The wild man of rock’n’roll and country music passed away at age 87.
Looks like there will be a lot less shakin’ going on in this old world. Jerry Lee Lewis, the original wild man of rock’n’roll and country music, has passed at age 87. Ironically, his death was prematurely announced just a few days ago in sloppily resourced media accounts. This time, however, the sad news has been confirmed by his publicist: The artist known as The Killer joined such iconic contemporaries as Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry and Carl Perkins in the heavenly choir on Friday. “He is ready to leave,” his wife Judith said, just before his death. “He said he was ready to be with Jesus.”
This is neither the time nor the place to catalogue the many controversies associated with Lewis during his singularly eventful life. Rather, as is our custom here at C&I, we choose not to mourn a death, but to celebrate a life.
Goodness, gracious! Let’s remember his music!
Great Balls of Fire
Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On
Breathless
Middle Age Crazy
Another Time, Another Place
She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye
You Win Again
Chantilly Lace
Would You Take Another Chance On Me?
The Old Rugged Cross
Photography: Sean Gowdy