Today is a travel day for the World Series, so it’s a good day for a special edition of Lonnie’s Jukebox. The Hot Stove report on the World Series will be posted on Monday.
Jerry Lee Lewis died last Friday at the age of 87. Nicknamed the “Killer,” he was the “last man standing” and the “sole survivor” of the big names that founded rock ‘n’ roll in the 1950s.
Ten of those original rockers made up the 1986 inaugural class of inductees in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Joining Jerry Lee in that class were Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Little Richard and Elvis Presley. Considering the life he led, it’s surprising Lewis outlived them all
In late 1956, Lewis signed on with Sam Phillips at Sun Records in Memphis. He thought that if Sam could make a star out of Elvis Presley, it should be easy to do the same for him.
Lewis began recording and also served as a session piano player for other Sun artists, including Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash. On December 4, 1956, Lewis was at Sun to play piano for a Carl Perkins recording when Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley dropped by. Elvis had moved on to RCA, but came to visit friends at his original recording studio.
All except Lewis had their first big hits in 1956. Elvis, “Heartbreak Hotel.” Johnny, “I Walk the Line.” Carl, “Blue Suede Shoes.” The four artists started a jam session, and the enterprising Sam Phillips recorded the session and had a local newspaper come by for a photo (below). They were dubbed the “Million Dollar Quartet,” a title also given to the Broadway musical that told a dramatized version of that day.
Although Jerry Lee Lewis was an unknown when he jammed as part of the Million Dollar Quartet, he soon announced himself as a force in rock ‘n’ roll with the release of…
“Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” by Jerry Lee Lewis (1957), performing on the Steve Allen Show. Record peaked at #3.
A few months later, he followed with…
“Great Balls of Fire” by Jerry Lee Lewis (1957), the recorded version with a clever animated video. Record peaked at #2.
Jerry was blessed with some good timing for his 1957 hits. Dick Clark has just gone national with American Bandstand, and Lewis was a regular. The show’s format featured dancing teenagers and appearances by recording acts who usually lip-synced their lyrics. Clark assumed the audience wanted the popular recorded version. An exception was Jerry Lee Lewis who said “I ain’t no puppet! I didn’t come all the way up from Memphis to play charades.”
“Great Balls of Fire” by Jerry Lee Lewis on American Bandstand in 1958 (live, not lip-syncing).
I was in high school at the time and immersed in the new genre of rock ‘n’ roll. This meant buying a lot of 45 rpm records that I still have. Below, from slot #10 in my record case…
The next year, Jerry Lee had his third (and last) Top-10 rock ‘n’ roll hit…
“Breathless” by Jerry Lee Lewis (1958), performing on American Bandstand. The song was not climbing the charts until Dick Clark made an offer on his show: a free copy of “Breathless” for five Beechnut gum wrappers. The campaign sold lots of gum and sent “Breathless” to #7. Beechnut sponsored Clark’s show and the promotion temporarily pushed them past Wrigley in sales.
Jerry Lee Lewis was on a roll with big record sales and sold-out live performances. But suddenly the success was replaced by scandal. While he was touring Britain in May of 1958, word got out that Lewis had married his cousin’s 13-year-old daughter. His tour was cancelled after only three stops. The time in Britain was a major story arc in the 1989 biopic Great Balls of Fire. In the movie, Jerry was played by Dennis Quaid and 13-year-old Myra was played by Winona Ryder.
Back in the states, big concerts became small gigs. Radio stations quit playing his records. His new releases did not chart. For some reason, one record slipped through to chart at #30 in the spring of 1961, a cover of Ray Charles’ 1959 hit…
“What’d I Say” by Jerry Lee Lewis (1961). Below, Jerry with Ray Charles and the Everly Brothers (1986).
Lewis was not done. He became a hitmaker in another genre – country music. This was not new to him. He was as much country and rockabilly as rock when he started – it just happened that his two biggest hits were part of the foundation of rock ‘n’ roll. Country fans still noticed. “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” was #1 country and #3 pop. “Great Balls of Fire was #1 country and #2 pop.” They were both #1 R&B. Jerry crossed genres with aplomb.
Jerry’s style was eclipsed in rock ‘n’ roll with the rise of Motown, the British Invasion, etc. He was probably more at home with country music after his fall from grace. His life was certainly like a sad country song. Seven wives. Hard living. Addictions. Here’s a sample…
“What’s Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me)” by Jerry Lee Lewis (1968). “Baby’s begged me not to go/So many times before/She says love and happiness/Can’t live behind swinging doors.”
From 1968 to 1970, Jerry had 11 consecutive Top-10 country hits. He stayed on the country charts into the 1980s.
Although Lewis was getting most of his airplay on country stations, his rock ‘n’ roll catalog of early Sun releases were continually being released on compilation albums. He was also active in rock ‘n’ roll revival shows, such as…
“Don’t Be Cruel” by Jerry Lee Lewis, live at the Toronto “Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival” in 1969. Lewis originally recorded a cover of this Elvis Presley song in 1958 (below, from my 45 rpm collection).
In 2006, Lewis recorded his 39th studio album, Last Man Standing, consisting of duets with rock and country stars. As the title suggests, Jerry had outlived his fellow Sun artists from the 1950s (Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Charlie Rich, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley). His duet partners on the album included B. B. King, Rod Stewart, Ringo Starr, Willie Nelson, Mick Jagger, Toby Keith, Bruce Springsteen, John Fogerty and, in a cover of a Beatles song…
“I Saw Her Standing There” by Jerry Lee Lewis with Little Richard contributing vocals and blues shouting.
For a final encore, an entertaining live version of his first hit…
“Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” by Jerry Lee Lewis and Bruce Springsteen with the E-Street Band, live at the opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. A special treat in the video is the late Clarence Clemons on saxophone.
