Jerry Lee Lewis is still alive, despite reports to the contrary, says a spokesperson
The rock and roll star Jerry Lee Lewis did not die on Wednesday as reported by TMZ. The news source claimed it had been given a hoax tip.
The 87-year-old musician is recognized for hits like “The Killer” and “Great Balls of Fire” earning him the moniker “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.”
“Please pray for my dear brother, he’s going thru a hard time and needs our prayers and positive thoughts right now. Thank you so much,” wrote his sister on Tuesday on Facebook.
Lewis’s death was revealed ten days after his fake induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. His doctor strongly suggested that he skip the Nashville ceremony.
Two other giants of country music, Hank Williams Jr. and Kris Kristofferson, showed up to accept the prize in his stead.
The reaction of the fans was typical of those who had been duped by fake news in the
“Rest In Peace to the great Jerry Lee Lewis, one of the founders of Rock N Roll. All of the early pioneers of the genre including Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Carl Perkins, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe are gone now. However, there was a time when they walked the Earth like giants,” Lou Brutus had tweeted
Lewis, a native of Louisiana, was exposed to country music from a young age. He said he first took up the piano when he was 9 years old.
The four Grammys he won included two Hall of Fame awards and a Lifetime Achievement award. In the first year of eligibility, 1986, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
However, the scandal surrounding his marriage to his 13-year-old cousin Myra nearly ended his career.