Talk:Jerry Lee Lewis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is within the scope of WikiProject Biography. For more information, visit the project page.
B This article has been rated as B-Class on the project's quality scale. [FAQ]
This article is supported by WikiProject Musicians, an attempt to build a comprehensive and detailed biographical guide to musicians and musical groups on Wikipedia.
Photo request It is requested that a picture or pictures of this person be included in this article to improve its quality.

Note: Wikipedia's non-free content use policy almost never permits the use of non-free images (such as promotional photos, press photos, screenshots, book covers and similar) to merely show what a living person looks like. Efforts should be made to take a free licensed photo during a public appearance, or obtaining a free content release of an existing photo instead.

Contents

[edit] discography

the discography does not list his albums before his 1958 album. anyone know them? --Sp0 18:33, 30 November 2007 (UTC)


were there any? rock & roll wasn't an albums musical style prior to the beatles. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.125.110.223 (talk) 21:42, 4 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] American hit single between 1958 and 1968

Lewis' version of "What'd I Say" was a medium sized US hit in 1962. This was his only American hit single between 1958 and 1968.

[edit] Bible School

I updated the portion which read "fundamentalist bible school" to the actual school which he attended. ~ thespunk

[edit] Being kicked out of school

I added a part to the paragraph where it talks about Jerry being expelled from school. This story has been related to me several times by my pastor, Pearry Green. Thought it was an interesting part to 'the rest of the story'. The part follows.

  • Pearry Green (then president of the student body) related how during a talent show Jerry played some "worldly" music. The next morning the dean of the school called both Jerry and Pearry into his office to expell them both. Jerry then said that Pearry sholdn't be expelled because "he didn't know what I was going to do." Years later Pearry asked Jerry "Are you still playing the devils music?" Jerry replied "Yes, I am. But you know it's strange, the same music that they kicked me out of school for is the same kind of music they play in their churches today. The difference is, I know I am playing for the devil and they don't."

Strawberry Island 21:50, 15 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Current Address

I updated Jerry's current address from "Booneville, Mississippi" to "Nesbit, Mississippi." I live near his ranch, and I've been there several times. I've got the pictures to prove it! But just in case you don't believe me, go to http://members.tripod.com/~Jerry9/Nesbit.htm Carrielowery 04:09, 11 December 2005 (UTC)carrielowery

Umm He lives near booneville. He has a ranch in nesbit but lives in a house in the country outside of booneville.


As I recall, Jerry Lee was not nicknamed "Killer" for his "forceful voice and piano production on stage." He was nicknamed "Killer" because his wives had a disturbing habit of turning up dead.

Lewis has had the nickname "Killer" since the 50s, long prior to the trend the previous poster refers to. --Roisterer 09:45, 19 January 2006 (UTC)

VANDALISM

Stop posting that his nickname was "the pedo". Logged Jan. 27, 2006.

From what I've read, a young Jerry Lee called everyone "Killer" in jest - in fact you can hear him call say "pick it killer" in some live recordings to his guitarist in the 70s - and the name was turned back on him. TuckerResearch 21:19, 24 July 2006 (UTC)

As I understand it, he was nicknamed "the killer" because he "killed" any artist coming on stage after him. So over-the-top was he that whoever had to follow him was dead. This was the result of his "forceful voice and piano production on stage" an explanation which by itself does nothing to explain the nickname. It's common for musicians to talk about performances in terms such as "I'm gonna kill"

[Jerry Lee told reminisced about story of how the nickname came about whilst in an interview. Simply it started out with Jerry and child hood friend used to call each other killer and it spread from there onwards. As for him being named after his wives mysterious deaths,that is false it was simply fitting at the time, he had already been refered to as the killer before their deaths.Killer is also a nickname he gives to other people, rumoured that at times Jerry couldn't remember someone's name he would refer to them as 'Killer' -- Bec]

[edit] cousin or second cousin

Second cousins, btw, are the children of first cousins. Or, your parents' cousins' kids are your second cousins. Your children and your sceond cousins' offspring would be 3rd cousins, and so forth24.131.12.228 19:38, 18 November 2006 (UTC)

Myra Gale is the daughter of Lewis's cousin, which I think makes her a second cousin but certianly not a first cousin. --Roisterer 07:18, 5 February 2006 (UTC)
That would make her a cousin "once removed". – Hattrem 13:07, 23 February 2006 (UTC)
First cousin once removed. Correcting it now. Nik42 06:41, 25 September 2006 (UTC)

If Myra Gale Brown wrote the book that inspired Great Balls of Fire, and Myra was his 3rd wife, why does it say that "The film was based on the book by Lewis' first ex-wife"?

Lewis was actually still married to his second wife at the time of his marriage to Myra, and possibly his first as well. I don't know exactly how the whole thing sorted out. Maybe Myra divorced him before his first two wives did? Not sure.

THE COUSIN THING - The reference to Myra and JLL's cousinhood status keeps getting changed. Myra Gale Brown was JLL's first cousin once-removed. From Nick Tosches, Hellfire, p. 107: "These cousins [JW Brown and JLL] had never met. JW (his parents had given him no Christian name, only these two lone letters) was one of the four children born to Elmo's sister Jane and her husband Henry [Elmo was JLL's father, thus Henry and Jane Brown are his aunt and uncle and JW his first cousin]. He was ten years older than Jerry Lee, and he lived in suburban Memphis with his wife, Clara Lois, and their two children, Rusty, who was not quite two, and Myra Gale [JLL's future wife, thus his first cousin once removed], who had just turned twelve the previous July." If you need pictoral proof of the relationship, please look at Wikipedia's own cousin chart at the cousin articleCousin Chart. So people, please stop chainging the cousin thing! TuckerResearch 18:58, 25 September 2006 (UTC)

What you wrote made no sence. Sardonicone 16:42, 11 April 2007 (UTC)Second cousins, btw, are the children of first cousins...

What the person wrote makes sense to me. Read the cousin chart that the person posted. They are first cousins once removed, according to England based terminology. I wonder if there is much biological or genetic differences between first cousins once removed children of first cousins and first cousins once removed children of grand aunts. --Sp0 18:57, 30 November 2007 (UTC)

I made changes to this sentence for clarity only. It was getting awkwardly long, and the phrase "also happened to be" sounds overly dramatic out of place in an encyclopedia. It reads cleaner as two sentences and the meaning is left unchanged.wanderingstan (talk) 00:32, 26 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Although he toured and played many sold-out concerts, he never regained the heights of success he had prior to the 1958 scandal

This sentance is gives a misimpression. He had about 20 top ten hits after he started concentrating on the Country market. This portion of the article needs some major revision.

Adam Holland 23:49, 17 March 2006 (UTC)Adam I love the killer too, but if you take the actual up to 1958 was the best time the killer had and he achieved only moderate success after that time. If he had continued at his Top 10 level of hit making, history would need to be rewritten and that is not taking away his great Country contributions.. My back up sources are Billboard US and BillBoard UK Go Jerry Lee - Gerry Thomas (Aust)

[edit] New stuff, table, country stardom

Hi all, I changed the rather long list of hits into a table, adding some info and music. If anyone has access to a copy of Whitburn's book, see if more can be added. I seem to recall a song called "Lost Love Letters," or "I'll Sail My Ship Alone" being a top 100 hit in the late 50s or early 1960s. Also, could someone check on the UK Pop numbers? I also agree that the country section needs to be added to. If I have a chance, I'll try and do it eventually, as Jerry Lee Lewis had quite a prolific and interesting country music career. (For instance, his 70s appearance on the Grand Ole Opry - he was asked never to return.) TuckerResearch 19:33, 29 May 2006 (UTC)

Does someone want to CLEAN UP THIS ARTICLE? It is a bit sloppy in places. Some later career stuff should be put in his heyday and stuff like that. Also, anybody find SOME BETTER PICTURES? TuckerResearch 19:04, 25 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Still Alive?

it's good that the guy is still alive,but it's really weird actually.he was always alcoholic and lifeburner.drugs too.but long live jerry lee lewis.you are 70.i think that you live 100 years.

[edit] Duet with Elvis impersonator

I have a few songs recorded by Jerry Lee with an Elvis impersonator, Who is this impersonator? and what album where they released on?

You may be thinking of the album "Duets" with Charlie Rich. --Roisterer 08:18, 3 April 2007 (UTC)

I believe that Elvis impersonator is called "Orion." -- Luke —Preceding unsigned comment added by Missclawdy (talk • contribs) 07:41, 26 April 2008 (UTC)

who would have guessed? i have great respect for people still keeping true to what they once set out and still living "which is rare in rock and roll" Markthemac 03:29, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Better photographs

Anyone thought about getting some better photographs for this page? TuckerResearch 21:16, 24 July 2006 (UTC)

The Rolling Stone magazine once baldly accused Jerry Lee Lewis of murdering his wife. Is there anyone out there who remember which issue it was in. ?? Phuckit 07:49, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

The Rolling Stone magazine once baldly accused Jerry Lee Lewis of murdering his wife. Is there anyone out there who remember which issue it was in. ?? Phuckit 07:51, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

Does any out there have information about old rolling stone magazines with articles about Jerry Lee Lewis. ??

Does any out there have information about old rolling stone magazines with articles about Jerry Lee Lewis. ??

I'd like to read about Jerry Lee Lewis in the Rolling Stone magazine —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.125.110.223 (talk) 21:45, 4 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] First Marraige?

"He married Jane Mitcham, his second wife, 23 days before his divorce from his first wife was final." This is the first mentioning of being married to anyone yet it's his second wife. Did he not have a first marraige when he was 16 years old? Perhaps we should include something about that. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by JustinInSpace (talk • contribs) 14:28, 16 May 2007 (UTC).

[edit] WIFE KILLER ??

An old rolling stone article claimed he killed one if not two of his wives. Any who knows anything about it please share your information and perhaps we can get it included in this article. I don't remember what year and month it was. Also any other stories or sources might help. Pickles macfarland 11:10, 26 May 2007 (UTC)

More to the point, four of his six marriages (as of his 2004 divorce, according to [1]) are unmentioned in the article. I'm no Lewis expert, but that's a striking omission considering the length of the article. Calbaer 05:35, 5 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Fair use rationale for Image:JerryLeeLewisBookcover.jpg

Image:JerryLeeLewisBookcover.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.BetacommandBot 07:19, 5 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Fair use rationale for Image:Jerry-Lee-LewisAlbumcover.jpg

Image:Jerry-Lee-LewisAlbumcover.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.BetacommandBot 07:19, 5 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Citations & References

See Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref(erences/)> tags Nhl4hamilton (talk) 04:41, 1 February 2008 (UTC)