Just going on the record now...before he dies...

[Docreed2003]

"The Killer" has now outlived them all...I've loved his music since I was a kid. He had plenty of faults, as did Chuck Berry and damn near every one of the early Rock pioneers. This isn't an indictment on the man, only an acknowlegment that the guy who lit the world on fire with a piano, rather than a guitar, survives, and I've loved his music for as long as I can remember. I took up piano as a kid in hopes of mimicking his style. From that, I taught myself guitar. My love for music and musical instruments can be traced back to my first exposure to "The Killer".

He is a complex man, highlighted in Rick Bragg's incredible biography. His life has been spent torn between serving God and the calling of his life: "Rock and Roll". That may sound strange to those not born and raised in the south, but I get it. My whole life since a young adult has been a struggle between feeling "called to serve" God and being drawn to my ultimate profession. As for Jerry Lee, I'll leave you with a tease...I had the simultaneous pleasure and displeasure of meeting him as young adult. He is both the most caring and compassionate person you could ever meet, wrapped in the biggest sonofabitch you could imagine. When he's gone, I'll share that story...until then...Let's enjoy some music, shall we??

And the same song in Germany at the Stat Club in 1964.

[Warpy]

1. Down south, you could only hear Jerry Lee Lewis and Screamin' Jay Hawkins and

some of Chuck Berry's wilder stuff only after 1 AM or so when nght DJs would know the station manager was asleep and they could play the stuff they liked, the good stuff. I was awake, AM radio doing interesting things late at night so I could listen to the whole eastern half of the country, the radio under my pillow and my ear to the speaker so it wouldn't disturb the parents.

Nobody hired these guys because they were pious, upright examples of Christian responsibility. We listened to them because the music was great and an antidote to the crap our parents thought was good.

Yeah, he was a jerk in his personal life. He just did stuff with a piano that nobody had ever heard before.

(Yeah, I'm interested in that story, he was a little before my time in the lighting biz)

[Docreed2003]

3. Awesome story...

I know the town where I grew up had a station that played early "rock" after hours and broadcast that music to anyone within range. That station was an icon in its day..

As for my Jerry Lee story, like I said, I promise, after he's gone, I'll share it. It's too personal for me and for him to broadcast it on the internet now...I wouldn't want to betray the trust I built with him at that time.

[Arkansas Granny]

7. Growing up in the midwest, there was only one local station

that played rock and roll and r & b. My older brother listened to it after school and I was hooked.

During my high school years we could tune into the "border blasters" and listen to Wolfman Jack and WLS out of Chicago.

Jerry Lee took a great hit to his career and was banned from many stations after his marriage to his 13 year old cousin. It wasn't common practice, but it wasn't unknown, and was legal at the time. There were a few girls that lived in our rural neighborhood that married before they were 16.

[Warpy]

18. Remember WOWO? Highest powered station in the country

and drowned everything else out at that point on the dial. I hated those bastards.

[msongs]

2. same with Little Richard his live interviews are quite amazing and all over youtube. in some he

totally disavowed his gayness using the old adam and eve not adam and steve trope and in others he was quite content to flame away and enjoy his deliberate flamboyance. had some interesting stories to tell even though they might not be quite factual

Have read lately he is not doing all that well health wise.

[Docreed2003]

10. Great point...

Most of the early rockers had strong church backgrounds and many of them were torn by that heritage. Jerry Lee even spent time in seminary prior to his musical career, of course kicked out because, according to him, he put too much of the devil into his piano playing in church. Arguably, what we know as rock and roll may have had a very different face in not for that gospel influence, fused with the blues and country, etc.

I knew Little Richard had been very ill recently, but he totally lapsed my mind that he was still living. Another absolute legend who left his stamp on R&R. His life has been one of contradictions for sure...it will be interesting to read his true history one day, much like Bragg's book on Lewis.

I've often wondered how different that early rock scene might have been had not Jerry Lee married his second cousin, if Little Richard had not quit for the ministry, if Elvis hadn't left for the army, if early black rockers had received greater notoriety in their day, if Chuck Berry hadn't spent time in prison, and if Buddy Holly and the rest had never gotten on that plane. It's a fruitless endeavor, but when you think of the influence so many of these early icons had, it's hard not to think that the musical landscape could have been quite different at the time of the British Invasion. Arguably, the British Invasion happened because of all of those events! All of the initial British rock bands were heavily influence by American blues and early rock music. Americans were thirsty for that raw musical energy which was severely lacking at that time, not to knock the acts from the early 60's they were just intentionally tamed.

[Mendocino]

4. Little Richard remains,

Fats Domino and Don Everly, but the pioneers are nearly gone. I never thought Jerry Lee would last, sort of the Keith Richards of the early age. But how long before Bob Dylan passes? Paul and Ringo...Brian Wilson?

[Docreed2003]

9. Had forgotten Little Richard was still living as well as Fats Domino

Both are legends in their own right! The passing of the next generation of legends that you mentioned will be an incredibly sad day

[Mendocino]

11. Grace Slick will be 78 this year

Smokey Robinson 77

Clapton, Neil Young, Van Morrison all 72

Joni Mitchell 74 and not in the best of health.

Roger McGuinn 75

What a drag it is getting old.

[Docreed2003]

13. I've had the pleasure of seeing four out of the five in concert...

I'm quite a bit younger than them, but I grew up in a house where music was playing constantly, all types, and my father inundated me with all of the acts you listed in this and the other post. It is a drag getting old, but to turn that around with another quote "To everything, there is a season"...even after death, their influence will live on!

[Mendocino]

15. "Getting old isn't so bad,

when you consider the alternative." Maurice Chevalier

I'm almost 60. This past Sat I went to a memorial service for a classmate. He died of cancer. A few years back my best friend died from excessive drinking and smoking. It really hits home.

[Docreed2003]

16. I'm sure it does...

My wife and I are 39. We've buried several high school friends this year from cancer and with every funeral we look at each other and say "We're too young for this..". As a child you can't imagine time passes quickly, as an adult it passes so quickly you can barely hold on to every moment. I'm sure that will only escalate as we age..

[Mendocino]

17. I can only say,

savor every minute, live it and breath it. I take care of myself, have some good long life genes, hope to make into at least to 90. If the end comes sooner so be it, but I'll enjoy life to the end.

[colorado_ufo]

5. His sister put on a great act, too!

I saw them both in New Orleans in concert, on the bill with Jan & Dean, Johnny Rivers, and more. Johnny closed the concert, and we were dancing in the aisles in that packed auditorium! The people cheered and he just kept on playing - the management couldn't get him to go. They brought the curtain down, and Johnny and the band just kept playing behind the curtain - and we all just kept on dancing.

Great time!!!

[Ken Burch]

6. It might be awhile...I think death's afraid of Jerry Lee.

n/t.

[Docreed2003]

14. Lol...I think you may be right...

Jerry Lee has said multiple times that "He's too damn mean for heaven, and too fucking wild for hell." He's an amazing character, and his persona presented in public is truly who he is in private, at least in my experience. He's one of the few people I've ever met who I wanted to punch in the damn face at the same time I wanted to give them a bear hug.

[CanSocDem]

8. Yes indeed.

And then years later with his life and hair under control:

I even liked his cousin Jimmy Swaggert...until he found the devil.


.

[Docreed2003]

12. It's a damn shame...and a sham

That Jerry Lee isn't in the Country Music Hall of Fame. One could argue his career as a country artist was just as impactful as his rock career. If I had to bet, I imagine he'll get in posthumously, but, because of Nashville politics, probably not in his lifetime.