Jerry Lee Lewis (born September 29, 1935) is an American rock and roll and country music singer, songwriter, and pianist, as well as an early pioneer of rock and roll music. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and his pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the rockabilly Hall of Fame. His nickname is The Killer.
Like Elvis Presley, he was raised singing the Christian gospel music of integrated southern Pentecostal churches. In 1950 he attended Southwestern Bible Institute in Texas but was expelled for misconduct, including playing rock and roll versions of hymns in church.
Leaving religious music behind, he became a part of the burgeoning new rock and roll sound, cutting his first record in 1954. Two years later, at Sun Records studio in Memphis, Tennessee, producer and engineer Jack Clement discovered and recorded Lewis for the Sun label, while owner Sam Phillips was away on a trip to Florida. As a result, Lewis joined Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash as stars who began their recording careers at Sun Studios around this same time.
His first recording at Sun studios was his own distinct version of the country ballard Crazy Arms. In 1957, his piano and the pure rock and roll sound of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" propelled him to international fame. "Great Balls Of Fire" soon followed, and would become his biggest hit. Watching and listening to Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis said if he could play the piano like that, he'd quit singing. Lewis' early billing was Jerry Lee Lewis and his Pumping Piano.
He was a pioneer of piano rock, not only through his sound by also through his dynamic performance. He would often kick the piano bench out of the way to play standing, rake his hands up and down the keyboard for dramatic accent, and even sit down on it. These performance techniques have been adopted by recent piano rock artists, notably admirer Elton John.
Lewis' turbulent personal life was one scandal after another and was hidden from the public until a 1958 British tour, when reporters learned about the twenty-three year old star's third wife Myra Gale Brown. She was thirteen years old, and Lewis's first cousin once removed. The publicity caused an uproar and the tour was cancelled after only three concerts. The scandal followed him home to America, and as a result he almost vanished from the music scene.His popularity recovered somewhat in Europe, especially in the UK and Germany during the mid-1960s. Although he was always a heavy drinker who often combined his sprees with raucous, even violent behavior, he increasingly became plagued by alcohol and drug problems after Myra divorced him in 1970.
On November 5, 2007 the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame and a university in Cleveland, Ohio honored him with 6 days of conferences, interviews, a DVD premier, film clips, etc. dedicated to him entitled 'The Life And Music of Jerry Lee Lewis'. He is the first living artist to be so honored. Find out more about this rock & roll living legend at: http://www.jerryleelewis.com/
Research info gathered at: www.allmusic.com
Vsit my ezine: http://www.concelebratory.blogspot.com/
and personal blog: http://www.copyat5.blogspot.com/
Like Elvis Presley, he was raised singing the Christian gospel music of integrated southern Pentecostal churches. In 1950 he attended Southwestern Bible Institute in Texas but was expelled for misconduct, including playing rock and roll versions of hymns in church.
Leaving religious music behind, he became a part of the burgeoning new rock and roll sound, cutting his first record in 1954. Two years later, at Sun Records studio in Memphis, Tennessee, producer and engineer Jack Clement discovered and recorded Lewis for the Sun label, while owner Sam Phillips was away on a trip to Florida. As a result, Lewis joined Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash as stars who began their recording careers at Sun Studios around this same time.
His first recording at Sun studios was his own distinct version of the country ballard Crazy Arms. In 1957, his piano and the pure rock and roll sound of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" propelled him to international fame. "Great Balls Of Fire" soon followed, and would become his biggest hit. Watching and listening to Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis said if he could play the piano like that, he'd quit singing. Lewis' early billing was Jerry Lee Lewis and his Pumping Piano.
He was a pioneer of piano rock, not only through his sound by also through his dynamic performance. He would often kick the piano bench out of the way to play standing, rake his hands up and down the keyboard for dramatic accent, and even sit down on it. These performance techniques have been adopted by recent piano rock artists, notably admirer Elton John.
Lewis' turbulent personal life was one scandal after another and was hidden from the public until a 1958 British tour, when reporters learned about the twenty-three year old star's third wife Myra Gale Brown. She was thirteen years old, and Lewis's first cousin once removed. The publicity caused an uproar and the tour was cancelled after only three concerts. The scandal followed him home to America, and as a result he almost vanished from the music scene.His popularity recovered somewhat in Europe, especially in the UK and Germany during the mid-1960s. Although he was always a heavy drinker who often combined his sprees with raucous, even violent behavior, he increasingly became plagued by alcohol and drug problems after Myra divorced him in 1970.
On November 5, 2007 the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame and a university in Cleveland, Ohio honored him with 6 days of conferences, interviews, a DVD premier, film clips, etc. dedicated to him entitled 'The Life And Music of Jerry Lee Lewis'. He is the first living artist to be so honored. Find out more about this rock & roll living legend at: http://www.jerryleelewis.com/
Research info gathered at: www.allmusic.com
Vsit my ezine: http://www.concelebratory.blogspot.com/
and personal blog: http://www.copyat5.blogspot.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment