BHm -Music No 39 Jerry Lee Lewis (2909 1935 - ) Born Ferriday, Louisiana Jerry Lee Lewis is a piano-playing rock n roll pioneer famous for his high energy stage presence and controversial life. Jerry Lee Lewis was born on September 29, 1935, in Ferriday, Louisiana. He began playing the piano at age 9, copying the styles of preachers and black musicians. He signed with Sun Records and became a rockabilly star. In 1958, Lewis married his 13-year-old cousin causing a record boycott but Lewis continued performing and made a comeback. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. Early Life With his innovative and flamboyant piano playing and catchy uptempo songs, Jerry Lee Lewis emerged as one of rock musics early showman in the 1950s. He was born in the small community of Ferriday, Louisiana, where his musical talents became apparent early on. He taught himself to play piano and sang in church growing up. On the radio, Lewis listened to such shows as Grand Ole Opry and The Louisiana Hayride. Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams and Al Jolson were some of his early influences. When he was 10 years old, Lewis got a piano of his very own. His father mortgaged the family farm to buy the instrument. He gave his first public performance at the age of 14. Lewis wowed the crowd gathered for the opening of a local car dealership with his piano prowess. With little formal education, he basically gave up on school around this time to focus on music. Lewis did, however, briefly attend a Bible college in Texas. Meteoric Rise Lewis eventually ended up in Memphis, Tennessee, where he found work as a studio musician for Sun Studios. In 1956, he recorded his first single, a cover of Ray Prices Crazy Arms, which did well locally. Lewis also worked on some recording sessions with Carl Perkins. While working at Sun, he and Perkins jammed with Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. This session by the Million Dollar Quartet was recorded at the time, but it was not released until much later. In 1957, Lewis became a star with his unique piano-driven sound. Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On became a hit on the pop, country and R&B charts. By this time, Lewis had also developed some of his famous stage antics, such as playing standing up and even lighting the occasional piano on fire. He had such energy and enthusiasm in his performances that he earned the nickname The Killer for the way he knocked out his audiences. Lewis appeared to be on a roll. His next single, Great Balls of Fire, proved to be another big hit in December 1957. The following March, Lewis struck again with Breathless, which made into the Top 10 of the pop charts. Behind the scenes, however, some of Lewiss life choices would soon put a tamper on his career.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Nov 2014 10:56:19 +0000
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