Who are Jerry Lee Lewis's children? Rock pioneer was deeply affected by loss of family
DESOTO COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI: Jerry Lee Lewis is known as one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll stars ever to live. The musician, whose life was driven by success and controversies died at 87 of natural causes at his home in DeSoto County, Mississippi on October 28. The 'Great Balls of Fire' musician's death has brought his personal life into focus. The rocker married seven times, including a scandalous third marriage to his 13-year-old first cousin that derailed his promising musical career.
Lewis' last wife, Judith Brown, was reportedly beside him as he died. “He told her, in his final days, that he welcomed the hereafter, and that he was not afraid,” said a statement, according to The Guardian. The famous musician had six children. Here’s all you need to know about them.
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Jerry Lee Lewis Jr
The 'Cray Arms' artist's first two children were with his second wife Jane Mitchum, whom he married in 1953. Their marriage came after the musician's first marriage to Dorothy Barton went kaput. The couple soon had a fallout and called it quits just 20 months into the relationship. However, Lewis and Mitchum had their first child Jerry Lee Lewis Jr in 1954. Jerry died in a car accident at age 19 on November 13, 1973, after his jeep overturned, reported NPR. He was a drummer and lived with his father in Nesbit.
Ronnie Guy Lewis
Ronnie, now 66, was born in 1956 a year before Jerry and Mitchum ended their marriage. Not much information is available about Ronnie apart from him being the musician's second son with Mitchum.
Steve Allen Lewis
Lewis was 22 when he made headlines for his scandal-ridden third marriage to his first cousin Myra Brown, who was only 13. The couple got hitched in 1957 and soon after their marriage, his career started flailing. Lewis was reportedly labeled as a “cradle robber” and “baby snatcher” by the UK media, reported The NY Post. His music was boycotted and he was blacklisted at venues. Their son, Steve Allen Lewis, was born in 1959 but unfortunately, the singer had the misfortune of witnessing his son's death at the age of three when the child reportedly drowned in a swimming pool.
Phoebe Allen Lewis
Phoebe Allen Lewis was the second child Lewis had with his cousin Brown. she pursued a career in music and worked on the movie 'Benji: Off the Leash!' in 2004. According to TMZ, Lewis sued Phoebe in 2017 for allegedly giving him drugs. It was reported that Phoebe allegedly abused him for years by giving him drugged cocktails and even isolating him in a moldy house. According to legal documents, Phoebe forced her father to go on grueling tours despite his poor health. Lewis reportedly said when he wasn't on the road, she kept him cooped up at home in moldy conditions so bad that he "had to wear an oxygen mask."
Lori Lee Lewis
Lewis welcomed his fifth child, Lori Lee Lewis, in 1972 with his fourth wife Jaren Elizabeth Gunn Pate. However, during Lewis' marriage to Pate, he again made headlines after she drowned in a swimming pool in 1982 while suing him for divorce. Lewis said in an interview how he was deeply affected by the loss of his children and wives throughout his lifetime. “Well, I don’t know if it made me stronger or not, sir, but it got my attention real good, I know,” he told The Guardian. “That was a very hard time, a very sad time for me. But I pulled through it. I buried my own. I took care of everything. I get down sometimes,” Lewis elaborated, adding, “A little bit down. I pull myself out of it. I pray, and I think about the things I have now.”
Jerry Lee Lewis III
Lewis married Kerrie McCarver in 1984 and had his sixth child, Jerry Lee Lewis III, born in 1987. Jerry Lee was the only child that they had together. Jerry Lee is active on Instagram. On May 17 he shared a group photo with his father and family. “We did it fam!! More than a long time coming and more than well deserved." he captioned the picture. "Thank you everyone for never giving up!! Dad, you’re the greatest and I love you!”