1958, he wed Brown again. Brown claimed she had experienced “every form of physical and emotional abuse imaginable” when she sued for divorce in 1970 on the grounds of adultery and abuse. Steve Allen Lewis (1959–1962) and Phoebe Allen Lewis were their two children (b. 1963).

From October 1971 through June 8, 1982, he was married to Jaren Elizabeth Gunn Pate, which was his fourth union. Their only child was Lori Lee Lewis (b. 1972). From June to August 1983, the 77 days of his fifth marriage to Shawn Stephens ended with her methadone overdose. Also, From April 1984 to June 2005, his sixth marriage—to Kerrie McCarver—lasted 21 years. One child was born to them, Jerry Lee Lewis III (b. 1987). On March 9, 2012, he wed Judith Lewis (née Brown, the ex-wife of Myra Gale Brown’s brother), who became his seventh wife. The two had a great time together before Jerry passed away. He was heterosexual in sexual preference.

Jerry Lee Lewis, rock ‘n’ roll pioneer dies at 87

According to a statement from his agent, Zach Farnum, Jerry Lee Lewis, the piano-pounding, foot-stomping singer who energized early rock ‘n’ roll with singles like “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” before a marriage scandal destroyed his career, has passed away.

TMZ and other news sources incorrectly claimed that Lewis passed away on October 26, 2022. On October 28, 2022, he passed away from pneumonia (death cause) at the age of 87 at his home in DeSoto County, Mississippi, two days later. According to a statement from his representative, he is survived by his wife, Judith Coghlan Lewis, his children Jerry Lee Lewis III, Ronnie Lewis, Pheobe Lewis, and Lori Lancaster, sister Linda Gail Lewis, cousin Swaggart, and a large number of grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. Lewis “told her, in his final days, that he embraced the afterlife, and that he was not afraid,” the statement continued. His seventh wife, Judith, was by his side when he passed away.

He experienced a mild stroke in Memphis on February 28, 2019. Jerry had a significant legacy, therefore it didn’t take long for people to post some of their most treasured memories of the singer online. One person commented: “The master of piano playing and brilliant tunes has passed away, the king of rock ‘n’ roll! Godspeed, Jerry Lee Lewis We will always miss you here on earth, J.B. “Rock on, Jerry Lee, with your boogie woogie self in heaven! Gonna miss you, Killer,” a different supporter commented.

Body Measurement: What was Jerry Lee Lewis’ height?

Jerry Lee Lewis measured 1.68 m (5 feet 6 inches) tall. His body weight was 154 pounds or 70 kilograms. Also, His body was 40-30-14 inches in size (chest-waist-bicep). His eyes were brown, and his hair was a dark brown with white undertones. He wore shoes at a US size 10.

Facts and Trivia

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