TMZ retracted this a day or two ago, but they were just early
Yeah, Steven Banks (yeah, that Steven Banks!) posted a photo two days ago of Kris Kristofferson (who’s 86 himself) having a bedside visit with The Killer from October 21st, and the Killer was clearly not long for this mortal coil at that point.
Man, this one really hurts. One of the best concerts I ever attended was Jerry Lee with Fats Domino. And “Live at the Star Club, Hamburg” is still the greatest live rock & roll recording ever.
Rest in peace, Killer.
Here it is. Jerry Lee Lewis was (finally) inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, but was too ill and infirm to attend the induction ceremony, so Kris Kristofferson did the bedside honors.
And Kristofferson is just a year younger, but for 86, boy does he look good! I’d say “Those are the benefits of clean living”, but it’s Kris Kristofferson so yeahno. (Maybe we need to find out what the exact ratio of cigarettes, pot, and whiskey to be over-consumed daily is Kris’s secret.)
My wife and I have a good friend who turns 80 in about 2 weeks. The neighborhood is throwing him a huge party. He plays tennis all the time but could easily drink my wife and I both under the table and he’s at the bar almost every evening. Some people just defy death and ill health. It’s amazing.
You can’t have a Jerry Lee Lewis thread without some live music from The Killer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRmG36xk1oE
This is a little bit past his peak years but he was still IMO, in his prime. No video, but he rocks the hell out of that playlist, which is a playlist for the ages.
I’ll see your "77 and raise you '63
Yes! Yes, it is!
Here he is almost new in 1957. The vitality is amazing.
Wow, the Steve Allen show from 1957. This was very early on when America didn’t have much exposure to the rock and the roll and all the restrictions of 50s TV applied to the show. You know that had to be just about the whitest, most straight laced audience imaginable and yet around the 2 minute mark you can hear them pounding along with the Killer, clapping and stomping. Ah yeah.
I think this fantastic obituary by rock writer Bill Wyman (not that Bill Wyman) does a great job of outlining the very good of Jerry Lee Lewis…and also the very, very horrifically bad as well.
Excellent read, thank you.