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Jerry Lee Lewis, the rock ’n’ roll legend known for his one-of-a-kind piano-playing and influence on many genres of music, died at his home on Friday (October 28). He was 87.
Lewis was often deemed “greatest piano player that’s ever lived” and “the killer,” a even referring to himself by the nickname when he said that no one would ever play a Jerry Lee Lewis song “like the Killer…ain’t but one of me,” reads an obituary shared on Lewis’ official Facebook page.
It goes on to explain that Lewis’ “Killer” nickname didn’t stem from his music… It started because of a fight at school:
“His beginnings sounded like myth. His father, Elmo, and mother, Mamie, mortgaged their farm to buy him a piano, after he climbed onto a piano bench and, without ever having touched a keyboard before, began to play. His nickname, Killer, had nothing to do with his playing, but came from a schoolroom fight in Ferriday when he tried to choke a grown man with his own necktie; still, it fit the man, the musician to come, but there was more to him than a barroom piano pounder who sometimes kept a pistol in his pants.”
Lewis — born on September 29, 1935 in Ferriday, Louisiana — began playing the piano at a young age and never stopped playing music. The Rock & Roll and Country Music Hall of Famer went on to record tons of iconic songs, including Whole Lot of Shakin’ Going On,” “Great Balls of Fire,” and more. He is survived by his wife, Judith, and other relatives. Read the full obituary shared to Lewis’ Facebook page here: