In Memoriam
Jerry Lee Lewis
September 29, 1935 – October 28, 2022 · aged 87
Rock and Roll · Rockabilly · Country
Jerry Lee Lewis, infamously known as 'The Killer,' was the wild, untamable wildcat of early rock and roll. Born in Louisiana in 1935, Lewis played the piano with a dangerous, explosive fury, often kicking away his bench to hammer the keys with his fists, feet, and elbows. Alongside Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins, he was a member of Sun Records' legendary 'Million Dollar Quartet.' In 1957, his frantic, sexually charged hits 'Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On' and 'Great Balls of Fire' made him a global superstar. However, his career imploded overnight in 1958 when it was discovered he had married his 13-year-old cousin. Though effectively blacklisted from pop radio, the fiercely defiant Lewis eventually pivoted to country music, scoring numerous hits in the late 1960s and 70s. As the very last surviving pioneer of the 1950s rock and roll explosion, he died of natural causes on October 28, 2022, at the age of 87. He took the original fire and danger of rock and roll with him.
Milestones
Great Balls of Fire, Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On, Breathless
Also remembered in 2022
- Christine McVie (1943–2022)
- Coolio (1963–2022)
- Meat Loaf (1947–2022)
- Taylor Hawkins (1972–2022)