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Rock ‘n' roll star Jerry Lee Lewis died Friday morning at the age of 87 years old, according to The Associated Press. Lewis died at home in Memphis, Tennessee.
This comes just days after TMZ was forced to walk back a premature report of Lewis' death. Wednesday, TMZ reported that Lewis had passed, only it wasn't true. The site quickly took down the original story and published the retraction.
Unfortunately, Lewis then did actually die on Friday, marking the end of a life full of both success and personal drama that nearly destroyed his career.
Jerry Lee Lewis was born on September 29, 1935, in Ferriday, Louisiana. He began playing the piano at a young age, with his parents even mortgaging their farm to buy him one. His career took off in the 1950s, and he became most known for “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.”
Many saw Lewis as an heir apparent to Elvis Presley, but he dealt with numerous scandals in his personal life. The media learned he was married to 13-year-old Myra Gale Brown, his cousin, while he was still married to his previous wife. This got his tour canceled and blacklisted him, crushing his earnings. He also dealt with drug and alcohol abuse, legal problems and numerous marital issues, with two of his seven wives dying early.
Lewis wound up returning to the music scene as a country singer in the 1960s to help reignite his career. He won three Grammys and recorded songs with a number of other stars in the industry.
It was quite the roller-coaster ride of a career and life for Jerry Lee Lewis. RIP.
