Performer: Jerry Lee Lewis
Performer’s Life Span: September 29, 1935 - present
Location: Born in Ferriday, Louisiana and spent his teenage years in Waxahachie, Texas. He then moved to Memphis, Tennessee in his early 20’s where he currently resides.
Band Members: Solo artist
Bio:
Jerry Lee Lewis’ music career began in 1949 but took off in 1956 when he auditioned for Sam Phillips’ Sun Records. His early music consisted of playing the piano and joining a country and western band. At his audition in Memphis with Sun Records, he was urged to change his sound from his original country and western to something more like Elvis Presley’s rock & roll. This could be the reason for his music resulting in a combination of “a ferocious pianistic technique which drew on boogie-woogie, Western swing, and rhythm and blues piano-playing with a
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He became known as his high school nickname, “the Killer,” because of his rowdy performances. However, his fame came to a screeching stop after he married his 13-year-old cousin in December of 1957. This was his third marriage. His career began to fail miserably and Lewis began to drink heavily.
Finally, Lewis and his producer gave up on rock & roll and decided to pursue country. He had his first country hit in 1968, “Another Place, Another Time.” Lewis then had many Top Ten country hits and in 1973 released a return-to-rock album. He signed with Elektra in 1978 and began touring playing various forms of music.
Lewis’ health began to fluctuate due to a perforated stomach ulcer and stress from his fame. He began taking painkillers and had problems with the IRS. His last widespread fame came from the film Great Balls of Fire, starring Dennis Quaid. He then became one of the “first 10 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986” (Rolling