Jerry Lee Lewis

Roland

Jerry Lee Lewis dies aged 87 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-63433999

GoFish

He got older, they remained the same age...

DrCornelius

This will be an interesting thread. He was ‘divisive’ to say the least - no doubting his talent though

EricTheWeary

He was reported as dead yesterday which was then later denied. This seems to be on a bunch of news outlets now so I guess it's legit. 
Certainly one of the greats of early rock and roll. Also pioneered rock stars making dubious personal choices, or to give him the benefit of the doubt what seemed normal from his background seemed abnormal to others. 

bertie

GoFish said:

He got older, they remained the same age...

I got it if no-one else did,  when I say "got it"   I wasnt related so..................

Philly_Q

Honestly I know very little about him, other than his early hits and some lurid stuff about his private life.

It feels like he's only really famous for things he did 60 years ago, but he probably released dozens of albums I'm just not aware of.

Caffeine_Vampire

Best gig I ever saw was Jerry Lee at Butlins of all places. This was I the 90's and I was front row for an afternoon and evening gig. His talent was just a wonder to behold. 

bertie

Jerry Lee Lewis dead ?

goodness gracious

RocknRollDave

Yet another entry in Dave’s “Oh, I thought they were already dead…?” files.

Teetonetal

I read his biography a few years ago, had a very hard upbringing and some of his dubious choices were a little bit shaped by his background.

Kittyfrisk

Jerry Lee Lewis was probably a deeply flawed human being, who was also a huge seminal influence in the development of what became 'Rock & Roll' & influenced many artists who followed.
I thought this was supposed to be a tribute thread for someone that has died, I'm not seeing so much of that here other than some poor attempts at snide remarks.
RIP "The Killer".

ICBM

The last of the early rock 'n' roll greats. Undoubtedly a legend in music.

I've always been unsure what to think about his 'other side' - I don't condone it, but where he came from, legal at the time and culturally fairly normal... although obviously very dodgy by any other modern measure. Should he be judged by our standards, or those of his time and place? Difficult question - but he was not an abuser in the way (eg) Gary Glitter was. It's probably worth remembering that Priscilla Presley was only 14 when Elvis met her too, although they didn't marry until she was 21.

Anyway, I'm willing to separate the man from the music in this case, I feel it's (just) the right side of the line.

RIP. Rock 'n' roll is dead, long live rock 'n' roll.

lustycourtier

Philly_Q said:

Honestly I know very little about him, other than his early hits and some lurid stuff about his private life.

It feels like he's only really famous for things he did 60 years ago, but he probably released dozens of albums I'm just not aware of.

Oh no, he murdered 2 people in the 70s as well 

Philly_Q

lustycourtier said:

Philly_Q said:

Honestly I know very little about him, other than his early hits and some lurid stuff about his private life.

It feels like he's only really famous for things he did 60 years ago, but he probably released dozens of albums I'm just not aware of.

Oh no, he murdered 2 people in the 70s as well 

I didn't believe you, but I did have to go and check.

ICBM

lustycourtier said:

he murdered 2 people in the 70s as well 

Allegedly - the 80s, If you mean his two wives. The first drowned in a friend’s swimming pool when they were separated and he wasn’t there, so pretty unlikely he did it. The second is possibly more credible, she died from a drug overdose. I think it would have been investigated though.

Still a thoroughly nasty man, from the accounts of domestic abuse and violence, but probably not a murderer.

GoFish

Yep, the cousin stuff was just the tip of the iceberg thgou it did raise eybrows even at the time. All the early rock n'rollers seemed to be "outsized personalities" wth some  "deviant traits". Buddy Holly being the exception who basically invented normcore.

Sure JLL was notorious in his day, but Little Richard would have been considered the most decadent at the time, just for being born gay. Elvis was totally unremarked upon. We all know about Chuck's hard edged idiosynchracies, but Ike Turner was way further towards the "flawed, angry person". They all had tough upbringings.  Attitudes towards age exploitation have shifted, but there's never been an excuse for violent controlling behaviour towards your partner. Grea Balls of fire was a cracking song and performance and the art stands alone where possible, but I'm sorry that his death elicits little sympathy from me.

Remember the Dennis Quaid Biopic?

markguitarblaze

It seems likely that it won't just be his great balls that will be on fire where he's going. Sad reflection of how the ability to generate money for people or to entertain them makes them willing to overlook anything untoward.

usedtobe

I don’t think many of our heroes would stand up to close scrutiny… 

RocknRollDave

usedtobe said:

I don’t think many of our heroes would stand up to close scrutiny… 

Depends who your heroes are, I guess.
 I wouldn’t want to have been around Prince or Jimmy Page on a bad day, but I’m fairly sure Charlie Burchill and Warren Haynes have very little to hide.

rlw

An innovator and a rock 'n roll God.  So he had a few issues.

RIP Jerry.

GoFish

Maybe he'll find the peace he never had in life. He was the last of the original wave and probably the final link between us and 1955.