Jerry Lee Lewis 1935-2022
Hail, Hail the King of Rock 'n' Roll
Dallas Morning News 1992
by Michael Corcoran
Jerry Lee Lewis is the king of rock 'n' roll. His chief competitors for the crown are Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Angus Young and Johnny Rotten. "The Killer' beats them all, hands down.
Rock 'n' roll has nothing to do with popularity, or Elvis would be the king. Innovation counts for little, or Chuck Berry would sit on the throne. Lyrics mean as much to rock 'n' roll as a side of coleslaw to a big, juicy hamburger. Rock 'n' roll is a question that asks "How hard can you jam?' That's why Jerry Lee Lewis, who appears Saturday at Billy Bob's, is the king. He's the hardest. Specifically, this is why he beats the competition. Jerry Lee Lewis:
* Recorded “Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On” and “Great Balls of Fire,” the first two punk rock anthems. (Scratch Johnny Rotten from the contenders).
* Once showed up drunk, waving a gun, at the gates of Graceland, demanding to see Elvis. Elvis called the cops and hid under the covers. (Elvis drops out).
* Nearly ruined his career in 1959 when it was discovered he had married his 13-year-old first cousin. It was the 23-year-old Lewis' third marriage, with his first taking place when he was 14. (Cut Fats Domino and Angus Young).
* Switched to country music, whose fans tend to be more tolerant of cousins marrying.
* Survived being played by Dennis Quaid in the movies.
* Is scheduled to arrive at Fort Worth's Meacham Field airport at 10 p.m. Saturday for his 10:30 show. His flight out is at midnight. (Bye, bye Springsteen).
* Is still exciting in concert. (Scratch Chuck Berry and Bob Dylan).
* Ain't never made no Taco Bell commercial. (See ya, Little Richard).
That leaves Jerry Lee Lewis. Surfing the moat between sin and salvation, Jerry Lee is the king because he embodies all that is sinister and exciting about this thing called rock 'n' roll. He shakes your nerves and he rattles your brains with raw intensity. Nobody has ever caused such wondrous mayhem while sitting down.
To balance all that ruckus, Jerry Lee Lewis is probably the most all-round talented musician ever to play rock 'n' roll. Listening to Jerry Lee is like riding in a convertible with someone you trust who drives real fast and doesn't slow down on curves. It could be dangerous if it weren't so much fun.
Nobody ever made ebony and ivory pump together like Jerry Lee. During the hip-hop era, it has become vogue for rappers to blast vintage white rockers as thieves of black music. Public Enemy even called Elvis a racist on “Fight the Power.” Haven't heard anyone call Jerry Lee a blues-robber, though. All you'd have to do is put on “High School Confidential” or “Breathless,” and any rhyming detractors would look foolish. End of argument.
Jerry Lee was undeniably influenced by black rhythm and blues musicians, but then he sang with his soul on fire to make it his own. With Jerry Lee, you get the feeling that if black musicians didn't already do it, he would've invented rock 'n' roll.
Every great white rock artist of the '50s has a story about sneaking over to the black side of town and peeking into the window of some barn where the blues were grinding thick and salty. Jerry Lee Lewis sounds like he didn't have far to go to find that barn. He arrived there by the same route as those inside: through the church.
The blues had a baby they named rock 'n' roll, but before that, gospel had a kid named the blues. As a member of the Assembly of God church back home in Ferriday, La., young Jerry Lee tapped into the emotions of blind faith. He sang of temptation and redemption with a lusty growl, as if they were one and the same. The churchgoing wildman has posed an interesting contradiction between booze and the Bible, promiscuity and pennance, the piano stool and the pew. Through it all, Jerry Lee has achieved the highest status of a rocker: the right to be a creep.
He's so good it doesn't matter that he's been an uncouth jerk at times. Hank Williams got away with it, so did Phil Spector, but Elvis Costello didn't. You don't expect someone as cool as Jerry Lee to also be sweet and gracious. He doesn't have time for that, man, he just wants to jam. He wants to rock your world and get paid for it. He's 56 years old, but he's still Jerry Lee Lewis.
If anyone has ever lived to blow complacency all over the walls, it's the man they call "the Killer.' His noon beats Elvis' midnight.
In 1986, Jerry Lee Lewis -- who never had a No. 1 pop single -- was the first inductee to the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.
Loved this article! In March 1979, JLL had a sold out show in Houston at the Texas Opry House where I worked. My memory is a little fuzzy, I forget whether he was booked for two nights or one, but I know that he missed the first night, and ticket holders were either refunded or told to come back on the second night. The second night, he was too messed up to walk on stage, so security carried him out and dropped him on the piano bench. He performed, but not in the way patrons expected. Complaints were numerous, and Marvin Zindler of Chicken Ranch fame got involved. I forget the outcome, but not that night! A ticket to the show is in my collection.
Great take, and in real time. No one rocked like The Killer. They were all Creeps. I say so what.