Person in history
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis, American singer-songwriter and pianist (born 1935)
Life at a glance
- Died
- 2022 · October 28
Their story
Who they were
Jerry Lee Lewis was an American country music and rock and roll pianist, singer, and songwriter. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock 'n' roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis made his first recordings in 1952 at Cosimo Matassa's J&M Studio in New Orleans, Louisiana, and early recordings in 1956 at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee. He later became known for his chart topping country music recordings from the 1960s and 1970s.
Early life
Early life and education Jerry Lee Lewis was born on September 29, 1935, to Elmo Kidd Lewis Sr. and Mary "Mamie" Herron Lewis in Ferriday, Louisiana . He grew up in an impoverished farming family in Eastern Louisiana. In his youth, he began playing the piano with two of his cousins, Mickey Gilley (later a popular country music singer) and Jimmy Swaggart (later a popular televangelist). His parents mortgaged their farm to buy him a piano. Lewis was influenced by a piano-playing older cousin,
Path and career
Career J&M Studio Lewis made his first recordings in 1952 at Cosimo Matassa's J&M Recording Studio in New Orleans, Louisiana. He covered Lefty Frizzell 's "Don't Stay Away (Till Love Grows Cold)" and his own instrumental composition "Jerry's Boogie" ( a.k.a. "New Orleans Boogie"). [ 1 ] Sun Records Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee , where Lewis began his career and recorded many of his most famous singles Sun Records artist Ray Harris singing "Greenback Dollar",
Why this date
Jerry Lee Lewis appears on our October 28 calendar for 2022 as a death entry.
Sources
Cite this page
“Jerry Lee Lewis”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/people/jerry-lee-lewis, accessed October 25, 2026.
Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.
Questions about Jerry Lee Lewis
When did Jerry Lee Lewis die?
October 28 2022.
Who else was born on this day?
The date page lists everyone we hold for that calendar day.
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