Jerry Lee Lewis, RIP

[ToddB1963]

See, you have to remember that for guys like them (and me and so many others) raised in the South, blues, country, gospel, and Jazz are all crossbreeds or strong separate strains of originally black music, and these would be flavors we draw on automatically and unconsciously without labels. It was all pieces from the same pie. Aretha or Whitney never lost that gospel feel, the Stones or Skynyrd would lean right into country, and Ray Charles was as much country blues as he was Ellington.

In an earlier time, artists would walk between influences effortlessly, so guys like Jerry Lee could play Newcastle, the Opry, and in church from a catalog of deep influences without even thinking about it, it was whole cloth.

I agree, but you've explained it better than I ever could. Thank you.

I think perhaps we could put Elvis in the same category, what do you reckon? Blues, country, gospel...though perhaps a little light-on in the jazz department.

 

[EatS1stBassist]

The last man standing of 50’s R’n’R has fallen…
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O no!

 

[Bass V]

if already mentioned, here it is again
“For a good while now, Jerry Lee Lewis and I were the only ones living of the original rock’n’rollers of the 50s. Now, it only leaves me. Jerry was one of our great entertainers and I loved hearing his rock’n’roll songs, but oh my, what he did to a country ballad was incredible! The Link Removed finally inducted him!
I’ll never forget Jerry Lee going to church with me while we were touring Canada, and he and I sharing a hymn book. I’ll miss you, old friend. Every day.” - WJ

 

[dbsfgyd1]

The last man standing of 50’s R’n’R has fallen…
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RIP Killer.

 

[TyBo]

"Mona Lisa", Jerry Lee style. A fair distance from Nat King Cole's classic version ... that boogie woogie left hand is ... killer!

 

[Mosthigh]

Saw him on a double bill with Fats Domino around 1985. He played mostly country, but when he did rock out, it was great. (I met Fats afterwards, but not Jerry).

RIP Jerry Lee

 

[spvmhc]

Here's a line from Jerry's wikipedia page:

On September 29, 1976 (Lewis's 41st birthday), Lewis fired a .357 Magnum at a coke bottle in his bedroom. The bullet ricocheted and accidentally hit bassist Butch Owens in the chest. Owens survived.

He shot a BASSIST! Maybe an accident, but still.....this is TalkBass. I admit to having a poor opinion of a person who shoots one of us.

 

[Toddbass65]

Absolutely amazing talent…like many people who have that kind of talent in anything (music, sports, art, etc) it was very difficult to navigate the world off the stage. I like to just look at all the music he created and how much fire he was as a performer and leave it at that. Looking at him as a person can be a tough pill to swallow for many people. RIP to one of the greatest performers ever!

 

[Slinger]

Jerry Lee with a youthful Chas Hodges on bass behind him in '63. Chances are, Richie Blackmore was on guitar too, as a part of The Outlaws who backed loads of "names" when they toured the UK.

R.I.P. Killer.

 

[eddybuzzard]

Jerry Lee with a youthful Chas Hodges on bass behind him in '63. Chances are, Richie Blackmore was on guitar too, as a part of The Outlaws who backed loads of "names" when they toured the UK.

R.I.P. Killer.

Here's another pic with the Outlaws, with Richie Blackmore;

 

[Slinger]

Mick Underwood (Drums) and Ken Lundgren (Guitar) are the other two "Outlaws" in the pic.

 

[bobdabilder]

Boy, I wish you'd learn your chords. Awesome

 

[Bass V]

Here's a line from Jerry's wikipedia page:

On September 29, 1976 (Lewis's 41st birthday), Lewis fired a .357 Magnum at a coke bottle in his bedroom. The bullet ricocheted and accidentally hit bassist Butch Owens in the chest. Owens survived.

He shot a BASSIST! Maybe an accident, but still.....this is TalkBass. I admit to having a poor opinion of a person who shoots one of us.

naw, Jerry's got a built-in excuse, Owens had a pre-existing condition, insanity, he hung out with The Killer and ricocheting bullets was just one of the many things endangering that bassist's life.

 

[ardgedee]

RIP dude who married his 13 year old cousin.

Legally.

Still disgusting AF.

He found an older woman to pretend to be his bride-to-be while securing the marriage license in Mississippi for his wedding in Louisiana. Also, he was still married to his previous wife at the time, so he was a bigamist too. He got away with it but that wasn't because it was legal.

He was a great musician but not a good person.

 

[grimjim]

I didn't know he was still alive. Honestly, I don't know if I should praise him for being an Icon, or despise him for being a pedophile. We all have our demons I guess.

 

[Wood and Wire]

Lewis fired a .357 Magnum at a coke bottle in his bedroom. The bullet ricocheted and accidentally hit bassist Butch Owens in the chest.

And that's why they don't sell Coke in glass bottles anymore.



(ideal 42nd birthday present)

 

[bobyoung53]

He found an older woman to pretend to be his bride-to-be while securing the marriage license in Mississippi for his wedding in Louisiana. Also, he was still married to his previous wife at the time, so he was a bigamist too. He got away with it but that wasn't because it was legal.

He was a great musician but not a good person.

That is BS, I have never seen that written anywhere. Whether you agree with what he did or not or think he was a bad person, that is your opinion nothing else, he married her in Mississippi which was legal, those were different times and he had no problems here but it caused an uproar in England and just about ruined his career, it DID completely ruin his rock n roll career. The man is dead why don't you let him die in peace, he never did anything to you and it was legal when he did it, in fact it was common in the South. The man paid over and over again. Many rock stars have done this, Ted Nugent had to adopt a 17 year old in Hawaii to get out of being arrested for transporting a minor. Don Henley got arrested for have two girls, 16 and 17 in his room. This goes on and on.

 

[bobyoung53]

Saw him on a double bill with Fats Domino around 1985. He played mostly country, but when he did rock out, it was great. (I met Fats afterwards, but not Jerry).

RIP Jerry Lee

That could have been the same time I saw him although I thought it was the early 90's, but they were touring together, unless they did that often?

 

[ardgedee]

That is BS, I have never seen that written anywhere. Whether you agree with what he did or not or think he was a bad person, that is your opinion nothing else, he married her in Mississippi which was legal, those were different times and he had no problems here but it caused an uproar in England and just about ruined his career, it DID completely ruin his rock n roll career. The man is dead why don't you let him die in peace, he never did anything to you and it was legal when he did it, in fact it was common in the South. The man paid over and over again. Many rock stars have done this, Ted Nugent had to adopt a 17 year old in Hawaii to get out of being arrested for transporting a minor. Don Henley got arrested for have two girls, 16 and 17 in his room. This goes on and on.

Source and citation: "Jerry Lee Lewis was an SOB Right to the End" by Bill Wyman (the author, not the musician).

So by you it's immoral but it's OK as long as you're famous enough. Cool.

 

[bobyoung53]

Source and citation: "Jerry Lee Lewis was an SOB Right to the End" by Bill Wyman (the author, not the musician).

So by you it's immoral but it's OK as long as you're famous enough. Cool.

I have no opinion on whether it was immoral and don't really care either, it was 60 years ago and was commonplace in the Southern part of the United States. I'm not God, I don't judge.

But I think you need to read it again, it says nothing of him substituting an older woman for her when he married her. He married an older woman before his divorce from her was final.

:On December 12, 1957, Jerry married his third cousin, Myra Gale Brown. A lot of ink has been spilled about his close blood relationship with Myra, and the fact that she was only 13 and still believed in Santa Claus when the pair were married. For a man from his time and place, however, marrying at 13 and marrying one's third cousin (twice removed) were both fairly commonplace, although Lewis further complicated matters by again marrying before the divorce from his second wife was final."