Rock 'n' roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis dead at 87

Pioneering rock 'n' roll star Jerry Lee Lewis died Friday at his home in Missouri, his publicist announced. Lewis was 87.
The publicist, Zach Farnum, gave no cause of death, but The New York Times notes Lewis "had been in poor heath for some time." His seventh wife, Judith, was with him when he died, per CNN.
Known for hits like "Great Balls of Fire" and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On", Lewis "was one of the leading figures of the 1950s rock era and a master showman – nicknamed 'The Killer' – whose raw, uninhibited performances drove young fans into spasmodic fits," CNN writes.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But scandal derailed his success in 1958, when it was revealed he had married his 13-year-old first cousin, Myra Gale Brown. He was 22 at the time.
His image tarnished, Lewis later "reinvented himself" as a country artist and successfully "revived his career," CNN reports. In 1989, Dennis Quaid starred as Lewis in the biopic Great Balls of Fire!.
Like many before him, Lewis also struggled with drug and alcohol abuse, having once drunkenly crashed his car into the gates of Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion while carrying a loaded gun.
Lewis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2022. He is survived by his wife, Judith, four of his children, his sister, and a number of grandchilden, per the Times.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
Tash Aw picks his favourite books
The Week Recommends From Baldwin to Chekhov, the Malaysian writer shares his top picks
By The Week UK Published
-
Properties of the week: flats and houses in university towns
The Week Recommends Featuring homes in York, Durham and Bath
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: February 21, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box office
Speed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published