Rock ‘n’ roll pioneer and legendary musician Jerry Lee Lewis died Friday at the age of 87.
“Judith, his seventh wife, was by his side when he passed away at his home in Desoto County, Mississippi, south of Memphis,” his representative Zach Farnum said in a statement, according to Variety. “He told her, in his final days, that he welcomed the hereafter, and that he was not afraid.” The iconic star best known for his wild lifestyle and even wilder on-stage performances is being mourned by fans, friends, and loved ones on social media.
JUST IN: Jerry Lee Lewis, rock ‘n’ roll legend, dies at 87 https://t.co/gfzEzQKKwJ pic.twitter.com/i3ScT0tXZb
— New York Post (@nypost) October 28, 2022
“Lewis, perhaps the last true, great icon of the birth of rock ‘n’ roll, whose marriage of blues, gospel, country, honky-tonk and raw, pounding stage performances so threatened a young Elvis Presley that it made him cry, has died,” his team wrote, according to TMZ.
Many considered Lewis to be a born-star. He taught himself to play the piano at the age of 9, and his father mortgaged the family’s farm to attain the means to buy Lewis his first piano at the age of 10.He performed live for the first time in public at the age of 14 and spent the rest of his life entertaining the masses, according to TMZ. (RELATED: Producer Of ‘Schitt’s Creek’ Dead At Age 47)
The “Great Balls of Fire” artist was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and was the 2005 recipient of a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award. He was inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame this year, according to Variety.
His death had erroneously been reported by some outlets Wednesday.
Lewis will forever be remembered for his larger-than-life persona both on and off stage, and by the legacy of hits and accolades he achieved during his long-lasting career in the world of entertainment.