He called himself “the final man standing”, referring to the rock ‘n roll icons, of which he was one of the most prominent. Jerry Lee Lewis, 87, died last week. As a 16-year old disc jockey at a Rockville radio station, Maryland, I played his records. He was the last of a long line of rock greats.
Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash were the first to die before Lewis, also known by his nickname “Killer.” A classic photo of the four of them is available at Sun Studio in Memphis, December 1956. They were called “The Million Dollar Quartet”.
To put it mildly, Lewis was controversial. His 13-year-old cousin, whom he had married while he was still married to another woman, was denied radio play and his personal appearances were cancelled. His music was the key to his success in overcoming what was then widely regarded as a scandalous and moral failure.
Although his most well-known songs include “Great Balls of Fire,”” “Breathless,”and “Whole Lotta’ Shakin’ Going On”, which are all songs that Lewis sang, he also recorded Gospel songs. However, his lifestyle and life were as anti-Christian as that of his TV evangelist cousin Jimmy Swaggart. After a Penthouse magazine story that claimed Swaggart had sex with a New Orleans prostitute, Swaggart confessed to an unspecified crime.
Mickey Gilley, Lewis’ cousin, was less controversial. He stayed with Country Western music and established a well-known restaurant, Gilley’s, in Pasadena Texas. Gilley’s had a mechanical bull that patrons could ride. John Travolta starred in “Urban Cowboy” as the bull.
Like Elvis, Lewis was a force for good. Near the end of his career, I saw him perform live. Chuck Berry and Little Richard were also on the program. He was busy phoning it in, but occasionally the Boogie-Woogie style would come through.
I also remember him appearing on Dick Clark’s Saturday Night TV program at the Little Theatre in New York. Lewis wanted to perform “Great Balls of Fire”, which would have tubes on either side of the stage that would fire into the air. The fire marshal was summoned to approve the devices because some felt they were a danger to the old, highly flammable theater. The stunt was approved but firefighters remained steadfast. It will be a memory that will last a lifetime for anyone who saw Lewis perform with flame throwers.
YouTube has a video featuring Lewis with Ray Charles, Fats Domino, and Ron Wood (Rolling Stones guitarist). It lasts seven and a quarter minutes, and it’s hard to stay still while watching.
Lewis was one of many white performers who played “negro music” back in the day. Many parents called it “the devil’s music” but eventually accepted it. Little Richard claimed that white children kept Pat Boone records high up on their dressers, but kept his music and those of other Black performers hidden in drawers to keep their parents from seeing them.
Jerry Lee Lewis had a unique style. I’m listening to some of his records, which are now on CDs. However, I still have a few 45s from the radio station. I can recall what it was like for me as a teenager to be left “breathless”!
