Jerry lee lewis biography 2014

And not long after, it would become equally clear that the official version of events diverged early and often from the facts. Something went violently wrong at the Killer's mansion on the night of Shawn Lewis's death. And as soon as that death was disclosed, everything went wrong with the investigation. Skip to main content. Resume Listen Live.

It definitely kept my attention until the end. Outstanding account by one of the great pioneers of rock and roll. It's hard to put the book down. God bless Jerry Lee. He's still doing his thing. No one could play that pumpin' piano like him and he never had music lessons. Good Book to read. A page-turner about a part of music history I lived thru.

Great story about great musicians. Rick Bragg is my favorite contemporary author. One person found this helpful. Off stage he was no different. His life story rocks, jukes, jives, swings, dodges, sinks to the lowest depths and rises to the highest highs. Somehow he survives to do it all again and always on his terms. His marriages, including the scandalous union with his 13 year old cousin Myra that shook his career to the foundation, jerry lee lewis biography 2014 on and off stage antics, his career at Sun Records and relationships with the members of The Million Dollar Quartet especially Elvis Presleyaddictions, money and everything imaginable that makes up the public image of the wildest man in rock and roll.

There were also numerous tragedies that should have broken him, but only seemed to push him harder in all aspects of his life and career. These instances make this book a roller coaster of emotions, from laugh out loud to sorrow and admiration that Jerry Lee has lived this long to talk about it all. Loved the book and highly recommend.

Incredibly detailed especially about his boyhood which did seem a tad unnecessaryyet also incredibly interesting. One of the most absorbing biographies I've ever read about an incredible entertainer and amazing life! Known as "Th' Killer" by most of his friends and fans, he managed to achieve an unbelievable collection of true-believers in himself and his music.

This is the label that instigated the careers of such powerhouse super-stars as Elvis, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins and others who were destined to make their gigantic marks in music. All of the names mentioned are no longer with us, but Th' Killer is still doing his thing! I'm certain his life is more calm now, thanks to his loving wife, Judith There were periods of time when those accumulated years could have been rapidly shortened, as you'll discover in the pages of "Jerry Lee Lewis His Own Story".

In this excellent book consisting of almost 5-hundred pages Rick Bragg has given the reader the opportunity to know this brilliant, though highly unpredictable "showman" as never before. Rick's one-on-one approach to the subject makes this magnificent work of art so much more than a book! To me, and several others who have studied the pages, it provides an atmosphere where you actually feel as though you were sitting in a small room witnessing monumental moments as Jerry Lee Lewis allows his feelings toward so many happenings in his oh-so-active life as an entertainer to be heard!

It serves as a perfect reminder of how the complex entertainment scene has changed since the '40s as Th' Killer and those other genuine performers shared time with him while "doing their thing" in order to satisfy their millions of adoring fans in all sections of the planet. During that magic era, it wasn't constantly accommodating for the "stars" to present their wares on stage or in front of the ancient television cameras, but they jerry lee lewis biography 2014 every effort to fulfill their commitments.

To those who had the opportunity to attend the performances and view the activity on small television screens Those who entertained us appeared to be more personal! These pages will bring back so many memories to you. If you weren't with us back then, the book will serve as an important and historical implement that you'll truly enjoy.

However, don't expect it to be a mellow, casual reading venture. I must warn you: The many pages will seem much shorter because Jerry Lee Lewis holds nothing back! His life has not been filled with constant mellowness! Utilizing any and all words necessary to put many points across, he tells-it-like-it-is and was during his lifetime as that "wild man at the piano"!

He did his thing This isn't a book you'll find easy to put down as you turn off the lights for some needed sleep! Rick Bragg, blessed with his extraordinary talent as a best-selling author, managed to capture "Th' Killer" in an excellent manner, although it was most likely one of his most challenging assignments. Great job, Rick! Thank's "Killer" for the many years of authentic showmanship!

You're one-of-a-kind, always will be! Since 25 years, I'm a fan of Jerry Lee Lewis. This book is a must-read. It's well written and so authentic. As a reader I was literally transported in an unknown universe, and I could'nt wait for the following chapter. Every one should read it to learn about southern culture and traditions, to discover the humble human genius piano star Jerry lee Lewis is.

For this performance, he was backed by Ritchie Blackmore and the Outlaws. One major success during these lost years was the concert album Live at the Star Club, Hamburgrecorded with the Nashville Teens inwhich is considered one of the greatest live albums ever. In a 5-out-ofstars review, Milo Miles wrote in Rolling Stone magazine that " Live at the Star Club, Hamburg is not an album, it's a crime scene: Jerry Lee Lewis slaughters his rivals in a thirteen-song set that feels like one long convulsion.

Frustrated by Smash's inability to score a hit, Lewis was planning on leaving the label when promotions manager Eddie Kilroy pitched the idea of cutting a pure country record in Nashville. With nothing to lose, Lewis agreed to record the Jerry Chesnut song " Another Place, Another Time ", which was released as a single on March 9,and, to everyone's amazement, shot up the country charts.

At the time of the release, Lewis had been playing Iago in a rock and roll adaptation of Othello called Catch My Soul in Los Angeles but was soon rushed back to Nashville to record another batch of songs with producer Jerry Kennedy. What followed was a string of hits that no one could have predicted, although country music always remained a major part of Lewis's repertoire.

As Colin Escott observes in the sleeve to the compilation Killer Countrythe conversion to country music in "looked at the time like a radical shift, but it was neither as abrupt nor as unexpected as it seemed. Jerry had always recorded country music, and his country breakthrough 'Another Place, Another Time' had been preceded by countless country records starting with his first, ' Crazy Arms ', in Between andLewis had 17 Top 10 hit singles on the Billboard country chart, including four chart-toppers.

The production on his early country albums, such as Another Place, Another Time and She Even Woke Me Up To Say Goodbyewas sparse, quite different from the slick " Nashville sound " that was predominant on country radio at the time, and also expressed a full commitment by Lewis to a country audience. The songs still featured Lewis's inimitable piano flourishes, but critics were most taken aback by the rock and roll pioneer's effortlessly soulful vocals, which possessed an emotional resonance on par with the most respected country singers of the time, such as George Jones and Merle Haggard.

In his book Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Storybiographer Rick Bragg notes that the songs Lewis was recording "were of the kind they were starting to call 'hard country', not because it had a rock beat or crossed over into rock in a real way, but because it was more substantial than the cloying, overproduced mess out there on country radio". In a remarkable turnaround, Lewis became the most bankable country star in the world.

He was so huge in that his former Smash producer Shelby Singletonwho purchased Sun Records from Sam Phillips in Julywasted no time in repackaging many of Lewis's old country recordings with such effectiveness that many fans assumed they were recent releases. Singleton would milk these unreleased recordings for years, following The Golden Cream of the Country with A Taste of Country later in Lewis played the Grand Ole Opry only once, on January 20, As Colin Escott writes in the liner notes to A Half Century of Hitshe had maintained an ambivalence to Music City jerry lee lewis biography 2014 since he was turned away as an aspiring musician before his glory days at Sun Records : "It was 18 years since he had left Nashville broke and disheartened Lewis was never truly accepted in Nashville.

He didn't move there and didn't schmooze there. He didn't fit in with the family values crowd. Lewis family values weren't necessarily worse, but they were different. Ignoring his allotted time constraints—and, thus, commercial breaks—Lewis played for 40 minutes the average Opry performance is two songs, for about eight minutes of stage time maximum and invited Del Wood —the one member of the Opry who had been kind to him when he had been there as a teenager—out on stage to sing with him.

Lewis returned to the pop charts with " Me and Bobby McGee " in and " Chantilly Lace " inand this, coupled with a revitalized public interest in vintage rock and rollinspired Mercury to fly Lewis to London in to record with a cadre of British and Irish musicians, including Rory GallagherKenney Jonesand Albert Lee. By all accounts the sessions were tense.

The remake of Lewis's old Sun cut "Drinking Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee" was the album's hit single, reaching number 20 on the Billboard country chart and peaking at number 41 on the pop chart. It did far better on the country albums chart, rising to number 4. According to Rick Bragg's authorized biography, "the Killer" was in a foul mood when he showed up at Trans Maximus Studios in Memphis to record: "During these sessions, he insulted the producer, threatened to kill a photographer, and drank and medicated his way into but not out of a fog.

His last big hit with Mercury was "Middle Age Crazy", which made it to number 4 in InLewis switched record labels to Elektra and produced the critically acclaimed Jerry Lee Lewisalthough sales were disappointing. Although looking frail after several hospitalizations due to stomach problems, Lewis was responsible for beginning an unplanned jam at the end of the evening, which was incorporated into all future events.

That year, he returned to Sun Studio in Memphis to team up with Orbison, Cash, and Perkins along with longtime admirers like John Fogerty to create the album Class of ' Ina major motion picture based on his early life in rock and roll, Great Balls of Fire! The movie focuses on Lewis's early career and his relationship with Myra and ends with the scandal of the late s.

A year later, inLewis made minor news when a new song he recorded called "It Was the Whiskey Talkin' Not Me " was included in the soundtrack to the hit movie Dick Tracy. The song is also heard in the movie, playing on the radio. The public downfall of his cousin, televangelist Jimmy Swaggart around the same time, resulted in more adverse publicity to a troubled family.

Swaggart is also a piano player, as is another cousin, country music star Mickey Gilley. All three listened to the same music in their youth and frequented Haney's Big House, the Ferriday club that featured black blues acts. Lewis and Swaggart had a complex relationship over the years. Receiving positive reviews, the album charted on four different Billboard charts, including a two-week stay at number one on the Indie charts.

It was written by Kris Kristofferson. An EP featuring this song and four more was also released on November It was a specially recorded performance featuring a whole array of artists paying tribute to the music of Lewis. In Marchit was announced that Lewis, together with producer T-Bone Burnett and guitarist James Burtonwas recording a new album of gospel covers.

It was the first time he entered a recording studio following his stroke. On October 27,to celebrate Lewis's 85th birthday, a livestream aired on YouTube, Facebook, and his official website. John Stamos served as the host. Lewis had a minor stroke in Memphis on February 28,[ 55 ] which forced him to cancel several appearances. The service was officiated by his cousin Jimmy Swaggart and Swaggart's son.

Lewis was an incendiary showman who often played with his fists, elbows, feet, and backside, sometimes climbing on top of the piano during gigs and even apocryphally setting it on fire. In a interview with Leah Harper, Elton John recalls that up until "Great Balls of Fire", "the piano playing that I had heard had been more sedate. My dad collected George Shearing records, but this was the first time I heard someone beat the shit out of a piano.

This was astonishing to me, that people could do that. Those records had such a huge effect on me, and they were just so great. I learned to play like that. Lewis was primarily known for his " boogie-woogie " style, which is characterized by a regular left-hand bass figure and dancing beat, but his command of the instrument and highly individualistic style set him apart.

Appearing on Memphis Sounds with George Klein inLewis credited his older piano-playing cousin Carl McVoy as being a crucial influence, stating, "He was a great piano player, a great singer, and a nice-looking man, carried himself real well. I miss Carl very much. Along with Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Roy Orbison, Lewis received the first Grammy Award in the spoken-word category for the very rare album of interviews released with some early copies of the Class of '55 album in In JuneLewis was honored for his contribution to the recording industry with a star along Hollywood Boulevard on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Jerry lee lewis biography 2014: Ende erschien von Bragg

Lewis was present to accept the American Music Masters Award and closed his own tribute show with a rendition of " Over the Rainbow ". In DecemberLewis was honored with a Mississippi Country Music Trail marker at his ranch in Nesbit, Mississippi to celebrate his contributions to country music. In very different ways, they all have left a lasting impact on the industry and generations of fans alike.

I am thrilled to welcome this deserving class to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Lewis was married seven times, including bigamous marriages and a marriage with his underage cousin. Lewis's second marriage to Sally Jane Mitcham in September occurred 23 days before his divorce from Barton was final. They had two children: Jerry Lee Lewis Jr. After four years, he filed for divorce in October Jerry Lee Lewis Jr.

His third marriage was to year-old Myra Gale Brownhis first cousin once removed, on December 12, Brown was only 14 years old when their son was born. Pate drowned in a swimming pool at the home of a friend with whom she was staying, several weeks before divorce proceedings could be finalized. Mary Kathy "K.

Jerry lee lewis biography 2014: Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29,

Lewis's fifth marriage, to Shawn Stephens, lasted 77 days, from June to Augustending with her death [ 82 ] from an overdose of methadone. InLewis moved to Ireland with his family in what was suggested but denied to be a move to avoid issues with the Internal Revenue Service. Lewis lived on a ranch in Nesbit, Mississippiwith his family. In AprilU.

District Judge Neal Biggers ruled that most of the claims were barred by a three-year statute of limitations except the defamation claims. As a teenager, Lewis studied at the Southwest Bible Institute in Waxahachie, Texasbefore being thrown out for playing a 'worldly' boogie-woogie version of "My God Is Real", and that early incident foreshadowed his lifelong conflict over his faith in God and his love of playing "the devil's music".

Lewis had a recorded argument with Sam Phillips during the recording session for " Great Balls of Fire ", a song he initially refused to record because he considered it blasphemous "How can How can the devil save souls? What are you talkin' about? Lewis's biographer Rick Bragg explains that part of the reason the recording only features Lewis and Elvis singing is because "only Elvis and Jerry Lee [were] raised in the Assembly of God ", and " 'Johnny and Carl didn't really know the words No word of religion is even in the Bible.

Are you sanctified? Have you been saved? See, I was a good preacher, I know my Bible? I find myself falling short of the glory of God. Gospel music was a staple of his performing repertoire. After a string of hit country albums, he recorded a gospel album for the first time in it was released in Lewis was also a cousin of the televangelist Jimmy Swaggart.

On September 29, Lewis's 41st birthdayLewis fired a. The bullet ricocheted and accidentally hit bassist Butch Owens in the chest. Owens survived. On November 23,Lewis was arrested outside Elvis Presley 's Graceland home for allegedly intending to shoot him. Later that night, Lewis was at a Memphis nightclub called the Vapors drinking champagne when he was given a gun.

Lewis suddenly remembered that Elvis wanted to see him and, climbing aboard his new Lincoln Continental with the loaded pistol on the dash, so he wouldn't be charged for having a "concealed" weapon, a bottle of champagne under his arm, and tore off for Graceland.

Jerry lee lewis biography 2014: The book is Jerry Lee's personal

Just before three o'clock in the morning, Lewis accidentally smashed into the famous Graceland gates. Presley's astonished cousin Harold Lloyd was manning the gate and watched Lewis attempt to hurl the champagne bottle out the car window, not realizing the window was rolled up, smashing both. Bragg reports that Lewis denies ever intending to do Presley harm, that the two were friends, but "Elvis, watching on the closed-circuit televisiontold guards to call the police.

The Memphis police found the gun in the car and put Lewis, protesting, hollering, threatening them, away in handcuffs. And Elvis told 'em, 'Lock him up.