JERRY LEE LEWIS - LAST SURVIVING PIONEER OF ROCK 'N ROLL PASSES ON

Jerry Lee Lewis, last surviving pioneer of Rock ‘n Roll music, breathed his last a few days ago.

Rock ‘n Roll music had its origin in the early 1950s. It was derived from jazz, rhythm and blues, boogie woogie, honky tonk, etc. Most people credit Chuck Berry as its inventor. But it was Bill Haley who brought it global recognition and popularity. His group, Bill Haley and his Comets, produced the first big R ‘n R hit with the release of ‘Rock Around The Clock’ in early ’55.

The timing coincided with my joining the NDA and I was captivated by the rhythm, beat and tempo of R ‘n R which helped relieve the tough grind of NDA life.

Right on top among the pioneers and my favourites was Elvis Presley. Who hasn’t heard of him! His singing style, thumping guitar, gyrating and hip-swinging performances made him a cult figure and he soon earned the title of ‘King of Rock ‘n Roll’. ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ was his first hit in January 1956 rapidly followed by ‘Blue Suede Shoes’, ‘Hound Dog’ , ‘Don’t Be Cruel’, ‘All Shook Up’, and the lovable, cuddly ‘(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear’.

He also had three hit movies in that time filled with his numbers including the title songs, ‘Love Me Tender’ (which though was not rock but a straight love song), ‘Jailhouse Rock’, and ‘King Creole’. In ’58, he was drafted for military service and I to the Navy.

Meanwhile, Bill Haley and his Comets continued providing hits notably ’Shake, Rattle and Roll’ and ‘See You Later Alligator’ which became a popular parting greeting and perhaps still is. Memories of a movie, ‘Rock Around The Clock’, featuring Bill Haley and his Comets, reminds me of the frenzy of the music of those days.

Next pioneer on my list is Little Richard. His unusual style of singing with raspy, shouting vocals, screaming and frenetic piano playing earned him the sobriquet of ‘Architect of Rock ‘n Roll’. His ‘Tutti Frutti’ was more flavoured than the ice cream itself! Sample the lyrics:-

‘Wop bop a loo bop a lop bom bom,  

Tutti frutti, oh rootie (5 times)….

Wop bop a loo bop a lop bom bom’, and then on to ‘I got a gal named Sue, who knows just what to do’, and Daisy, ‘she almost drives me crazy’. His other hits were ‘Long Tall Sally’, ‘Lucille’ and ‘Good Golly Miss Molly’. Too soon, he went into religion, Christianity, and gave up singing which saved us from being driven completely crazy.

Gene Vincent with his group The Bluecaps produced a smashing hit, ‘Be-bop-a-lula’. The breathless vocals backed by fluterring echoes made for a catchy song that became immensely popular. Vincent came up with other hits including ‘Bluejean Bop’ and surprisingly, a plain, emotional ‘Unchained Melody’. Drugs and alcohol got the better of Vincent and he died young unable to ever match the success of ‘Be-bop-a-lula’.

The genial Fats Domino, second only to Elvis in Rock ‘n Roll, captivated rock fans with his smooth, slightly nasal, rounded and rolling delivery, accompanied by gentle piano playing.  Singing in a honky-tonk mode, his most popular number was ‘Blueberry Hill’ and, of course, he had a large number of other hits. After ‘Blueberry Hill’, my favourites were ‘Ain’t That a Shame’, ‘I’m Walking’ and the pleasant and lilting ‘I Want To Walk You Home’. As against most R ‘n  R singers, Fats kept free of controversy and had a full life of 89 years. He passed away just 5 years ago on 24 October 2017.

A singer whose life was cruelly cut short was Richie Valens whose R ‘n R adaptation of a traditional Mexican wedding song, ‘La Bamba’, was loved by all and remains popular todate. Alas, he died in an air crash at the age of 17!

An R ‘n R movie I recall from those days was the musical comedy, ‘The Girl Can’t Help It’ starring the buxom blonde Jayne Mansfield. The film featured a number of pioneers of R ‘n R including Little Richard with the title song and ‘Ready Teddy’, Gene Vincent with ‘Be-bop-a-lula’, Fats Domino singing ‘Blue Monday’ and a comic ‘Giddy Up A Ding Dong Giddy Up’ by Freddie Bell and the Bellboys. The movie was a treat for R ‘n R fans. My best song of the movie though was one of my all-time favourites, Julie London’s ‘Cry Me A River’, a non-rock emotional number.

And so, back to where we started, Jerry Lee Lewis. He firmly got on the road to fame with ‘Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On’ closely followed by ‘Great Balls Of Fire’. His style was in the boogie-woogie rapid fire genre and his piano playing was outrageous which would have had Chopin and Liszt turn in their graves. He would pump the piano keys hard with his left hand providing a fast tempo and the frenzied right hand going all over the keyboard rapidly. He would sometimes pound the keys with his feet, sit on the keyboard and stand on the piano. All this with his good looks and enticing voice earned him the nickname ‘Killer’ and he was often referred to as ‘R ‘n R’s first great wild man’.

At the height of his popularity, he fell in love with his 13-year old cousin and married her. He himself was just 22 and already twice married. This caused a huge public uproar and Lewis fell from grace. Some years later, he made a comeback but in Country music where he again made a name for himself. In fact, he kept singing well into the 21st century and in May this year, was inducted into the Country Hall Of Fame.

Once he had reestablished himself, he did make a partial comeback into R ‘n R and I loved his ‘Chantilly Lace’. He continued to perform in public and what caught my attention the other day was a video on YouTube of an old performance in company with Tom Jones in which the latter seems awestruck by Lewis. In fact, Tom Jones has spoken about his admiration for Lewis and his desire for 'Great Balls Of Fire' to be played at his own funeral! 

In my NDA years 1955-58, these pioneers of R ‘n R provided me with much needed comfort on many hard days’ nights.