Is there an early rock & roller who has a crazier reputation than
the Killer, Jerry Lee Lewis? His exploits as a piano-thumping
egocentric wild man with an unquenchable thirst for living have become
the fodder for numerous biographies, film documentaries, and a
full-length Hollywood movie. Certainly few other artists came to the
party with more ego and talent than he and lived to tell the tale. And
certainly even fewer could successfully channel that energy into their
music and prosper doing it as well as Jerry Lee. When he broke on the
national scene in 1957 with his classic "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On,"
he was every parents' worst nightmare perfectly realized: a long,
blonde-haired Southerner who played the piano and sang with
uncontrolled fury and abandon, while simultaneously reveling in his own
sexuality.
He was rock & roll's first great wild man and also rock
& roll's first great eclectic. Ignoring all manner of musical
boundaries is something that has not only allowed his music to have
wide variety, but to survive the fads and fashions as well. Whether
singing a melancholy country ballad, a lowdown blues, or a blazing
rocker, Lewis' wholesale commitment to the moment brings forth
performances that are totally grounded in his personality and all
singularly of one piece. Like the recordings of Hank Williams, Louis Armstrong, and few others, Jerry Lee's early recorded work is one of the most amazing collections of American music in existence.