name	Chris Isaak
background	solo_singer
birth name	Christopher Joseph Isaak
birth date	June 26, 1956
Birth place	Stockton, California
instrument	Vocals, guitar
genre	Rock n' roll, roots rock, rockabilly, surf rock
occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician, actor, talk show host
years active	1984–present
label	Warner Bros. Records
website	www.chrisisaak.com
notable instruments	}}

Christopher Joseph "Chris" Isaak (born June 26, 1956) is an American rock musician and occasional actor.

Early life[link]

Isaak was born in Stockton, California, at St. Joseph's Medical Center, the son of Dorothy (née Vignolo), a potato chip factory worker, and Joe Isaak (1929-2012), a forklift driver. Isaak's mother is Italian American, originating from Genoa. His father is German American.

Career[link]

Music[link]

Isaak signed a contract to Warner Bros. Records in 1984 for his first album ''Silvertone''. The tracks "Gone Ridin'" and "Livin' for Your Lover", from this album, were featured in David Lynch's cult classic ''Blue Velvet''. Isaak's second self-titled album ''Chris Isaak'' was photographed by fashion photographer Bruce Weber. Isaak's contract was renewed in 1988 when Warner Bros. moved him to their Reprise Records label. His best-known song is "Wicked Game." Though released on the 1989 album ''Heart Shaped World,'' an instrumental version of the song was later featured in the 1990 David Lynch film ''Wild at Heart''. Lee Chesnut, an Atlanta radio station music director who was obsessed with Lynch films, began playing the vocal version and it quickly became the station's most-requested song. Chesnut spread the word to other radio stations around the country and the single became a national Top 10 hit in February 1991. The music video for the song was directed by Herb Ritts and was a big MTV and VH1 hit; shot in black and white, it starred Isaak and Danish supermodel Helena Christensen rolling on the beach, embracing and whispering in each other's ears. Another less-seen version of the "Wicked Game" is directed by David Lynch and comprises scenes from the film ''Wild at Heart''. "Wicked Game" also featured as the backing music in the 2001 TV advert for the Jaguar X-Type range of cars in the UK. In 1995 Isaak split with long time guitarist James Calvin Wilsey, and that year's ''Forever Blue'' and the accompanying tour featured Hershel Yatovitz on guitar.

In 1999, Isaak's "Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing" was featured in Stanley Kubrick's final film, ''Eyes Wide Shut,'' starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. The song is on his 1995 album ''Forever Blue''. The music video for the song is directed by Herb Ritts, it was shot in color, it starred Isaak and French supermodel Laetitia Casta in a motel room. This was Isaak's second collaboration with Ritts.

Isaak also composed a theme song for U.S. late-night television variety/talk show, ''The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn.'' In 2001, Isaak starred in his own television show, ''The Chris Isaak Show.'' It aired from March 2001 to March 2004 in the United States on the cable television network Showtime. This adult comedy show featured Chris Isaak and his band playing themselves and the episode plots were based on fictional accounts of the backstage world of Chris Isaak—the rock star next door. In 2004, his track "Life Will Go On" was featured on ''Chasing Liberty'''s soundtrack, which starred Mandy Moore and Matthew Goode. His track "Two Hearts" was featured in the closing credits of the 1993 film ''True Romance'', directed by Tony Scott, written by Quentin Tarantino, and starring Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette.

Isaak's longtime producer, Erik Jacobsen, was instrumental in his sound for 15 years. Jacobsen is known for his production work with The Lovin' Spoonful, and solo albums from Spoonful's John Sebastian and Jerry Yester. Isaak ceased working with Jacobsen on his 2002 album, ''Always Got Tonight''. In 2007 Isaak opened for Stevie Nicks on her Crystal Visions Tour during the first leg of the tour.

Isaak was ranked #68 on VH1's 100 Sexiest Artists.

In 2006, he was guested by Johnny Hallyday to cover Fats Domino's hit Blueberry Hill. The duet was recorded and issued on Johnny Hallyday's live album La Cigale (2007, Warner Music). At the end of this record you can hear Chris Isaak thanking the French Rock'n'Roll star as "The King".

Isaak collaborated with John Shanks for his 2009 album ''Mr. Lucky''.

He contributed a cover of Buddy Holly's "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" for the tribute album, ''Listen to Me: Buddy Holly'', released September 6, 2011.

Isaak recently released an album called ''Beyond the Sun'', which was recorded in Memphis, Tennessee at the Sun Records studio.

Guitars[link]

Isaak revealed in a 2002 interview with ''Acoustic Guitar'' that he uses a one-of-a-kind Gibson: ''}}'' Isaak also plays a Gibson J-200 acoustic guitar, which he uses for songwriting.

Acting and other work[link]

Isaak has also appeared in numerous films, mostly playing minor cameo roles, though he starred with Keanu Reeves and Bridget Fonda in the 1993 Bernardo Bertolucci-directed ''Little Buddha,'' and also played a major role in David Lynch's ''Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me'' (1992). Other motion pictures include ''Married to the Mob'' (1988), ''The Silence of the Lambs'' (1991), ''That Thing You Do!'' (1996), and ''A Dirty Shame'' (2004).

Isaak starred in ''The Chris Isaak Show'' (2001–2004) playing himself and featuring actual members of his band along with numerous celebrity guests. He also guest-starred on the "The One After the Superbowl, Part One", the Super Bowl XXX edition of the television sitcom ''Friends''; and on the HBO miniseries, ''From the Earth to the Moon'', as astronaut Ed White, the first American astronaut to leave the confines of his spacecraft who later died in the Apollo 1 fire.

The Biography Channel aired ''The Chris Isaak Hour'', a one-hour music interview and performance show in 2009. The series premiere featured Trisha Yearwood, and included the first ever performance of "Breaking Apart", a duet from Isaak's new album, ''Mr. Lucky''. Additional guests included Stevie Nicks, Smashing Pumpkins, Chicago, Glen Campbell, Michael Bublé, Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens), and Jewel.

In April, 2010, Isaak was the special guest during Conan O'Brien's The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour performance at the Nob Hill Masonic Center in San Francisco, California.

Discography[link]

''Silvertone'' (1985)

''Chris Isaak'' (1986)

''Heart Shaped World'' (1989)

''Wicked Game'' (1991)

''San Francisco Days'' (1993)

''Forever Blue'' (1995)

''Baja Sessions'' (1996)

''Speak of the Devil'' (1998)

''Always Got Tonight'' (2002)

''Christmas'' (2004)

''Best of Chris Isaak'' (2006)

''Live in Australia'' (2008)

''Mr. Lucky'' (2009)

''Live at the Fillmore'' (2010)

''Beyond the Sun'' (2011)

Filmography[link]

''Married to the Mob''...The Clown (1988)

''The Silence of the Lambs''...SWAT Commander (1991)

''Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me''...Special Agent Chester Desmond (1992)

''Little Buddha''...Dean Conrad (1993)

''Grace of My Heart''...Matthew Lewis (1996)

''That Thing You Do!''...Uncle Bob (1996)

''Blue Ridge Fall''...Emerson Cotswold (1999)

''A Dirty Shame''...Vaughn Stickles (2004)

''The Informers''...Les Price (2009)

Television[link]

''Wiseguy''...Berated lounge singer (Season ?, Episode ?, 1987)

''Friends''...Rob Donnen (Season 2, Episode 12, 1996) The One After the Superbowl

''From the Earth to the Moon''...Astronaut Edward White II (1998)

''The Greatest''...Himself (50 Sexiest Video Moments, 2003)

''Ed''...Jamie Decker (Season 3, Episode 20, 2003) Second Chances

''The Greatest''...Himself/Host (100 Greatest Videos, 2003)

''The Chris Isaak Show''...Himself (2001–2004)

''American Dreams''...Roy Orbison (Season 2, Episode 14, 2004) Old Enough to Fight

''The Footy Show (rugby league)''...Himself (Grand Final, 2004)

''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson''...Michael Caine in Space (Season 2, Episode 177, 2006)

''Great Performances Jerry Lee Lewis: Last Man Standing Live''...Himself (2007)

''Australian Idol''...Himself (Season 6, 9–10 November 2008)

''The Chris Isaak Hour''...Himself/Host (2009–Present)

''Conan'' ...Himself (Episode 192, 4 January 2012)

References[link]

External links[link]

Chris Isaak.com, official site of Chris Isaak

Chris Isaak at Recordnet.com: Page with stories, multimedia and more about Chris Isaak from The Record in Stockon, CA, Isaak's hometown.

Chris Isaak Concert History

Category:1956 births Category:American actors Category:American male singers Category:American singer-songwriters Category:Actors from California Category:Musicians from California Category:American people of Italian descent Category:American people of German descent Category:Living people Category:People from Stockton, California Category:University of the Pacific (United States) alumni Category:Warner Bros. Records artists

da:Chris Isaak de:Chris Isaak es:Chris Isaak eu:Chris Isaak fa:کریس آیزک fr:Chris Isaak gl:Chris Isaak is:Chris Isaak it:Chris Isaak nl:Chris Isaak ja:クリス・アイザック pl:Chris Isaak pt:Chris Isaak ro:Chris Isaak ru:Айзек, Крис fi:Chris Isaak sv:Chris Isaak tr:Chris Isaak uk:Кріс Айзек

name	Alan Titchmarsh
birth name	Alan Fred Titchmarsh
birth date	May 02, 1949
birth place	Ilkley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
nationality	British
occupation	Broadcaster, gardener, novelist
television	''Gardeners' World''''Ground Force''''British Isles - A Natural History''''The Nature of Britain''''The Alan Titchmarsh Show''
spouse
children	2
website	www.alantitchmarsh.com }}

Alan Fred Titchmarsh, MBE DL (born 2 May 1949) is an English gardener, broadcaster and novelist. After working as a professional gardener and a gardening journalist, he established himself as a media personality through appearances on gardening programmes. More recently he has developed a diverse writing and broadcasting career.

Early career[link]

Alan Titchmarsh was born in Ilkley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, the son of Bessie (née Hardisty), a textile mill worker, and Alan Titchmarsh, Sr., a plumber. After leaving school aged 15, Titchmarsh went to work as an apprentice gardener with Ilkley Council in 1964, before leaving, in 1968 aged 18, for Shipley Art and Technology Institute (now Shipley College) to study for a City and Guilds in horticulture. Titchmarsh was a close family friend of Tom 'Greenfingers' Kerridge, who went on to become his gardening advisor on shows such as Ground Force.

Titchmarsh went on to study at Hertfordshire College of Agriculture and Horticulture for the National Certificate in Horticulture, before finally moving to the renowned Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to study for a Diploma in Horticulture. After graduating, he stayed on at Kew, being employed as a supervisor and latterly a staff trainer, leaving to pursue a career in gardening journalism in 1974.

Broadcasting[link]

Titchmarsh's first few television appearances were on the long-running BBC television show ''Nationwide'' as a horticulture expert. This led to his being invited to present coverage of the Chelsea Flower Show for BBC television in 1983, something Titchmarsh has now hosted every year up to the present (2011). Titchmarsh also appeared on other BBC shows, such as ''Breakfast Time'' and ''Open Air'', again as either a guest presenter or as a gardening expert, providing commentary and answering viewers' questions.

In 1988, Titchmarsh was offered a slot on BBC Radio 2 hosting a gardening show with Gloria Hunniford called ''House In A Garden''. In 1991 he was brought in to host the long-running ''Pebble Mill at One'' BBC television talk show, which he did until the show was cancelled in 1996. Also in 1991, he presented a 6-part series in which he followed in the footsteps of the pilgrims, travelling around Britain and Ireland in the process.

The cancellation of ''Pebble Mill at One'' in 1996 gave Titchmarsh the opportunity to move back towards his first love, gardening, and he took over as host of another long-running BBC television programme, ''Gardeners' World'' in the same year, the show being filmed in his own garden. In 1997, he took gardening to the masses with a popular BBC One television series, ''Ground Force'', in which he and fellow presenters Charlie Dimmock and Tommy Walsh would perform a makeover on a garden, Titchmarsh making full use of his horticultural skills when restocking the lucky gardens featured. The show has travelled as far as the United States and South Africa, where one episode saw the ''Ground Force'' team makeover Nelson Mandela's garden. Staying involved in gardening programmes after ''Gardeners' World'', Titchmarsh has presented two series of ''How To Be A Gardener'', his most recent gardening programme to date.

Away from gardening, Titchmarsh has had spells presenting ''Songs of Praise'', and a series of programmes on BBC Radio 2 in which he played a selection of light classical music, and more recently a BBC nature documentary series, ''British Isles - A Natural History''. In recent years he has done less television and radio and spent more time on his career as a novelist and renewed interest in writing gardening books (see below).

Titchmarsh has also appeared in an advertisement for the Yorkshire Tourist Board in a series which included contributions from other Yorkshire-born celebrities including Brian Blessed, Melanie Brown, Darren Gough and Brian Turner, and occasionally does other voiceover work for advertisements. His recent voiceover work has extended to voicing the title character in ''Gordon the Garden Gnome'', a cartoon series for the CBeebies channel.

Titchmarsh has hosted a follow-up series to ''British Isles - A Natural History'' entitled ''The Nature of Britain'' focusing on British plant and animal species. The series was broadcast in autumn 2007.

Other recent work included hosting a special edition of the ''Antiques Roadshow'', entitled the ''20th Century Roadshow'', which focused on modern collectibles, performing in the Children's Party At The Palace for the Queen's 80th birthday, and being guest host of ''The Paul O'Grady Show'' while O'Grady was off for medical reasons. In January 2006, Titchmarsh was given a permanent slot on BBC Radio 2 on Sunday evenings with the show named "Melodies for you" consisting of light classical and popular music, following the traditional style of Sunday-night broadcasting on Radio 2. He left Radio 2 in August 2011. From January 2012 he will host a Saturday morning show on Classic FM.

From June 2007, he can also be seen hosting ''The Great British Village Show'', in which gardeners and cooks from all over Britain competed to be Britain's best at growing pumpkins, runner beans and tomatoes, and at knitting, baking cakes and making jam.

Titchmarsh began his chat show for ITV, ''The Alan Titchmarsh Show'' in September 2007.

Titchmarsh is currently featured in the in-store audio promotional material for the UK DIY chain B&Q;.

Novelist[link]

In addition to writing around 40 gardening books, Titchmarsh has started writing fiction, and had his first novel, ''Only Dad'', published in November 2001. A further six books have since been published (listed chronologically below). Running parallel to the fiction work, Titchmarsh published a new series of gardening guides, the ''How to Garden'' series (ghost-written), in April 2009. His most recent autobiographical work is ''Nobbut A Lad: A Yorkshire Childhood'' from October 2006, a follow-up to his first autobiography, ''Trowel & Error'', published in 2002. Alan is currently writing ''When I Was A Nipper'', which will be published on 30 September 2010.

Personal life[link]

Titchmarsh, in addition to his extensive television and writing work, is also trustee of his own charity, 'Gardens For Schools', and others, including 'Seeds For Africa'. His own charity helps fund gardens and green spaces in and around schools, while Seeds For Africa encourages sustainable vegetable gardening. The charity provides community groups with the tools, seeds and training they need to start their own vegetable gardens. This includes providing water installation and preparing the land. Away from horticulture, Titchmarsh is involved with the Cowes Inshore Lifeboat, where he is a patron, and with the National Maritime Museum, where he is a trustee.

Titchmarsh was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2000 New Year Honours for services to horticulture and broadcasting, and made a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Hampshire in 2001. In 2004, he was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Victoria Medal Of Honour, the highest award the RHS can bestow. In 2007 he was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Winchester. He was honoured by the City of Westminster at a tree planting and plaque ceremony in April 2011. He served as High Sheriff of the Isle of Wight in 2008.

Titchmarsh has a wax statue at Madame Tussaud's. It was revealed on Series 2, Episode 6 of the TV panel comedy series ''Would I Lie To You?'' that his waxwork had to have its face cleaned twice a week to remove all the lipstick smudges on it.

He has been married to Alison since 1975 and they have two children.

Other projects[link]

As well as his broadcasting and literary projects Titchmarsh has capitalised on his strong brand with retail and merchandise projects. He has launched several of his own product lines including his own range of ‘Alan Titchmarsh’ gardening tools developed in conjunction with tool manufacturer Bulldog Tools. Titchmarsh has also teamed up with Digitalis Media to launch Gardeners' Heaven, the online retail arm of his website. Gardeners’ Heaven supplies Titchmarsh’s own tools as well as other popular gardening products.

List of books[link]

Non-fiction

''Alan Titchmarsh - The Nature of Britain'', BBC Books, 2007 (ISBN 978-0-563-49398-3)

''Alan Titchmarsh - The Gardener's Year'', 2005, (ISBN 0-563-52167-8)

''Alan Titchmarsh's Fill My Stocking'', 2005, (ISBN 0-563-48862-X)

''The Complete How to Be a Gardener'', 2005, (ISBN 0-563-52262-3)

''British Isles'', 2005, (ISBN 0-563-52162-7)

''Nature of Britain'', 2007, (ISBN 0-563-49398-4)

''The Kitchen Gardener - Grow Your Own Fruit & Veg'', 2008, (ISBN 978-1-84607-201-7)

''How to Garden: Gardening in the Shade'', 2009, (ISBN 978-1-84607-395-3)

''How to Garden: Vegetables and Herbs'', 2009, (ISBN 978-1-84607-396-0)

''How to Garden: Container Gardening'', 2009, (ISBN 978-1-84607-399-1)

''How to Garden: Garden Design'', 2009, (ISBN 978-1-84607-397-7)

''How to Garden: Lawns, Paths and Patios'', 2009, (ISBN 978-1-84607-398-4)

''How to Garden: Pruning and Training'', 2009, (ISBN 978-1-84607-400-4)

''How to Garden: Growing Fruit'', 2010, (ISBN 978-1-84607-401-1)

''How to Garden: Flowering Shrubs'', 2010, (ISBN 978-1-84607-402-8)

''How to Garden: Climbers and Wall Shrubs'', 2010, (ISBN 978-1-84607-403-5)

''How to Garden: Greenhouse Gardening'', 2010, (ISBN 978-1-84607-404-2)

''How to Garden: Perennial Garden Plants'', 2010, (ISBN 978-1-84607-911-5)

Biographies

''Trowel and Error'', Hodder & Stoughton 2002 (ISBN 0-340-76542-9)

''Nobbut A Lad : A Yorkshire Childhood'', Hodder & Stoughton 2006 (ISBN 0-340-83117-0)

''Knave of Spades'', Hodder & Stoughton 2009

Fiction Works

''Only Dad'', Simon & Schuster Ltd 2001 (ISBN 0-7434-7846-0)

''The Last Lighthouse Keeper'', Simon & Schuster Ltd 2004 (ISBN 0-7434-7845-2)

''Mr MacGregor'', Simon & Schuster Ltd 2004 (ISBN 0-7434-7847-9)

''Animal Instincts'', Simon & Schuster Ltd 2004 (ISBN 0-7434-7848-7)

''Rosie'', Simon & Schuster Ltd (ISBN 0-7434-3010-7)

''Love and Dr. Devon'', Simon & Schuster Ltd (ISBN 0-7432-0771-8)

''Folly'', Hodder & Stoughton 2008 (ISBN 0-340-93685-1)

References[link]

External links[link]

Official home page

BBC Nature Presenter Biography

''The Alan Titchmarsh Show'' on itv.com

Alan Titchmarsh on Classic FM

Category:1949 births Category:Living people Category:Deputy Lieutenants of Hampshire Category:English television presenters Category:English gardeners Category:English novelists Category:English garden writers Category:English Christians Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire Category:People from Ilkley Category:Victoria Medal of Honour (Horticulture) recipients Category:High Sheriffs of the Isle of Wight

es:Alan Titchmarsh

name	Jerry Lee Lewis
background	solo_singer
landscape	yes
birth name	Jerry Lee Lewis
alias	The Killer
birth date	September 29, 1935
origin	Ferriday, Louisiana, U.S.
instrument	Vocals, piano, guitar
genre	Rock and roll, country, rockabilly, blues, Honky tonk, gospel
occupation	Singer, songwriter, pianist
label	Sun, Mercury, Sire/Warner Bros, MCA
years active	1954–present
website	www.jerryleelewis.com}}

Jerry Lee Lewis (born September 29, 1935) is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. He is known by the nickname "The Killer". An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis had hits in the late 1950s with songs such as "Great Balls of Fire", "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On", "Breathless" and "High School Confidential". However, Lewis' rock 'n' roll career faltered in the wake of his marriage to his young cousin. He had little success in the charts following the scandal until his popularity recovered in the late 1960s after he extended his career to country and western music with songs such as "Another Place, Another Time". More country hits soon followed over the late 1960s and through the 1970s. Lewis's successes continued throughout the decade and he embraced his rock 'n' roll past with songs such as a cover of the Big Bopper's "Chantilly Lace" and "Rockin' My Life Away". In the 21st century Lewis continues to tour to audiences around the world and still releases new albums. One such new album, titled ''Last Man Standing'', is his best selling to date at over a million copies sold worldwide.

Lewis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, and his pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. In 2003, Rolling Stone Magazine listed his box set ''All Killer, No Filler: The Anthology'' number 242 on their list of "500 greatest albums of all time". In 2004, they ranked him number 24 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. His live album ''Live at the Star Club, Hamburg'' is often regarded by many music journalists and fans as one of the wildest and greatest rock and roll concert albums ever. In 2008, he was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.

Lewis is the last surviving member of Sun Records' Million Dollar Quartet and the ''Class of '55'' album, which altogether included Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison and Elvis Presley, as well as Lewis himself.

Early life[link]

Lewis was born to the poor family of Elmo and Mamie Lewis in Ferriday in Concordia Parish in eastern Louisiana, and began playing piano in his youth with two cousins, country music singer Mickey Gilley and TV evangelist Jimmy Swaggart. His parents mortgaged their farm to buy him a piano. Influenced by a piano-playing older cousin, Carl McVoy (who later recorded with Bill Black's Combo), the radio, and the sounds from the black juke joint across the tracks called Haney's Big House. Lewis's main influence growing up was Moon Mullican.

His mother enrolled him in Southwest Bible Institute in Waxahachie, Texas, so that her son would be exclusively singing his evangelical songs. But Lewis daringly played a boogie woogie rendition of "My God Is Real" at a church assembly that sent him packing the same night. Pearry Green, then president of the student body, related how during a talent show Lewis played some "worldly" music. The next morning, the dean of the school called Lewis and Green into his office to expel them. Lewis said that Green should not be expelled because "he didn't know what I was going to do." Years later Green asked Lewis: "Are you still playing the devil's music?" Lewis replied "Yes, I am. But you know it's strange, the same music that they kicked me out of school for is the same kind of music they play in their churches today. The difference is, I know I am playing for the devil and they don't."

After that incident, he went home and started playing at clubs in and around Ferriday and Natchez, Mississippi, becoming part of the burgeoning new rock 'n' roll sound and cutting his first demo recording in 1954. He made a trip to Nashville circa 1955 where he played clubs and attempted to build interest, but was turned down by the Grand Ole Opry as he had been at the Louisiana Hayride country stage and radio show in Shreveport. Recording executives in Nashville suggested he switch to playing a guitar. Lewis traveled to Memphis, Tennessee in November 1956, to audition for Sun Records. Label owner Sam Phillips was in Florida, but producer and engineer Jack Clement recorded Lewis's rendition of Ray Price's "Crazy Arms" and his own composition "End of The Road". During December 1956, Lewis began recording prolifically, as a solo artist and as a session musician for such Sun artists as Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash. His distinctive piano can be heard on many tracks recorded at Sun during late 1956 and early 1957, including Carl Perkins's "Matchbox", "Your True Love", "You Can Do No Wrong", and "Put Your Cat Clothes On", and Billy Lee Riley's "Flyin' Saucers Rock'n'Roll". Formerly, rockabilly had rarely featured piano, but it proved an influential addition and rockabilly artists on other labels also started working with pianists.

On December 4, 1956, Elvis Presley dropped in on Phillips to pay a social visit while Perkins was in the studio cutting new tracks with Lewis backing him on piano. Johnny Cash was also there watching Perkins. The four then started an impromptu jam session, and Phillips left the tape running. These recordings, almost half of which were gospel songs, survived, and have been released on CD under the title ''Million Dollar Quartet''. Tracks also include Elvis Presley's "Don't Be Cruel" and "Paralyzed", Chuck Berry's "Brown Eyed Handsome Man", Pat Boone's "Don't Forbid Me" and Presley doing an impersonation of Jackie Wilson (who was then with Billy Ward and the Dominoes) on "Don't Be Cruel".

Lewis's own singles (on which he was billed as "Jerry Lee Lewis and his Pumping Piano") advanced his career as a soloist during 1957, with hits such as "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and "Great Balls of Fire", his biggest hit, bringing him international fame, despite criticism for the songs' overtly sexual undertones which prompted some radio stations to boycott them. In 2005, "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" was selected for permanent preservation in the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress.

According to several first hand sources, including Johnny Cash, Lewis himself, who was devoutly Christian, was also troubled by the sinful nature of his own material, which he firmly believed was leading himself and his audience to hell. This aspect of Lewis's character was depicted in Waylon Payne's portrayal of Lewis in the 2005 film ''Walk the Line'', based on Cash's autobiographies.

As part of his stage act, Lewis would often kick the piano bench aside and play standing, rake his hands up and down the keyboard for dramatic accent, sit on the keyboard and even stand on top of the instrument. His first TV appearance, in which he demonstrated some of these moves, was on ''The Steve Allen Show'' on July 28, 1957, where he played the song "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On". It is widely believed that he once set fire to a piano at the end of a live performance, in protest of being billed below Chuck Berry. but he is quoted in an online article in Esquire Magazine as saying "I never set fire to a piano. I'd like to have got away with it, though. I pushed a couple of them in the river. They wasn't any good."

His dynamic performance style can be seen in films such as ''High School Confidential'' (he sang the title song from the back of a flatbed truck), and ''Jamboree''. He has been called "rock & roll's first great wild man" and also "rock & roll's first great eclectic". Classical composer Michael Nyman has also cited Lewis's style as the progenitor of his own aesthetic.

Marriage to minor[link]

Lewis's turbulent personal life was hidden from the public until a May 1958 British tour where Ray Berry, a news agency reporter at London's Heathrow Airport (the only journalist present), learned about Lewis's third wife, Myra Gale Brown. She was Lewis's first cousin once removed and was only 13 years old at the time. (Brown, Lewis, and his management all insisted that she was 15). Lewis was 22 years old. The publicity caused an uproar and the tour was canceled after only three concerts.

The scandal followed Lewis home to America, and as a result, he was blacklisted from radio and almost vanished from the music scene. Lewis felt betrayed by numerous people who had been his supporters. Dick Clark dropped him from his shows. Lewis even felt that Sam Phillips had sold him out when the Sun Records boss released "The Return of Jerry Lee", a bogus "interview" cut together by Jack Clement from excerpts of Lewis's songs that "answered" the interview questions, which made light of his marital and publicity problems. Only Alan Freed stayed true to Lewis, playing his records until Freed was removed from the air because of payola allegations.

Lewis was still under contract with Sun Records, and kept recording, regularly releasing singles. He had gone from $10,000 a night concerts to $250 a night spots in beer joints and small clubs. He had few friends at the time whom he felt he could trust. It was only through Kay Martin, the president of Lewis's fan club, T. L. Meade, (aka Franz Douskey) a sometime Memphis musician and friend of Sam Phillips, and Gary Skala, that Lewis went back to record at Sun Records.

By this time, Phillips had built a new state-of-the-art studio at 639 Madison Avenue in Memphis, thus abandoning the old Union Avenue studio where Phillips had recorded B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Lewis, Johnny Cash and others, and also opened a studio in Nashville. It was at the latter studio that Lewis recorded his only major hit during this period, a rendition of Ray Charles' "What'd I Say" in 1961. In Europe other updated versions of "Sweet Little Sixteen" (September 1962 UK) and "Good Golly Miss Molly" (March 1963) entered the Hit Parade. On popular EPs, "Hang Up My Rock and Roll Shoes", "I've Been Twistin'", "Money" and "Hello Josephine" also became turntable hits, especially in nascent discothèques. Another recording of Lewis playing an instrumental boogie arrangement of the Glenn Miller Orchestra favorite "In the Mood", was issued on the Phillips International label under the pseudonym "The Hawk", but disc jockeys quickly figured out the distinctive piano style, and this gambit failed.

Lewis's Sun recording contract ended in 1963 and he joined Smash Records, where he made a number of rock recordings that did not further his career.

His popularity recovered somewhat in Europe, especially in the UK and Germany, during the mid-1960s. A concert album, ''Live at the Star Club, Hamburg'' (1964), recorded with The Nashville Teens, is widely considered one of the greatest live rock and roll albums ever. Music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine writes: "''Live at the Star Club'' is extraordinary, the purest, hardest rock & roll ever committed to record."

Family [link]

Lewis has been married seven times. His first marriage, to Dorothy Barton, lasted for 20 months, from February 1952 to October 1953 (although there is a possibility that Lewis may have married Barton earlier than 1952). In a 1978 ''People'' magazine interview Lewis stated "I was 14 when I first got married. My wife was too old for me; she was 17." His second marriage, to Jane Mitchum, was of dubious validity because it occurred 23 days before his divorce from Barton was final. They were married for four years, from September 1953 to October 1957, and had two children. He then married Myra Gale Brown in December 1957. The couple went through a second marriage ceremony because his divorce from Jane Mitchum was not complete before the first ceremony took place. Lewis and Myra had two children and were divorced in December 1970 after 13 years of marriage. Lewis's fourth marriage was to Jaren Elizabeth Gunn Pate, and ended when she drowned in the swimming pool at their home. They were married for 12 years, from October 1971 to August 1983. His fifth wife was Shawn Stephens. This marriage ended with her death from a methadone overdose. They were married for three months, from June to August 1984. His sixth marriage was to Kerrie McCarver, with whom he had one child. This marriage lasted 20 years and ended in divorce in 2004. On March 9, 2012, Lewis married his seventh wife Judith Brown.

Lewis has had at least four children. Two additional people have claimed to be his children, but they had no proof. In 1962, his son Steve Allen Lewis drowned in a swimming pool accident when he was three, and in 1973, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jr., died at the age of 19 when he overturned the Jeep he was driving. His current living children are a son, Jerry Lee Lewis III, and a daughter, Phoebe Allan Lewis.

Later career[link]

In the 1960s, Lewis's attempts at a comeback as a rock and roll performer had stalled during four years with Smash Records until he began recording country ballads. He had already recorded a country-oriented LP for the label Country Songs for City Folks. In 1968, his single "Another Place, Another Time" became a Top 10 success and led to a string of Top Ten singles including the 1968 number-one country single "To Make Love Sweeter For You" that brought Lewis renewed stardom among country music fans, much like that which ex-rockabilly Conway Twitty began to cultivate during that same time. His shift to country reflected the fact that he had grown up listening to the Grand Ole Opry. Lewis's country hits during this period include "What's Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me)", "She Still Comes Around (To Love What's Left of Me)", "She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye", "Once More With Feeling", "There Must Be More to Love Than This", "Touching Home", "Would You Take Another Chance on Me", "Me & Bobby McGee", "Think About It, Darlin'", "Sometimes a Memory Ain't Enough", and "Tell Tale Signs". Lewis's singles and albums were issued on Mercury records instead of Smash from 1970 on. Lewis's renewed popularity encouraged Sun International Inc. to issue previously unpublished recordings dating from 1963 including "Invitation to Your Party", "One Minute Past Eternity", "I Can't Seem To Say Goodbye" and "Waiting For A Train" on singles that also did well on the country music charts in 1969/70. Lewis's successes continued throughout the decade and he eventually began to re-emphasize his rock and roll past with hits like his 1972 revival of The Big Bopper's rock classic "Chantilly Lace" and "Drinkin' Wine Spo dee-o dee" as well as looking at middle age with the 1977 "Middle Age Crazy". In 1979, he signed with Elektra Records and had his last major country hit with 1981's "Thirty-Nine and Holding". He spent a very brief period with MCA Records in 1983 but left the label due to unspecified differences.

In 1989, a major motion picture based on his early life in rock & roll, ''Great Balls of Fire!'', brought him back into the public eye, especially when he decided to re-record all his songs for the movie soundtrack. The film was based on the book by Lewis's ex-wife, Myra Gale Lewis, and starred Dennis Quaid as Lewis, Winona Ryder as Myra, and Alec Baldwin as Jimmy Swaggart. The movie focuses on Lewis's early career and his relationship with Myra, and ends with the scandal of the late 1950s. A year later, in 1990, Lewis made minor news when a new song he co-wrote called "It Was the Whiskey Talkin' (Not Me)" was included in the soundtrack to the hit movie ''Dick Tracy''. The song is also heard in the movie, playing on a radio.

The public downfall of his cousin, television evangelist Jimmy Swaggart, resulted in more adverse publicity to a troubled family. Swaggart is also a piano player, as is another cousin, country music star Mickey Gilley. All three listened to the same music in their youth, and frequented Haney's Big House, the Ferriday club that featured black blues acts. Lewis and Swaggart have had a complex relationship over the years.

Lewis's sister, Linda Gail Lewis has recorded with Lewis, toured with his stage show for a time and more recently recorded with Van Morrison.

"The Killer", a nickname he has had since childhood, is known for his forceful voice and piano production on stage. He was described by Roy Orbison as the best raw performer in the history of rock and roll music.

In 1986, Lewis was one of the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That year, he returned to Sun Studio in Memphis to team up with Orbison, Cash, and Perkins along with longtime admirers like John Fogerty to create the album ''Class of '55'', a sort of followup to the "Million Dollar Quartet" session, though in the eyes of many critics and fans, lacking the spirit of the old days at Sun.

In 1998 he toured Europe with Chuck Berry and Little Richard. On February 12, 2005, he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by The Recording Academy (which also grants the Grammy Awards). On September 26, 2006, a new album titled ''Last Man Standing'' was released, featuring many of rock and roll's elite as guest stars. Receiving positive reviews, the album charted in four different Billboard charts, including a two week stay at number one on the Indie charts.

A DVD entitled ''Last Man Standing Live'', featuring concert footage with many guest artists, was released in March 2007, and the CD achieved Lewis's 10th official gold disk for selling over half-a-million copies in the US alone. ''Last Man Standing'' is Lewis's biggest selling album of all time. It features contributions from Mick Jagger, Willie Nelson, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards and Rod Stewart, among others.

On November 5, 2007, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, honored Lewis with six days of conferences, interviews, a DVD premiere and film clips, dedicated to him entitled ''The Life And Music of Jerry Lee Lewis''. On November 10, the week culminated with a tribute concert compered by Kris Kristofferson. Lewis was present to accept the American Music Masters Award and closed his own tribute show with a rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".

On February 10, 2008, he appeared with John Fogerty and Little Richard on the 50th Grammy Awards Show, performing "Great Balls of Fire" in a medley with "Good Golly Miss Molly".

Lewis now lives on a ranch in Nesbit, Mississippi with his family.

On June 4, 2008, Lewis was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.

On July 4, 2008, he appeared on ''A Capitol Fourth'' and performed the finale's final act with a medley of "Roll Over Beethoven", "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On" and "Great Balls of Fire".

In October 2008, as part of a very successful European tour, Lewis returned to the UK, almost exactly 50 years after his ill-fated first tour. He appeared at two London shows: a special private show at the 100 Club on October 25 and at the London Forum on October 28 with Wanda Jackson and his sister, Linda Gail Lewis.

2009 marked the sixtieth year since Lewis's first public performance when he performed "“Drinking Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee" at a car dealership on November 19, 1949 in Ferriday Louisiana.

In August 2009, in advance of his new album, a single entitled "Mean Old Man" was released for download. It was written by Kris Kristofferson. An EP featuring this song and four more was also released on amazon.com on November 11.

On October 29, 2009, Lewis opened the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Discography[link]

Hits and awards[link]

Between 1957 and 2006, the date of ''Last Man Standing''s release, 47 singles and 22 albums (''The Session'' counted as 2 albums) made the Top Twenty Pop, Jukebox, Rock, Indie and/or Country charts in the US or the UK. Fourteen reached the number 1 position. He has had ten official gold disks, the latest being for the 2006 album ''Last Man Standing'', plus unofficial ones issued by his record company Mercury for albums which sold over a quarter of a million copies. His 2006 duets CD ''Last Man Standing'' has sold over half a million worldwide, his biggest selling album ever. Lewis is also among the Top 50 all-time Billboard Country artists. It is also rumored that the soundtrack album to the movie ''Great Balls Of Fire'' has now sold over a million copies. The original Sun cut of "Great Balls of Fire" was elected to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998, and Lewis's Sun recording of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On" received this honor in 1999. Only recordings which are at least 25 years old and have left a lasting impression can receive this honor. Along with Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison, Lewis received a Grammy in the spoken word category for the very rare album of interviews released with some early copies of the ''Class of '55'' album in 1986. On February 12, 2005, Lewis received the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award the day before the Recording Academy's main Grammy Awards ceremony, which he also attended. On October 10, 2007, Lewis received the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's American Music Masters Award. His newest album, ''Mean Old Man'', was released in September 2010 and reached No. 30 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

Compositions[link]

Lewis has written or co-written many songs during his career:

"End of the Road", 1956 – this is an original song and not the same as Irving Berlin's song (that inspired it) as the lyrics and melody are totally different apart from the refrain "the way is dark and the night is long" (which Lewis turns around) and "waiting at the end of the road".

"Jerry's Boogie" (a.k.a. "Black Bottom Stomp"), 1956 – was previously recorded as Black Bottom Stomp by Jelly Roll Morton but Lewis's rendition is his own and changes a lot of the old song.

"Lewis Boogie", 1956

"Pumpin' Piano Rock", 1957

"All Night Long", 1957

"High School Confidential", 1958

"Live & Let Live", 1958 – sometimes credited to Lewis, but this actually was recorded by Bill Monroe, Moon Mullican, Gene Sullivan & Wiley Walker, and Jimmie Davis before.

"Memory Of You", 1958

"Hello, Hello Baby", 1958

"Baby, Baby, Bye Bye", 1960

"Lewis Workout", 1960

"Whole Lotta Twistin' Goin' On", 1962 – new lyrics

"He Took It Like A Man", 1963

"Baby, Hold Me Close", 1965

"My Baby Don't Love No One But Me", 1965

"Rockin' Jerry Lee", 1966

"What A Heck Of A Mess", 1966

"Lincoln Limousine", 1966

"Alvin", 1970

"Pilot Baby", 1980s

"Crown Victoria Custom '51, 1995

"New Orleans Boogie" ("Jerry Lee's Boogie"), 1952

"Blues Like Midnight", 1980s–2000s – a 12 bar blues often done by Lewis in concert. It is sometimes entirely based around Jimmie Rodgers verses but not recorded by Rodgers in this form. On other versions, Lewis adds in original verses as well.

Footnotes[link]

References[link]

External links and sources[link]

The Official Jerry Lee Lewis Website

''Rockin' My Life Away'' by Jimmy Guterman, a full online biography

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Jerry Lee Lewis page for his hits, biography.

Listing of all Lewis's Sun Records recordings and alternatives

Selected videos[link]

Whole Lotta Shakin' Going on

Category:1935 births Category:Living people Category:People from Ferriday, Louisiana Category:People from Concordia Parish, Louisiana Category:American country singers Category:American male singers Category:American rock musicians Category:American rock pianists Category:American rock singers Category:American pop singers Category:American pop pianists Category:American singer-songwriters Category:Rockabilly musicians Category:American composers Category:Sun Records artists Category:Sire Records artists Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees‎ Category:Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Category:American Pentecostals Category:People self-identifying as substance abusers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Rockabilly Hall of Fame inductees Category:Mercury Records artists Category:Charly Records artists Category:Smash Records artists Category:Million Dollar Quartet members

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