Jerry Lee Lewis was born on September 29, 1935, into a deeply religious family. His parents, despite not being wealthy, sold their house to provide their son with a piano, which he loved to play. He attended a religious school but was soon expelled for performing a boogie version of a song about Jesus, which the school deemed unacceptable.
At the age of 16, Jerry Lee married for the first time, but the marriage lasted only seven months. He married again three weeks before his divorce from his first wife was final, and this marriage lasted about four years, producing his first child.
In November 1956, Jerry Lee moved to Memphis and formed a band with his cousin, J. W. Brown. They sold a copy of their first song, "Crazy Arms," to Sam Phillips, the legendary president of Sun Records. Phillips, who had discovered Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, liked the song and helped Jerry Lee establish his name in Memphis.
In January 1957, Jerry Lee recorded a new song, "End of the Road," which was unusual for its time because it was written and performed by the singer himself. This was a departure from the norm, as most rock singers at the time played guitar, not piano.
Jerry Lee's big break came in April 1957, when he appeared on The Steve Allen Plymouth Show with his hit song "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On." This led to a string of #1 hits, including "Great Balls of Fire," "Breathless," and "High School Confidential."
Jerry Lee's marriage to Myra Gale Brown, the 13-year-old daughter of his cousin and partner J. W. Brown, caused a scandal in 1957. The marriage was kept secret until Jerry Lee's arrival in England for a tour in the spring of 1958, when it was discovered by the press and fans. The scandal damaged his career, and he continued to record songs until 1963.
Jerry Lee and Myra had one son, Steve Allen Lewis, who drowned at the age of three. They divorced in 1970 after 13 years of bad treatment in the press. Jerry Lee's career was not completely finished, however, and he made a comeback as a country singer in 1968.
He married four more times, producing one child each time. Jerry Lee's personal life was marked by tragedy, including the death of his son in an auto accident and his own near-death experience due to a ruptured stomach in 1981.
Despite his struggles, Jerry Lee Lewis continued to perform and record music until his death. He remained a wild man to the end, even in his 70s.
