Jerry Lee Lewis 1935 - 2022

 

The news arrived that Jerry Lee Lewis died at the age of 87 today. He was a bigamist when he was 18. With 22 a world star, a year later a persona non grata. After he became well known during a tour in England that his third wife, Myra Gale Brown, was his cousin and just 13 years old, the world turned away from him. Before that she had willingly received his songs like "Whole Lotta Shakin 'Going On," "Great Balls of Fire," "Breathless" or "High School Confidential." These were lustful manifestos in the dress of the rock 'n' roll conquering the world, whose craziest tailor he was: Jerry Lee Lewis, whom they called the killer. One of the first to live rock'n'roll and who hasn't cared about anything (and I'm sure I'm not going to call everything he's done good). One of the great ones from the early days of music has left us.

Rest well Killer

Wild Wild Wild

From time to time I take a walk back into the very old days of Rock 'n' Roll and Rockabilly and sometimes I find something new in a very old style. This happened when I listened to Robbie Fulks and Linda Gail Lewis. And the name is program - she's the youngest sister of crazy Jerry Lee Lewis who gave us the most intensive rock performances in the early 60's. Fulks produced a nowaday interpretation of rollicking piano style to her voice. Even if it is based on country or R 'n' R these songs are able to take you back to decades long gone by.

Twanging Tuesday # 98

When we talk about twangy guitars I have to name Jerry Lee Lewis as well, even he played piano. Raised in Louisiana with bible, gospel and boogie woogie he went to Memphis as a young man and soon was signed by Sun records. He made some early Rock 'n' Roll standards for Sun and turned into Country years later. What made him comparable to the Rockabilly stars was his weird live performances. Aggressive piano playing combined with a mean physical presence made him famous. This is a footage I found from the late 50s where you can imagine how great his show was.

Twanging Tuesday # 46

Jimmy Patton was born in 1931 on a farm in Oklahoma, moved with his family in 1943, however, to Springfield, Oregon. In this time Patton began to be interested in music and took every opportunity was, to sing and to play. He had first a job as a rodeo rider, had to give up this, however, in 1953, after he had broken the arm. Although he was, actually, a Country singer, he joined in this time to the trend Elvis Presley and the Rockabilly. He wasn't very successful and turned away from Rockabilly to play his country tunes again. His legacy is a song which could be a standard if he had the airplay. This song has all the ingredients of these times: a Rockabilly guitar, a piano that could be played by Jerry Lee Lewis and vocals that are similar to Little Richard.

Jimmy Patton - Yah, I'm Moving

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