Jerry Lee Lewis is a musician who rightfully deserves to be included in the history of American music. This artist has an undeniable talent, as well as a huge supply of creative energy.
Creative background
A well-known country music performer, Mickey Gilly, is a cousin of Jerry Lewis. It is Mickey, according to some critics, who owns the right to call himself the first teacher of Lewis. From childhood, Jerry Lewis begins to get involved in music, asks his cousin to teach him the basics of this art. Mickey, of course, could not refuse his brother, and he, in turn, showed an enviable persistence in his studies, learning to play the old piano. Sometimes Jerry even used the services of private teachers.
The Lewis family was very devout, which was reflected in him. After completing secondary education, Jerry enters the Texas Bible Institute. However, here he does not leave the tool, continuing to hone his skills. It was this hobby that later became the reason for expulsion from the university. To be more specific, Jerry decided to perform the song “My God Is Real”. The song itself did not seem blasphemous, but the style of “boogie” in which Lewis performed it allowed teachers to consider it as such.
After leaving the university, Jerry completely surrendered to his favorite pastime - music.
Musical career and scandals
In 1958, Jerry Lewis, whose biography is now known to most lovers of South American music, released his first album, recorded at the studio. The musician did not ponder the name for a long time, naming this collection “Jerry Lee Lewis”. Already this first studio work turned Jerry into a real star. Some songs from this disc became hits, were played on the radio, and are still popular. But over 50 years have passed already!
Immediately after the release of this album, Jerry Lewis went on tour in the United States and Europe. The popularity and recognition of the singer and musician grew very rapidly. However, unpleasant moments were present in his life. So, Jerry married his niece, who by that time was only 13 years old. This fact cooled the ardor of many fans of the musician, as a result of which there were numerous disruptions of concerts, respectively, there were losses. The radio station stopped broadcasting his songs, the media wrote about him only in a critical way.
Only closer to the mid-60s, Jerry Lewis, whose photo every journalist of the yellow press knew, began to give concerts and tour again. They gradually forgot about the scandal, and the musician again began to gain popularity. He worked a lot and efficiently. Literally every year he created a new album, and in all during his career he released more than 40 of them.
Personal life
You can talk about this side of Jerry's life for a very long time. His first marriage took place when the future musician was only 15 years old. He married the daughter of a priest. The collapse of this marriage was the ill-fated story with his niece. For 12 years, Jerry Lewis lived with her, and then the couple also broke up. Later, other attempts followed to find happiness in family life. More precisely, these attempts were as many as 5! They all failed. Some are the fault of Jerry himself, who at one time was very addicted to alcohol and drugs. But there were accidents. One of Lewis’s wives was found in a drowned pool, the other died of an overdose of drugs. Jerry's last wife is his nurse. At the time of marriage, the musician was 76 years old, she was 62 years old. The marriage was registered in 2012.
Today
In 2015, Jerry Lewis celebrated its 80th anniversary. Despite such an advanced age, the musician still works actively and productively, performs at concerts, goes on tour not only in his own country, but also in Europe. He was included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a biographical film was shot about him, and not even one.
Indeed, any aspiring musician can envy the creative energy that is now present in this person. It is no coincidence that concerts featuring Jerry Lewis gather full halls and stadiums - his active work is paying off, and his performances, songs and playing magically attract the attention of anyone who hears them.