Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story

Description

Otherwise known as The Killer, Jerry Lee Lewis has lived an extraordinary life. He gave rock-and-roll its devil's edge with hit records like 'Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On' and 'Great Balls of Fire'; caused riots and boycotts with his incendiary performances; performed with some of the greatest musicians from Elvis Presley to Keith Richards; married his thirteen-year-old second cousin, the third of seven wives; ran a decade's-long marathon of drugs, drinking, and women; and nearly met his maker, at least twice. He survived it all to be hailed as one of the greatest music icons, and now, for the very first time, he reveals the truth behind the Last Man Standing of the rock-and-roll era. From encounters with legends including Johnny Cash, John Lennon and Mick Jagger, to hair-raising first-person accounts of Jerry's lifelong rivalries with Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry for the title of king of rock-and-roll, Pulitzer Prize- winning journalist Rick Bragg traces the incredible story of a young man from the American South who used his piano to drive the world into a music revolution. Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story is the fascinating authorised biography of this musical genius in his own words.

In 1986, Jerry Lee Lewis was the first person inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He has had 14 no.1 hits and 42 top 20 singles and 22 top 20 albums and has won a Lifetime Achievement Grammy. Lewis is the last surviving member of the Million Dollar Quartet which included Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley. Rick Bragg is an American journalist. He joined the New York Times in 1994 and in 1996 he won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing. Bragg is the author of five books: All Over but the Shoutin', Ava's Man, The Prince of Frogtown, I Am a Soldier, Too: The Jessica Lynch Story and The Most They Ever Had. He is now professor on the journalism programme at the University of Alabama's College of Communications and Information Sciences.

* There's plenty of richness in Rick Bragg's retelling of the Killer's life ... Hits all the legendary moments, both high and low ... Worth reading -- STEPHEN KING * Rick Bragg's biography of Jerry Lee Lewis really is the business. The words on the page perfectly match the music and the man -- RODDY DOYLE author of PADDY CLARKE HA HA HA * I loved every amphetamine-laced, whiskey-soaked, gun-shot page of it ...This thing moves. It rocks -- ANN PATCHETT * No one in rock and roll has ever made music and lived life with the ferocity of Jerry Lee Lewis, and no writer is better suited than Rick Bragg to tell Lewis's story. The result is a biography with the memorable language and narrative drive we expect only from the finest novels. Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story is the best book on rock and roll I have ever read -- RON RASH * Jerry Lee Lewis is a fascinating guy, a really opinion-splitting kinda legend, and this is his autobiography -- NOEL FIELDING, My Life in Suitcase - Five Touring Essentials NME * The paradox of a man defining himself through his faith while leading a far from virtuous life, drives Rick Bragg's exhaustive biography ... There's vernacular lyricism to the way Bragg paints the key moments in Lewis's life ... Bragg's fascination for Jerry Lee Lewis wins through, and his shining a light on the eternal dichotomy between sin and salvation makes for a fascinating, distinctly American story ... Rick Bragg's pacey, extensively researched biography draws a portrait of a bullish man doing all the things he believes God will forgive him for, repenting, and doing them all over again The Times * As an intimate portrait of the original rock 'n' roll wild child, it's probably the closest look that we will ever have of one of pop music's greatest talents and most mysterious enigmas Record Collector * Hell-raising takes centre stage GQ * Beautifully written Mail on Sunday * [Bragg] tells the full story of a long and extraordinary life with critical honesty, describing the triumphs, disasters and scandals, the women, the drink and drugs Daily Express * Like Byron, he seems mad, bad and dangerous to know, but his art at least reflects him truthfully Independent * Absorbing ... a thumpingly good yarn ... thrillingly readable Daily Mail * Bragg's book really soars ... a compelling read -- George Byrne Irish Independent * Compelling ... Bragg's book really soars ... gives us a sense of the vastly differing sides of the man Belfast Telegraph * Excellent ... just the sort of weighty tome you'd hope Elvis would have got around to by now Sunday Express * Great insight: Bragg understands the God-fearing Southern man's push-pull of good and evil, the mutually-exclusive-for-Lewis need for rock 'n' roll and redemption and the resulting emotional turmoil that ultimately defines him Mojo * Attempting a biography of rock 'n' roll's most notorious figure is no mean task, but Pultizer Prize-winner Rick Bragg has done an admirable job, aided by Jerry Lee-Lewis himself ... a fascinating account of a wild, wild talent Classic Rock * This is epic Southern storytelling at its most gripping Chicago Tribune * This is Lewis' version of his own story, filtered through Bragg's gift for language and his feel for the South ... His Own Story casts one of rock n' roll's outlandish lives in a new light, giving Lewis the voice in words he always had in the notes that came from the ivory keys USA Today, 4 star review * Irresistible Wall Street Journal * Bragg's account does not pull punches, nor does it need to. Bragg successfully grasps the meaning of Jerry Lee Lewis and the music he begat All About Jazz * There are reams of books out there about the Killer, but this is the one you want. In it, Rick Bragg tells the warts-and-all story of a troubled man, part saint, part sinner, who helped change the world Loud and Quiet Magazine