BORN:
September 29, 1935, Ferriday, LA
Not the killer, Jerry Lee Lewis but the piano-thumping egocentric
wild man with an unquenchable thirst for living. He broke on the national
scene in 1957 with his classic "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On,"
he was every parents' worst nightmare, a long, blonde-haired Southerner
who played the piano and sang with uncontrolled fury and abandon, while
simultaneously revelling in his own sexuality. He was rock & roll's
first great wild man and also rock & roll's first great eclectic.
Ignoring all manner of musical boundaries is something that has not only
allowed his music to have wide variety, but to survive the fads and
fashions as well. Whether singing a melancholy country ballad, a low
down
blues or a blazing rocker, Lewis' wholesale commitment to the moment
brings forth performances that are totally grounded in his personality
and all singularly of one piece. Like the recordings of Hank Williams,
Louis Armstrong and few others, Jerry Lee's early recorded work is one
of the most amazing collections of American music in existence.
Jerry
Lee Lewis
Tom Jones once said that: " Great Balls of Fire " is the Best Rock & Roll Recording Ever!
GBOF, featured in the films Jamboree [1957] American Hot Wax [1978], Stand By Me [1986] and Great Balls of Fire [1989]
