Lewis, Jerry Lee (1935—)
Self-taught pianist and singer Jerry Lee Lewis is an original artist who, along with Elvis Presley, personifies the popular cultural ethosof the 1950s when rock 'n' roll emerged and rose to popularity, but forged his own unique and uninhibited style within the genre. A pianist and vocal stylist since the age of nine, Lewis began playing professionally at the age of 15 and rapidly developed into a consummate showman, enjoying a commercially successful career punctuated with a long spell of disfavor arising from the conduct of his personal life. His songs have made both the pop and country singles charts, and his rise to stardom from his humble beginnings is a tribute to his creativity, tenacity, and originality.
Born on September 29, 1935 in the Northern Louisiana town of Ferriday, Lewis grew up in grinding poverty, the son of subsistence farmer Elmo Lewis, whose meager living depended on the price of cotton. The family switched from the Baptist denomination to the Assembly of God Church, where the young Jerry Lee sang. He and his cousin, later the notorious evangelist Jimmy Lee Swaggart, would sneak into Haney Big House in the so-called "colored" section of town and listen to the blues men play.
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