ROCK and Roll icon Jerry Lee Lewis has died at 87.
Lewis, recognized globally for igniting his piano in flames as he rocked out to his hit song Great Balls of Fire, died on Friday at his home in Memphis, Tennessee, the singer’s team said in a statement.
“Lewis, perhaps the last true, great icon of the birth of rock ‘n’ roll, whose marriage of blues, gospel, country, honky-tonk and raw, pounding stage performances so threatened a young Elvis Presley that it made him cry, has died,” the statement read.
A cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
Lewis was the last survivor of a generation of groundbreaking performers that included Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Little Richard.
The Rock & Roll pioneer’s death comes two days after TMZ erroneously reported that Lewis had died on Wednesday.
Nicknamed The Killer, Lewis was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on October 16.
Lewis had his share of health battles in the years leading up to his death.
In 2019, he suffered a stroke but made a full recovery.
His sister, Linda Gail Lewis, share on Facebook this week that her brother was “going thru a hard time”.
“Please pray for my dear brother, he’s going thru a hard time and needs our prayers and positive thoughts right now. Thank you so much,” Linda wrote.
In the days leading up to his Country Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony but was unable to attend due to being sick with the flu.
His wife, Judith Brown, accepted the honor in his place and reassured fans that Lewis was “alive and well”.
At the time, Lewis apologized for not being able to attend the show.
“It is with heartfelt sadness and disappointment that I write to you today from my sick bed rather than be able to share my thoughts in person,” he said.
“I tried everything I could to build up the strength to come today – I’ve looked so forward to it since I found out about it earlier this year.
“My sincerest apologies to all of you for missing this fine event, but I hope to see you all soon.”
Considered one of the first true rock ‘n’ roll musicians, Lewis rose to fame with his first big hit, Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On, in 1957.
He earned the nickname The Killer for his ability to knock out audiences and even lit his piano on fire to close out a show.
Born in Ferriday, Louisiana, Lewis taught himself to play piano at age nine.
His father mortgaged the family farm to buy Lewis his first piano a year later and when he was 14, he had his first public performance at a local car dealership.
Lewis quit school to focus on music and signed with Sun Studios in 1956 in Memphis. He was known to play with Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash before releasing his first single.
His second single was Great Balls of Fire, which was released in December 1957 and became a staple in pop culture.
He was portrayed by actor Dennis Quaid in the film Great Balls of Fire about his life.
In 1986, Jerry Lewis was inducted into the first class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, honoring his long career.
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