So Long, Jerry Lee

[Mister Moon]

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/28/arts/music/jerry-lee-lewis-dead.html

[HillbillyCat]

A few days ago it was exposed as a false report, now sadly it has happened for real. R.I.P. Jerry Lee Lewis!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW3GgSXtESk

[John]

Oh hell. This really is the end of the road.

I guess we've all expected this for a while, particularly the last few days. Why on earth did it take them so long to induct him into into the Country Music Hall of Fame?

I had the pleasure of seeing him at the Wembley Country Music Festival back in 1981. I was right at the back of the arena. Jerry started singing rock 'n' roll and a lot of the audience left in disgust, and I was able to move up near the front. It was fantastic, but to add to the excitement he brought Carl Perkins on to the stage.

R.I.P. Jerry Lee Lewis.

Neg 212.jpg

[Colin B]

R.I.P. Jerry Lee Lewis

Saw him in 1964 at The Hippodrome theatre in Brighton.

The Jerry Lee Lewis Show - 1964001.jpg

The Jerry Lee Lewis Show - 1964003.jpg

The Jerry Lee Lewis Show - 1964002.jpg

Surely the last of the original rockers to leave us !

[Mister Moon]

Jerry Lee was a true rockin' GIANT. I mean, there were many remarkable artists in early rock and roll, but if you had to explain to some visiting Martian what rock and roll was all about, musically and everything, you could just mention Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Jerry Lee Lewis. It really didn't get any better than that. Those were the four ESSENTIAL names. Period.

There goes my last alive musical hero. I saw him in concert on April 17, 1985 - by the way, that was the date of the 25th. anniversary of Eddie Cochran's death. That night, Jerry Lee was backed by James Burton, Kenny Lovelace, Bob Moore, and Buddy Harman. Sensational band. Unfortunately, he was not in a performing mood, to put it mildly, and he gave us a very brief and uninspired show. It was, at the same time, a frustrating and a memorable experience. Hey, we had seen The Killer, The Pumpin' Piano Cat, The Meat Man, in the flesh, and that didn't happen every day.

I never saw him again. A few years later, there was that pathetic biopic, and he visited our city again, but I refused to go. There was so much fake hype around his name, and I chose to just stay home, probably playing some of his platters.

I once knew a really cool young lady who really dug rock and roll, and did not like tattoos at all. She once told me, the only thing I would like to see tattooed on my skin would be a Jerry Lee signature. Have Jerry Lee sign upon my arm, and have the signature tattooed. She later became my wife and, as far as I can tell, she has no Jerry Lee signature anywhere upon her skin.

Thanks a million, Jerry, for everything. You sure leave us whole lotta inspirational stuff to dwell upon.

Jerry Lee Myra 1958.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mkm1hHHtz3o

[Colin B]

Jerry Lee was a true rockin' GIANT.
I mean, there were many remarkable artists in early rock and roll, but if you had to explain to some visiting Martian what rock and roll was all about, musically and everything, you could just mention Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Littke Richard, and Jerry Lee Lewis.
It really didn't get any better than that.
Those were the four ESSENTIAL names.
Period...

Can't argue with your four names, but I think Bill Haley would be number five !

In the UK, it was Bill's songs which introduced us to rock 'n' roll !

Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran & most of the UK lot were kinda simply Elvis spin-offs...

[John]

And in the Daily Mail - "He was touted as a potential successor to Elvis after 'the King' was drafted to serve in the Korean War".

[John]

Jerry Lee was a true rockin' GIANT.
I mean, there were many remarkable artists in early rock and roll, but if you had to explain to some visiting Martian what rock and roll was all about, musically and everything, you could just mention Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Littke Richard, and Jerry Lee Lewis.
It really didn't get any better than that.
Those were the four ESSENTIAL names.
Period...

Can't argue with your four names, but I think Bill Haley would be number five !

In the UK, it was Bill's songs which introduced us to rock 'n' roll !

Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran & most of the UK lot were kinda simply Elvis spin-offs...

I've never considered Bill Haley to be rock 'n' roll. He had a decent band behind him, but he was just a country singer with very little of the true rock 'n' roll spirit in him.

Mister Moon is right. The ones he's named had that magic, original feel for rock 'n' roll.

[Private Presley]

R.I.P. Jerry Lee!

https://youtu.be/7C8Fd-4VjSI

[Colin B]

I've never considered Bill Haley to be rock 'n' roll.
He had a decent band behind him, but he was just a country singer with very little of the true rock 'n' roll spirit in him.

Mister Moon is right. The ones he's named had that magic, original feel for rock 'n' roll.

For a short while in the UK, before Elvis burst on the scene, Bill Haley was rock 'n' roll !

I remember actually dancing in the aisle at the showing of the Rock Around The Clock film.

Listening to his stuff now, it hasn't lasted well, but the history can't be re-written...

[John]

I've never considered Bill Haley to be rock 'n' roll.
He had a decent band behind him, but he was just a country singer with very little of the true rock 'n' roll spirit in him.

Mister Moon is right. The ones he's named had that magic, original feel for rock 'n' roll.

For a short while in the UK, before Elvis burst on the scene, Bill Haley was rock 'n' roll !

I remember actually dancing in the aisle at the showing of the Rock Around The Clock film.

Listening to his stuff now, it hasn't lasted well, but the history can't be re-written...

I know what happened, and dancing in the aisle doesn't make Bill Haley rock 'n' roll. As I said, he had a great band, and they could have backed anyone, and you could have called it rock 'n' roll. Haley himself was not by any stretch on the imagination anything close to rock 'n' roll. He was a country singer with a rocking band. If you listen to the band without Bill, they were rock 'n' roll, he wasn't.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPdmpOoQoHg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu-WDcWU088
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP8OYg_3anQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul22mBkkKww

[Colin B]

I know what happened, and dancing in the aisle doesn't make Bill Haley rock 'n' roll.
As I said, he had a great band, and they could have backed anyone, and you could have called it rock 'n' roll.
Haley himself was not by any stretch on the imagination anything close to rock 'n' roll.
He was a country singer with a rocking band.
If you listen to the band without Bill, they were rock 'n' roll, he wasn't.

When I mentioned 'Bill Haley' it was shorthand for whole group: 'Bill Haley & His Comets' rather than just their lead singer.

It was the music they produced which was our introduction to rock 'n' roll in the UK.

[Jesswade]

A chill when I heard the news. Great piano player and showman. And GREAT singer. Saw him live during last man standing tour. I thought my god is he going to be able to play as he shuffled on stage. He was old. And then he started playing. And it was good, he told the audience that a couple of times. Lol. Rest in peace killer. So long.

[Colin B]

A chill when I heard the news. Great piano player and showman. And GREAT singer. Saw him live during last man standing tour. I thought my god is he going to be able to play as he shuffled on stage. He was old. And then he started playing. And it was good, he told the audience that a couple of times. Lol. Rest in peace killer. So long.

He was still in his twenties when I saw him & his piano playing sounded even better live than on his records !

[Mister Moon]

A chill when I heard the news. Great piano player and showman. And GREAT singer. Saw him live during last man standing tour. I thought my god is he going to be able to play as he shuffled on stage. He was old. And then he started playing. And it was good, he told the audience that a couple of times. Lol. Rest in peace killer. So long.

He was still in his twenties when I saw him & his piano playing sounded even better live than on his records !

I guess what you witnessed in November 1964 must have been very close to what we hear on the "Live at the Star-Club" LP, recorded April 1964, right ? Awesome.

Do you remember which was the backing band ?