Jerry Lee Lewis is a true legend in the world of music. He is one of the founders of such a style as rock and roll. Would you like to know the details of his biography, career and personal life? All necessary information is contained in the article.
Biography: childhood and youth
He was born on September 29, 1935 in the American town of Ferride (Louisiana). From an early age he demonstrated a love of music. At the age of 10, Jerry began to learn the piano. At first, the boy independently got acquainted with the capabilities of this tool. But soon his parents invited a teacher for him. Piano lessons were held several times a week.
The future world pop star was brought up in a religious family. The boy was even going to become a clergyman. After leaving school, he went to Texas, where he entered the Bible Institute. However, the guy did not study for long in this institution. He was expelled. And all because Jerry sang the song "My God Is Real" in the style of "boogie". Teachers considered this composition blasphemous.
Our hero was not upset at all because of the expulsion from the institute. By that time, he already realized that the career of a clergyman was not his calling. The guy received true pleasure from the music. He wanted to develop in this direction.
The beginning of creative activity
In 1954, an American singer recorded two cover songs. They were aired on Louisiana radio stations. In just a few days, the young performer got a small army of fans.
In the fall of 1956, Jerry went to Memphis. There he auditioned at one of the largest recording studios. Professionals praised the vocal abilities of our hero. However, their repertoire seemed irrelevant to them. In those days, Americans preferred rock and roll compositions. And Jerry Lewis worked in the direction of "country".
The young performer had to rethink his musical style. And soon he fell in love with rock and roll with all his heart. Jerry recorded the song “End Of The Road” in this genre. Sun Records chairman really liked her.
Difficulties
In the first half of 1958, a scandal erupted around Jerry Lewis. And all because he played a wedding with his 13-year-old cousin niece.
At some point, the largest US radio stations stopped broadcasting his songs. Jerry Lee Lewis was blacklisted for a long time. Concerts planned in advance had to be noted. In print media, his name was mentioned only in a negative way.
Only in 1963 did the musician manage to restore his career. Concerts Jerry Lee Lewis again began to take place in major European and American cities. Listeners miss their favorite singer. Soon he pleased their new (second) album Jerry Lee's Greatest. The compositions contained on the record appealed to his fans.
Career continuation
After some time, representatives of the record company Smash Records offered Jerry Lee mutually beneficial cooperation. Our hero could not miss such a chance. He embarked on studio work.
The Smash Records leadership was pretty much what it took to partner with such a talented and hardworking musician as Jerry Lee Lewis. Albums of the artist came out one after another. Between 1971 and 2013 at least 40 records were released. They have spread around the world in millions of copies. Each of the albums contained at least 2-3 hits.
Personal life
Jerry Lee has always been a conqueror of female hearts. And he himself often fell in love. For the first time, our hero married at the age of 15. His chosen one was the daughter of a local priest. However, this marriage did not last long. The reason for the divorce was the scandal associated with the performer’s minor cousin. You talked about this above.
So, Jerry married his 13-year-old niece, Myra Gail Brown. Many people condemned him for his vicious relationship. But our hero was not interested in other people's opinions. He was married to Myra for almost 12 years.
In the future, the performer 5 times tried to build family happiness. Some of the marital unions fell apart due to the mismatch of characters and interests. There were also mystical cases. For example, the fourth wife Jerry drowned in the pool. That's not all. His fifth wife died due to an overdose of drugs. It’s as if evil rock loomed over a famous musician.
In early 2012, our hero decided to recover for the seventh time at the altar. At that time he was 76 years old. The chosen one of the performer was his nurse. She is 14 years younger than Lewis. I must say that both spouses are not confused by such a difference in age.
Present
The American singer is as full of energy as 10-15 years ago. He continues to record songs and give concerts. Of course, due to his age, he had to significantly reduce the number of his performances. But from this the listeners did not begin to love him less.
In 1986, Jerry Lewis entered the top ten members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. You can’t imagine the best recognition for a creative person.
And after 3 years, a film adaptation of his biography was released. The film, entitled "Fireballs" was praised by viewers and critics. The role of Jerry was played by American film actor Dennis Quaid. He is 100% coped with the tasks that the director set.
Finally
Now you know which path to global popularity Jerry Lee has made. In his life there were ups and downs, conjugal happiness and the bitterness of loss. However, all the trials sent by fate, our hero passed with a proudly raised head. We wish him good health and creative inspiration!