Jerry Lee Lewis, the rock and roll innovator whose career stumbled after his marriage to his 13-year-old cousin Myra Gale Brown, is dead at the age of 87.. Lewis' passing was announced on Friday, October 28th by his publicist, Zach Farnum of 117 Group. ", Jerry Lee Lewis, rock 'n' roll pioneer and perpetual ball of fire, dies at 87, "It was something that marked Jerry for life," she said. The 1989 biopic "Great Balls of Fire," which starred Dennis Quaid as Lewis and a 17-year-old Winona Ryder as Myra, was based on Williams' first book of the same name. Brown would eventually file for divorce in 1970 citing adultery and abuse as reasons, with her charge adding that she had been "subject to every type of physical and mental abuse imaginable." The pair had two children while they were together, the first when Brown was just 15 years old. However, while Lewis toured in England, the press not only learned of the controversial marriage to Williams, but that the star was still married to his previous wife. His earnings dropped overnight to virtually nothing. Lewis had been married twice before. Hes no longer part of my life. The proud dad welcomed his first son,Jerry Lee Lewis Jr., in 1953. For a man from his time and place, however, marrying at 13 and marrying one's third cousin (twice removed) were both fairly commonplace, although Lewis further complicated matters by again marrying before the divorce from his second wife was final. Robert Fontenot Jr. is an entertainment critic and journalist focusing on classic rock and roll and published nationally for more than 25 years. That memory will never not be funny to me.". It was really the first scandal of rock n roll, Williams told Georgias Gwinnett Daily Post in 2016. (She filed for divorce in 1970, citing allegations of abuse and adultery.). All rights reserved. Lets check, How Rich is C, All You Need To Know About Tamara Hurwitz. Before he knew it, his ticket prices had dropped astronomically, from $10,000 a night to a mere $250. Phoebe is from his third marriage to Myra Gale Brown. Trent Reznor Explains Scalping Controversy, Chow Down on Your Thanksgiving Dinner Playlist, Best Phoenix Concerts This Week: Blu DeTiger, The 1975, Phunk Junkeez, Phoenixs Best Weekend Concerts: Smashing Pumpkins, Janes Addiction, Descendents, The Undefinable Sound of Holy Fawn Blasts Off From Phoenix to a New Dimension, Voters Retain Controversial Maricopa County Judge Who Ruled Against Tempes Shady Park. Jerry Lee Lewis is often tagged The Last Man Standing these days, a reference to his status among the core group of musicians who helped ignite the big bang of rock n roll of the 1950s. Famous People Who Married Their Cousins. JOHNNY CASHS SON, JOHN CARTER CASH, RECALLS LATE SINGERS DEEP DEVOTION TO FAITH: HIS GREATEST LEGACY, Jerry Lee Lewis and Myra Lewis Williams with their newborn son Steve Allen Lewis on Feb. 28, 1959, in Ferriday, Louisiana. Siblings . [13], Shortly after her divorce, Brown married Pete Malito,[14] the detective she had hired to trail Lewis and document his infidelities,[15] and moved to Atlanta, Georgia. He was blacklisted from the radio. In 2016, when William was 78 years old, shes been right here the whole time but she no longer had a relationship with her notorious ex-husband since 2015. He married a 13-year-old, Myra Gale Brown, who later said she was "subject to every type of physical and mental abuse imaginable." He shot his bass player, was a serial adulterer, abused drugs . First, Myra Gale Brown had been just 13 years old when they got married on Dec. 12, 1957. ", Jerry Lee Lewis plays the piano for his 13-year-old bride at the Cafe de Paree. "Ive had a different life here," she said. ", a 1989 biopic of the famous rock 'n' roll musician. Lewis was 22 and Williams was 13, and the press came down hard on him when it was revealed that she was also his second cousin and that Lewis was still married to his second wife, Jane Mitchum, when they wed. Stephanie Nolasco covers entertainment at Foxnews.com. All Rights Reserved. Dad, youre the greatest and I love you!, he captioned the snapshot. Jerry Lee Lewis and Myra Gale Brown shortly after their wedding in December 1957. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! The press in both London and Memphis soon discovered the truth about Myra's age and the date of their wedding, and the response was immediate. Not only were they criticizing her age, they were also pointing out the fact that Jerry Lee Lewis had once again married before his divorce was finalized. I was happy to think I would have a home and a husband and children. Hes no longer part of my life. "Jay" Brown. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. Lewis with Myra Gale Brown. Before Jerry Lee Lewis and Myra Gale Brown divorced in 1970, the couple had two children, one of whom died as a child and the other who manages his career today. However, as Williams predicted, her parents were not thrilled by the union. I could so easily have said, Im J.W. Myra Gale Lewis Williams (ne Brown; born July 11, 1944) is an American author, best known for her controversial marriage at the age of 13 to rock and roll musician Jerry Lee Lewis, who was her first cousin once removed and was 22 at the time.She co-wrote the book Great Balls of Fire: The Uncensored Story of Jerry Lee Lewis (1982), which was adapted into the film Great Balls of Fire! 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. [4] After Lewis finalized his divorce from Mitcham, he remarried Brown on June 4, 1958. . Myra Lewis Williams, also known as Myra Gale Brown, was the third wife of late rock n roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis and more infamously his 13-year-old cousin at the time they got married. If Myra doesnt go, he told them, Im not going.. February 24, 2021 Their fans were heartbroken when they knew they parted ways after an extended period, and it was Lewis, not their first marriage; he had already been married 2,3 times previously. What's More, when Lewis' plane landed in New York, he found the scandal had crossed the ocean with him, cutting short a career that, at its peak, had seemed the only one capable of rivaling Elvis Presley's. But Lewis had a storied private life, and his career took a nosedive in the late 1950s, when he married Myra Gale Brown. The press made me out to be a seductive Lolita, which was as far from the truth as it gets. My 1988 book and the resulting movie, Great Balls of Fire, were just the beginning. I guess I went through like a trial by fire. "But I didnt know. In 1970, Myra Gale Brown filed for divorce from Jerry Lee Lewis on the grounds of adultery and abuse. Hulton Arcive/Getty ImagesJerry Lee Lewis and Myra Gale Brown shortly after their wedding in December 1957. 1954). The duo tied the knot on December 12, 1957, and the musician. According to Williams, her relationship with Lewis also gave criticsof rock 'n' roll more leverage to attack the genre. After the press found out in 1958 that Lewis, then 22, married his young cousin, the rock-and-roll star experienced a tremendous backlash that stalled his career for years. She dwells in Duluth, Georgia with her better half Richard Williams. From left: Musicians Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash as "The Million Dollar Quartet" on Dec. 4, 1956, in Memphis, Tennessee. 1:11 Many remember Jerry Lee Lewis for the prolific music career that cemented his status as a rock 'n' roll icon before his death at age 87 Friday. 1963) who later turned into her dads supervisor and inhabited his farm in Nesbit, Mississippi until he wedded Judith Brown, the ex of Browns sibling Rusty Brown, in 2012. Who are you? I said, Im not anybody. But he insisted. I buried my own. The exes remained cordial over the years because of the bond they shared with their daughter. "My generation was taught to hide under our desk when the bomb came, so you always had in the back of your mind that any minute, any day, life could come to an end. John Doe as J. W. Brown Actor/musician John Doe took on the role of J. W. Brown, the father of Myra Gale Brown and the first cousin (and later father-in-law) of Jerry Lee Lewis. Whether the innocence of the 13 year old girl who married Jerry Lee Lewis, the heartbreak of the young woman struggling with life's events, or the tenacity and spark of the woman speaking now, Myra's voice is alive, humorous, heartfelt, and totally without pretense. Jerry and everybody else was being interviewed and I just stood in the lobby where they were going to play. In 1957, 22-year-old Jerry Lee Lewis married Myra Gale Brown. See also Other Works | Publicity Listings | Official Sites The couple wed in 2012. It turned out that she was a first-cousin once-removed and - shockingly - just 13 years old. Myra Brown, his Ex-wife, also showed her grief after his death and said in a recent interview, She never Lost hwePrimery Name 13 years old Child Bride Title.. Williams penned twobooks discussing her relationship: "The Spark That Survived" in 2016 and "Great Balls of Fire: The Uncensored Story of Jerry Lee Lewis" in 1982. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. He possibly based it on Latin myrra meaning "myrrh" (a fragrant resin obtained from a tree ). Many remember Jerry Lee Lewis for the prolific music career that cemented his status as a rock 'n' roll icon before his death at age 87 Friday. Jerry Lee Lewis and Myra Lewis Williams with their newborn son Steve Allen Lewis on Feb. 28, 1959, in Ferriday, Louisiana. Rusty Brown is Myra Gale Brown's brother, O'Connor said. She is most popular for her union with rock n move performer Jerry Lee Lewis who is her subsequent cousin. [21], Last edited on 11 February 2023, at 05:24, "Loganville couple celebrates 75 years of marriage, music and memories", "JERRY LEE LEWIS, ROCK, STOCK AND BARREL", "The Strange and Mysterious Death of Mrs. Jerry Lee Lewis", "Jerry Lee Lewis's short-lived music success", "Jerry Lee Lewis Online Wild One's Clubhouse: The Largest Jerry Lee Lewis Homepage on the Internet! I not only survived it, Im better for it, having gone through it. and help keep the future of New Times, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our. In an Instagram post from 2015, Williams discussed her relationship with Lewis after . The couple owns a real estate company in Atlanta. ", Williams also described howthe revelation of their marriage hurt Lewis' career, recalling how the musician's "fame and money went down to almost nothing." The England tour was supposed to establish a British fan base that would, hopefully, lead to a worldwide audience. But it didnt delve deep enough into exploring Lewis indomitable character. After Lewis concluded his separation from Mitcham, he remarried Brown on June 4, 1958. To Jerry Lee, the uproar was hard to understand: "I plumb married the girl, didn't I?" A lot of ink has been spilled about his close blood relationship with Myra, and the fact that she was only 13 and still believed in Santa Claus when the pair were married. (Couples married young in his Louisiana hometown of Ferriday, and he wed for the first time when he was 16 and had seven wives over the course of his life.). (Photo by Keith Hamshere/Getty Images), "He had gone to Louisiana and came back," she recalled. It was adapted into the 1989 film Great Balls of Fire!, starring Dennis Quaid as Lewis and Winona Ryder as Brown. Im really glad I didnt though because its gotten better as Ive gotten older.. The couple eventually decided to call it quits and divorced in 1957. What was happening back then, rock n roll was coming on very, very strong. "[4][10] Their divorce was finalized on December 9, 1970. Thats what I yearned for more than anything else. I find living is nice and calm this way.". Myra Gale Brown was the daughter of J.W. Brown. However, upon landing in the country with his child-bride, it became clear that the Brits were not on board with Jerry Lee Lewis. On December 12, 1957, he married Myra Gale Brown, 13, his first cousin who had been removed. Instead director Jim McBride, who co-wrote the script with Jack Baran, "ends up simply satirizing the argyle innocence and daffy exuberance of the 50s," according to The Times' review. It was during that year that the pianist embarked on a tour in England. Thats the way it was. Lewis was poised to replace Presley as rocks prime hit-maker after the "Jailhouse Rock" singer was drafted into the Army. | Powered by Artimization. ELVIS PRESLEY'S FINAL MONTHS WERE PLAGUED WITH PHYSICAL PAIN AS HE EMBARKED ON GRUELING TOUR, AUTHOR CLAIMS, "I let the cat out of the bag," said Williams. She said it is complicated. All Rights Reserved. This was a one-night jam session at Sun Studios. Lewis tour was canceled. He just took off. ", JERRY LEE LEWIS, 'GREAT BALLS OF FIRE' SINGER, DEAD AT 87, American actor Dennis Quaid as Jerry Lee Lewis and Winona Ryder as Myra Gale Brown in the film "Great Balls of Fire! Though they were no longer together, they remained amicable throughout the rest of Lewis marriages and still keep up with each other. But it brought me and Jerry very close, and we had ten incredible, wonderful years together after that. Williams has also written two books about her life, including 2016s "The Sparked That Survived. independent local journalism in Phoenix. Getty Images. I looked at him and I said, Jerry, are you crazy? Myra Gale Brown. Thats how the career took a gigantic nose dive when we arrived in London. Myra Gale was 13 years old when she married to 22 years old Jerry Lee Lewis in 1958. Origins of Jerry Lee Lewis's Nickname: The Killer, 30 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Elvis, 30th Anniversary of 1986 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Biography of Frank Sinatra, Legendary Singer, Entertainer, 25 Best Country Pop Crossover Songs of All Time, American Bandstand - 10 Great Performances. "In my little mind, I couldnt believe that they could not see that I was a grown woman," she said. Myra Gale Brown today known as Myra Lewis William, was an American author. The singer married his first wife, Dorothy Barton, when he was just 16. ", Williams again addressed their scandalous relationship in her 2016 memoir, "The Spark That Survived." Pate died in 1982 due. Over the course of his life, he was married to seven different women, including Myra Gale Brown, 78, who was also Jerrys first cousin once removed. There was no getting around it. (7) See myra gale brown stock video clips. However, Williams said she wants to look back at the happier times they had. Sadly, Steven tragically died in 1962 when he suffered from a drowning accident. In 1949, the family moved to Memphis when Jay Brown accepted a position with Memphis Gas, Light and Water, where he functioned as a lineman. .Once Mary Gale Brown and Lew divorced in 1970, Williams same she had been subject to each sort of physical and mental abuse possible,. Myra Gale Brown : Why won't they go away? It was a marriage license. [14] The producers did not want Brown or Lewis involved with the film, but she visited the Memphis set anyway. In this blog post, we will present to you 9+ cases of famous cousin marriages that shocked everyone, in some cases, even the partners themselves did not know about their family origins. Inside The Short And Tumultuous Life Of Gia Carangi, "The World's First Supermodel", 44 Grim Photos That Show The Brutal Reality Of Mid-Century America's Polio Epidemics, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. It was really the first scandal of rock n roll, Williams told Georgia's Gwinnett Daily Post in 2016. "Phoebe worked for him and when I visited her I would still see him, too. "We kept thinking every year, every six months, that it was going to go away, theyre going to stop talking about it, and it just didnt happen. Jerry Lee Lewis died at age eighty-seven, and beside the outpouring of tributes to his abilities came reminders of his infamous wedding to his 13-year-old cousin-german in 1957. [3][2] When Lewis arrived in London for a 37-date tour in May 1958, Brown revealed to a reporter at the airport that she was his wife. Since 1980, Brown has enjoyed success as a real estate agent in Atlanta. Jerry died on Oct. 28, 2022, at the age of 87 years old. Myra Gale Brown, however, hadnt been told of the story and failed to follow along with the fib. Williams alsorecalled how she "let the big ol cat out of the bag" about their marriage to the pressin Londonwithout realizing the backlash it would spark. highest paid american soccer player, native american bitterroot,
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