Jerry Lee Lewis: How ‘the Killer’ keeps rolling

Jerry Lee Lewis reckons he’s lucky to be alive, said Edna Gundersen in USA Today. It’s been more than 50 years since he first jumped up on his piano and put his libidinous stamp on early rock ’n’ roll with tunes like “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,’’ making himself both a star and a pariah. “I’ve done some crazy things,” he says. “I messed up along the way and got what was coming to me.”

One of the crazier things was marrying his 13-year-old first cousin once removed, back in 1958. The scandal nearly ended his career; it didn’t help that his energetic, boogie-woogie style struck many in the South, including his Baptist family, as “devil’s music.” That term still rankles. “I broke loose and spread my wings, but to call it devil’s music was a little harsh,” he says.

Now 75, the musician nicknamed “the Killer” has been married and divorced six times, and has buried two ex-wives and two sons. He lives as a virtual recluse with his daughter and five Chihuahuas in rural Mississippi; he no longer smokes or drinks. “My life is as clean as it can be,” he sighs. “I’m a religious man. I never lost my connection. I just drifted away; you can’t serve two gods. But I’m looking forward to going to heaven. I certainly hope they need a piano player.”

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