Entertainment
Sir Elton John and Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood lead tributes to Jerry Lee Lewis after death aged 87: ‘What a man’-Rachael O'Connor-Entertainment – Metro
Fans and friends have flocked to pay tribute.
Tributes have been paid to musician Jerry Lee Lewis (Picture: Getty )
Rolling Stones legend Ronnie Wood and Sir Elton John have led tributes to Jerry Lee Lewis after the musician’s death aged 87.
The country music star died this week at his home in Memphis, his publicist confirmed in a statement on Thursday, following inaccurate reports that he had died earlier this week.
Fans and friends of the Great Balls of Fire singer have now flooded social media with tributes, with Rolling Stones guitarist Wood sharing a series of photos of him in his honour.
Taking to Twitter, Wood wrote: ‘R.I.P. JLL the Killer- What a man.’
Meanwhile, Sir Elton remembered Lewis’ ‘trailblazing inspiration,’ having previously cited Lewis as an influence for his love of the piano.
Sharing a photo of them together on his Instagram, he wrote: ‘Without Jerry Lee Lewis, I wouldn’t have become who I am today.
Jerry Lee Lewis died this week from natural causes (Picture: Archive Photos)
‘He was groundbreaking and exciting, and he pulverised the piano.
‘A brilliant singer too. Thank you for your trailblazing inspiration and all the rock ‘n’ roll memories.’
Beatles drummer Ringo Starr joined in the tributes, adding: ‘God bless Jerry lee Lewis peace and love to all his family Ringo,’ sharing a photo of himself alongside the tribute.
The Country Music Association shared their sadness at his death, ‘who was just inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame this month.’
They said: ‘We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.’
Fellow musician Jeff Scott Soto wrote: ‘RIP to the true R&R pioneer, legend and outrageous Rock Star, Jerry Lee Lewis!!’
DJ Tony Blackburn added: ‘Jerry Lee Lewis has passed away, he was a great showman and gave us some great songs. R.I.P,’ while music publicist Eric Alper called him ‘the great. The wildest. The one that changed rock and roll.’
UK boxing legend Frank Bruno shared childhood memories of the singer, recalling: ‘As a child I tried “RocknRoll dancing” and “Goodness gracious Great Balls of Fire” was all I remember of that great song.’
Lewis’ publicist, Zach Farnum, confirmed on Thursday that the musician had died.
He described him as ‘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.’
Farnum added: ‘He was there at the beginning, with Elvis, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Carl Perkins, Fats Domino, Buddy Holly, and the rest, and watched them fade away one by one till it was him alone to bear witness, and sing of the birth of rock ‘n’ roll.’
The musician had been a staple of country and rock and roll for decades (Picture: Getty Images)
Lewis first found fame in the 1950s (Picture: Bettmann Archive)
Lewis shot to fame in the 1950s with his smash hit Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On, followed by the iconic Great Balls of Fire and Breathless.
He called himself The Killer, and was once described as a ‘one-man stampede’ after chairs were thrown at him during a 1957 performance.
The singer said of himself at the time: ‘There was rockabilly. There was Elvis [Presley]. But there was no pure rock ‘n’ roll before Jerry Lee Lewis kicked in the door.’
Despite his success as a musician, the Louisiana-born singer’s life was embroiled in controversy and scandal.
While he toured in England, the press discovered he was married to his 13-year-old cousin, Myra Gale Brown, while Lewis was 22.
Lewis with his wife and cousin, 13-year-old Myra Browne (Picture: Bettmann Archive)
Their marriage lasted from 1958 until 1970, and the couple had two children together – Phoebe and Steve.
As a result of the marriage, Lewis cancelled his tour and he was blacklisted from the radio.
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Speaking to the Wall Street Journal in 2014, he said: ‘I probably would have rearranged my life a little bit different, but I never did hide anything from people. I just went on with my life as usual.’
However, he went on to reinvent himself and rebuild his public image, proceeding to win three Grammys and also record with stars such as Mick Jagger.
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