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How did Jerry Lee Lewis die? Elton John, Ringo Starr and Gene Simmons mourn rock 'n' roll pioneer's death at 87

'Without Jerry Lee Lewis, I wouldn’t have become who I am today. He was groundbreaking and exciting, and he pulverized the piano,' said Elton John

DESOTO COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI: Jerry Lee Lewis whose career was merged with success and controversies, has died at 87, his publicist has said. The rock’n’roll pioneer died of natural causes at his home in DeSoto County, Mississippi. “Judith, his seventh wife, was by his side when he died at his home in Desoto County, Mississippi, south of Memphis,” a statement said. “He told her, in his final days, that he welcomed the hereafter, and that he was not afraid.” Lewi's death comes just a couple of days after TMZ erroneously reported his demise. The outlet apologized later for the fake death report. "Earlier today we were told by someone claiming to be Lewis' rep that he had passed. That turned out not to be the case. TMZ regrets the error," stated the outlet. 

It was Lewis' energetic performances on songs like Great Balls of Fire that made rock ’n’ roll the most relevant and dominant American pop music of the 1950s. Lewis, who was born in Louisiana in 1935, came from a poor family background. His parents mortgaged their home to buy Lewis his first piano. His first performance was at the opening of a car dealership at the age of 14. Some of his earliest recordings were made in 1956 with Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins, a group which later came to be known as the Million Dollar Quartet. 

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'The Killer' recorded 40 studio albums, the most recent being Rock & Roll Time in 2014. 'Mean Old Man', his previous album, reached the US Top 30 on its release in 2010, It featured duets with stars including Mick Jagger, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson and Eric Clapton. He ended up winning four Grammys, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and two Grammy Hall of Fame Awards. In 1986, he was inducted into the first class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

Lewis' personal life was riddled with various controversies. In 1958, at the peak of his fame, it was revealed he had married his 13-year-old cousin, Myra Brown, sparking outrage all over the world. Lewis who was on a UK tour at the time, had to return back as his tour was canceled and he was even blacklisted by the US radio stations and concert promoters. He never again had a US Top 20 hit. Lewis' fourth and fifth marriages were even more scandalous. Jaren Pate died by drowning while it is claimed that Shawn Stephens died because of domestic abuse. In 1976, Lewis was arrested for turning up drunk at Presley’s Graceland home in Memphis with a loaded pistol on the dashboard of his car.

Despite being a polarizing figure, fans paid their tribute and heartfelt condolences to the legendary musician. Singer Elton John tweeted, “Without Jerry Lee Lewis, I wouldn’t have become who I am today. He was groundbreaking and exciting, and he pulverized the piano. A brilliant singer too. Thank you for your trailblazing inspiration and all the rock ‘n’ roll memories.” Ringo Starr has also tweeted, “God bless Jerry lee Lewis peace and love to all his family”. Gene Simmons said, "Sadly, One of the pioneers of rock ‘n’ roll has passed. A rebel to the end. RIP, Jerry Lee Lewis.….Jerry Lee Lewis, Influential and Condemned Rock & Roll Pioneer, Dead – Rolling Stone"

One user tweeted, "RIP Jerry Lee Lewis! I saw him live many many years ago and even did a tribute act to him at school! Heaven must be great fun now!" Another fan tweeted, "The Killer. The greatest. The wildest. The one that changed rock and roll. And country. And influenced a whole lotta piano players. Jerry Lee Lewis has died at the age of 87. Long live Jerry Lee Lewis." "Now that Jerry Lee Lewis has died are there any rock 'n' roll greats from the '50s left?", tweeted another one. One fan tweeted one Lewi's iconic quotes, "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.” -Jerry Lee Lewis, who died this day at age 87."

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