Jerry Lee Lewis: biography and personal life of an American singer and musician

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Jerry Lee Lewis is a real legend in the world of music. He is one of the founders of such a style as rock and roll. Do you want to know the details of his biography, career and personal life? All the necessary information is contained in the article.

Biography: childhood and youth

He was born on September 29, 1935 in the American town of Ferriday (Louisiana). From an early age, he showed a love for music. At the age of 10, Jerry began to master the piano. At first, the boy independently got acquainted with the capabilities of this tool. But soon the 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, in this institution, the guy did not study for long. He was expelled. And all because Jerry performed the song "My God Is Real" in the style of "boogie". The teachers considered this song blasphemous.

Our hero was not upset at all because of his expulsion from the institute. By that time, he had already realized thatthe career of a clergyman is not his vocation. The guy got real pleasure from music. He wanted to develop in this direction.

The beginning of creative activity

In 1954, the American singer recorded two cover songs. They were aired on Louisiana radio stations. In just a few days, the young artist has gained a small army of fans.

In the fall of 1956, Jerry went to Memphis. There he auditioned in one of the largest recording studios. Professionals highly appreciated the vocal abilities of our hero. However, his repertoire seemed irrelevant to them. In those days, Americans preferred rock and roll compositions. And Jerry Lewis worked in the country direction.

The young artist had to reconsider 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. The chairman of Sun Records liked her very much.

Difficulties

In the first half of 1958, a scandal erupted around Jerry Lewis. And all because he married his 13-year-old cousin.

At some point, the largest US radio stations stopped airing his songs. Jerry Lee Lewis was blacklisted for a long time. Concerts planned in advance had to be noted. His name has only been mentioned in the press in a negative way.

Only in 1963 did the musician manage to restore his career. Jerry Lee Lewis concerts are back in majorEuropean and American cities. Listeners missed their favorite singer. Soon he pleased them with a new (second in a row) album, Jerry Lee's Greatest. The compositions contained on the disc were liked by his fans.

Continuing career

After some time, representatives of the record company Smash Records offered Jerry Lee a mutually beneficial cooperation. Our hero could not miss such a chance. He began to work in the studio.

Smash Records management was pleased to have such a talented and hardworking musician as Jerry Lee Lewis as a partner. The artist's albums were released one after another. Between 1971 and 2013 at least 40 records were released. They have sold millions of copies around the world. Each of the albums contained at least 2-3 hits.

Private life

Jerry Lee has always been a conqueror of women's 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 young cousin of the performer. You talked about this above.

So, Jerry married his 13-year-old niece Myra Gale Brown. Many people condemned him for a vicious connection. 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 tried 5 times to build family happiness. Some of the marital unions broke up due to a mismatch of characters andinterests. There were also mystical cases. For example, Jerry's fourth wife drowned in the pool. That's not all. His fifth wife died due to a drug overdose. It was as if evil rock was hanging over the famous musician.

In early 2012, our hero decided to go to the altar for the seventh time. At that time he was 76 years old. The performer's chosen one was his nurse. She is 14 years younger than Lewis. I must say that both spouses are not embarrassed by such a difference in age.

Present

The American singer is as full of energy as he was 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 that didn't make the listeners love him any less.

In 1986, Jerry Lewis was inducted into the top ten members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. There is simply no better recognition for a creative person.

And 3 years later, a film adaptation of his biography was released. The film, titled "Fireballs", received high praise from viewers and critics. The role of Jerry was played by American film actor Dennis Quaid. He 100% coped with the tasks set by the director.

In conclusion

Now you know Jerry Lee's path to worldwide popularity. In his life there were ups and downs, marital happiness and the bitterness of loss. However, all the trials sent by fate, our hero passed with his head held high. We wish him good he alth and creative inspiration!