The last originator of rock passes

Jerry Lee Lewis has passed away at the age of 87. His publicist confirms the news on Friday (Oct 28th), days after TMZ erroneously reported the news earlier in the week and retracting it a short time later. Judith, his seventh wife, was by his side when he passed away at his home in Desoto County, Mississippi, south of Memphis. He told her, in his final days, that he welcomed the hereafter, and that he was not afraid.

Services and more information will be announced in the following days. In lieu of flowers, the Lewis family requests donations be made in Jerry Lee Lewis’ honor to the Arthritis Foundation or MusiCares – the non-profit foundation of the Grammys/National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

Lewis is also survived by his children Jerry Lee Lewis III, Ronnie Lewis, Pheobe Lewis and Lori Lancaster, sister Linda Gail Lewis, cousin Jimmy Swaggart and many grandchildren, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Elmo and Mamie Lewis, sons Steve Allen Lewis and Jerry Lee Lewis Jr., his siblings Elmo Lewis Jr. and Frankie Jean Lewis and his cousin Mickey Gilley.

He suffered through the last years of his life from various illnesses and injuries that, his physicians have often said, should have taken him decades ago. He had abused his body so thoroughly as a young man he was given little chance of lasting through middle age, let alone old age.

“He is ready to leave,” his wife Judith said, just before his death.

“Jerry Lee’s indelible mark as a rock & roller in no way obscures his impact as one of the greatest country singers of all time,” says Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “He was the ultimate stylist, taking songs to places they could never have gone without his unique voice and soul. Known as ‘The Killer,’ in reality he was a reviver, resurrecting music and emotions. The country records he made with producer Jerry Kennedy will never be replicated or surpassed, and we were honored to recently welcome him into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Among the greatest of artists, he was, as his friend Kris Kristofferson put it, ‘a table-thumpin’ smash.’”

“One of my most vivid memories of Jerry Lee was in 1997, when he was a guest on Monday Night Concerts at the Ryman. Ricky Skaggs and Brian Setzer joined Jerry Lee for a set that started with the classic ‘Great Balls of Fire’ and ended with a stirring rendition of ‘The Old Rugged Cross,'” shares Country Music Association CEO Sarah Trahern. “A true force of nature, it was amazing to be able to witness Jerry perform in person that night. As one of the most talented musicians and entertainers of our time, it warms my heart to know that he got the chance to accept his rightful place in the hallowed hall as a member of the newest class of Country Music Hall of Fame inductees just a few weeks ago. My deepest condolences go out to Jerry Lee’s family and friends during this time.”

Throughout his extraordinary career, Lewis, also known as “The Killer” for the way he knocked out his audiences, mastered a unique, piano-driven sound all his own. He placed 28 Top 10 Billboard country singles across four decades, including hits, “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lot of Shakin’ Going On,” both of which have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Lewis was also the first person inducted into the first class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. The Recording Academy honored Lewis with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005 and earlier this month, he was formally inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame Class of 2022 alongside Joe Galante and Keith Whitley. Lewis was unable to attend due to his health.