Jerry Lee Lewis
The Survivor

When this page was first written there were arguably two of the original rock and roll musicians extant. One was Richard Wayne Penniman - better known as Little Richard - and the other was Jerry Lee Lewis - better known as Jerry Lee Lewis. There is, though, an update to this information - with new art - if you just click here.

Although it's true that the early rock stars could put on wild and crazy performances, arguably none were wilder or crazier than Jerry's. What gave the extra oomph to his craziness was his choice of instrument - the piano. Sure, there's lots of keyboard players - a lot of rock groups have one - but of the early rock and rollers having the "leader" of the group playing piano was rare. You had Jerry, Fats Domino, and Ray Charles - although many conoisseuers say that Ray was not rock and roll but rhythm and blues. In fact, Fats himself said that his music was R&B even though other people called it rock and roll.

When Jerry really got into a song, he would go into a frenzy - his initially well-coiffured and wavey hair becoming strewed and waving in the breeze - kicking aside the piano stool, pounding the keys with his fingers, fists, elbows, and feet. Naturally the kids would go wild too.

Still for all the angst Jerry Lee caused 's parents, it's instructive to listen to Jerry Lee's playing of "Roll Over, Beethoven" and that of Leon Russell. Normally thought of as a rather laid back performer, Leon would sit at the piano and play. But you really can't say the music of either was wilder or crazier than the other.

But just who is this "Beethoven"?

References

"1966 Vs. 1971: When 'Rock 'n' Roll' Became 'Rock,' And What We Lost", Michaelangelo Matos, NPR, September 22, 2016.