She also released a memoir, The Spark That Survived, in 2016. It bumped De Gaulle off the front page of the newspaper. Lewis accepted the offer. After further digging, the newspapers revealed that Myra Gale Brown was actually 13, his cousin, and that for the second time, Lewis had failed to get divorced before remarrying. I find living is nice and calm this way.. To some degree, Lewis and those who venerated him were able to spin his worst qualities into a kind of dark legend. It wasnt easy persuading country writers to write for somebody they considered a hopped-up rock & roll piano man, but eventually Jerry had a song in front of him, Another Place Another Time, and he thought it spoke to him. On December 12, 1957, Jerry married his third cousin, Myra Gale Brown. Myra Gale Brown. The other chance that came his way was a thoroughly unlikely one. But it didnt delve deep enough into exploring Lewis indomitable character. [19] The book details her tumultuous marriage to Lewis and how she built a new life for herself after their divorce. Before Kurt and Courtney, Sid and Nancy, or John and Yoko, there was Jerry Lee Lewis and his thirteen-year-old bride, Myra Gale Brown. Youre fine. But I never felt fine. You see, Myra did not survive that marriage. Lewis passed away Friday at age 87, and along with the outpouring of tributes to his talents came reminders of his notorious marriage to his 13-year-old cousin in 1957. He married a 13-year-old, Myra Gale Brown, who later said she was "subject to every type of physical and mental abuse imaginable." He shot his bass player, was a serial adulterer, abused. I just went on with my life as usual.. Since his death he has appeared in movies, music videos, and his memorabilia has been highly collectable; a pair of his glasses sold for $45,000 in an auction. In blistering heat, with nine dogs scurrying underfoot, I found that Myra was a bright, funny woman, with a very clear perspective on her notorious past, and she gave new insight into this pivotal moment in rock & roll history. In 1970, Brown filed for divorce on the grounds of adultery and abuse after hiring a private investigator to tail her husband. J.W. "he press made me out to be a seductive Lolita, which was as far from the truth as it gets. Myra Lewis (Myra Gale Brown) was born on 11 July, 1944 in United States, is an American author. He headed out to a nightclub, then called home at 3 a.m. Myra said she pulled a pistol from a nightstand and put it to her head and told Jerry Lee what she was prepared to do. At the time, she hadnt realized that there was anything wrong with her relationship with Lewis. Jerry Lee Lewis is often tagged The Last Man Standing these days, a reference to his status among the core group of musicians who helped ignite the big bang of rock n roll of the 1950s. However, the validity of the marriage was questionable, as he wed Jane Mitchum 23 days before his divorce from Barton was finalised. It was really the first scandal of rock n roll, Williams told Georgias Gwinnett Daily Post in 2016. When all of this hit in London in 1958, it just took the world by storm. Apparently it wasn't uncommon at the time. @cat well that's gross, but at this point, it's not all that surprising. And I really, truly wasnt a typical teenager. And they just werent ready for that. Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Priscilla Presley Disputes Invalid Amendment to Lisa Maries Trust He wanted to do harm. It is said that Myra still believed in Santa Claus when they were married. With a new memoir, The Spark That Survived, she wrote at the time, sharing an image emblazoned with Whatever happened to Myra? over an old photo of her and Lewis. Trump Melts Down Over Murdoch Admitting Fox Lied About Election Fraud The coroner ruled that her death was an accident, writes Bragg. He was there for 93 days. A neighbor found Steven facedown in the Lewises swimming pool. Others think he suspected Othello of having slept with his own wife. Brown, and that the 22-year-old singer was still technically married to his previous wife, Jane Mitcham. Owens survived and successfully sued Jerry Lee for $50,000. It's worth it if you are a serious fan of Jerry and very interested in his marriage to Myra - I learned a lot - I just think it could have been done so much better - so go into it with realistic . The preachers hated it. Jerry Lee Lewis knew the person he was when he wasnt making music but it didnt save him, or those around him, from his worst impulses. Check out our myra gale brown selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. [5] This caused an uproar and after a few dates the tour was cancelled. When I visited her, Myra told the L.A. Times this year, I would still see him, too. Phoebe quit working for him and I havent seen him since. However Buddy Holly's legacy has been marred due to legal disputes among his heirs. American actor Dennis Quaid as Jerry Lee Lewis and Winona Ryder as his underage wife Myra Gale Brown in the film 'Great Balls of Fire!', a biopic of. By then Lewis was yelling, threatening the police. My 1988 book and the resulting movie, Great Balls of Fire, were just the beginning. In May 1958 at the peak of a career some thought could overtake Presleys he left for a 37-date tour of the U.K. Jack Good had plans to take it Broadway, but Lewis wouldnt go with it. Small world. Media. Myra Gale Brown, during their divorce proceedings in 1970, accused him of subjecting her to "every type of physical and mental abuse imaginable." He ran into various legal, financial and. Today, Myra Williams, 78, reflects on the scandal and her late ex-husband. In 1984, doctors diagnosed him with perforated ulcers, and cut away a third of his stomach. erry Lee Lewis was rock & rolls original prodigal son. Some of those occasions he saw the audience start to pick up again. Today the world remembers Jerry Lee Lewis as one of the greatest rock 'n' roll artists of all time. At 15, Myra was younger than Britains age of consent. He seemed wounded to the women he met, and sometimes they would go to bed with him because they were sympathetic to the wounded man. Despite re-marrying Brown, this time in a legal ceremony during which he was not already married, and moving in with her parents afterward, the public remained firmly anti-Lewis. The British tabloids went ballistic, and after a few dates, the tour was cancelled. He was an utterly convincing and affecting barroom singer, like Merle Haggard, and like Haggard, he wielded singular tone and timing. The revelation resulted in the abrupt cancellation of Lewis tour; he was blacklisted by radio and his earnings dropped overnight. According to Jerry Lee Lewis: Lost and Found, by author Joe Bonomo, he later said, I was a 21-year-old kid, and I didnt know whether I was comin or goin. Other times, it must have been like playing into a void. The two of them were playful and affectionate during the shootjoking and giggling, poking and swatting each other, Jerry Lee even sneaking a kiss at one pointbut when the photos came back, the editors fell in love with a shot of him sitting alone at his childhood piano, and the piece was recast as a straight profile. Life and career. Myra took Steven to church for the first time. But they didnt, and I didnt, and the rest is history, I guess.". She is the co-author of the book Great Balls of Fire: The Uncensored Story of Jerry Lee Lewis. V roce 1949 se rodina pesthovala do Memphisu v Tennessee, kdy J.W. And Jerry gave it to themwell, I did, I opened my mouth. Myra knew what he was doing, and she told him she would leave him. "They were looking for a place to stick the knife into rock & roll. She co-wrote many books, such as Great Book Of Fire and The Spark That Survived, and earned people's love and popularity through her book. It also ruined Lewis' career. "Hes no longer part of my life. His third marriage was to his 13-year-old cousin, Myra Gale Brown, which lasted from 1958 to 1970. He kept marrying: In 1984, the year after Shawn Stephens death, he wed Kerrie McCarver; the couple divorced in 2005. Newspapers called for a boycott of his concerts. 1954). In September 1976, Lewis was celebrating his 41st birthday at his home when Butch Owens, his bass player, showed up with a friend. They would say, Youre fine. The radio stations that didnt play it hated it. Theyd had a daughter, Lori Lee Lewis, in 1972, but Lewis had grown distant from both mother and child. He survived. It was a perfect stormit couldn't have happened at a worse time, at a worse place. Alamy Stock Photo One of the most shocking scandals involving cradle-snatching rock stars was the marriage of. Brown, now 78, found some success as a writer, publishing the book Great Balls of Fire: The Uncensored Story of Jerry Lee Lewis, in 1982. I know what I am. In 1958, when Elvis Presley was drafted into the military . Nardine Saad covers breaking entertainment news, trending culture topics, celebrities and their kin for the Los Angeles Times. Editors picks What I wanted was a baby in my arms, a home, a husband, a kitchen to cook in, a yard to raise roses," Brown said. They called Lewis a cradle robber.. I got a mean streak. I gotta lay it open sometimes.. He was in the first class inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in 1986, along with Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers, Little Richard, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, and James Brown. Everything changed. When J.W. [14] Although Brown found the actors to be talented and friendly, she was not satisfied with the book or the film. After their divorce in 1970, Williams said she had been "subject to every type of physical and mental abuse imaginable," but the two seemingly made peace later. Likes. His concert fee dropped from $10,000 a show to $250 a show. Elvis didnt marry a little 16-year-old girl, did he? (Couples married young in his Louisiana hometown of Ferriday, and he wed for the first time when he was 16 and had seven wives over the course of his life.). Lewis lived out rock & rolls sexual and impulsive audacity in extreme fashion. Tweets & replies. I didnt question God., He was supposed to travel to England in a few days his first trip there since the country had shamed him. It was an inspired call. Indeed, it was. That Time Jerry Lee Lewis Married Myra Gale Brown, His 13-Year-Old Cousin. Since Myra Lewis Williams, now 70, was never able to go on with, or even to start, her life as usual, it seemed a good time to finally let her tell her own story, in her own words. At that time, Elvis had gone into the Army, and Jerry was poised to be the king. Myra Brown, first cousin once removed and third wife of American rock and roll star, Jerry Lee Lewis, in London at the beginning of Lewis's planned British tour, 26th May 1958. Still, somehow, Jerry Lee got second chances, albeit in unexpected ways. Jerry Lee Lewis would remain a mix of good news and bad until he was too old to trouble anybody much, but that was a long time and a lot of trouble later. In 1957 Lewis recorded two titanic rock & roll hits, Whole Lot of Shakin Going On and Great Balls of Fire. At the session for the latter, Lewis told Sam Phillips who owned and operated Memphis Sun Records, where Lewis was recording that the music he was playing, worldly music rock & roll, meant he was broken off from God. He came into country music with respect for its verities, but he didnt worry about respecting anybody elses likening. We took a lot of hits for the music itself. Light later recounted in a story published in Medium's Cuepoint in 2014 that Lewis and Williams "were playful and affectionate" during the photo shoot for the Rolling Stone story. If I didnt, Id be a Christian! (Greil Marcus transcribed the full, remarkable conversation in his 1975 book, Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock n Roll Music. A good person. She was married to her cousin, rock star Jerry Lee Lewis. This is a video of Jerry . Youre the only one I know as evil as he is, Good said. The label hoped, in 1964, it had a surefire hit that would put him back on top, Im on Fire. Instead, the song was like a parody of Jerry Lees early style, a parody that wasnt funny. In the end, she says, Jerry Lee Lewis downfall was a bigger issue than her age. Sun stopped promoting him, radio stopped playing him. I was only 13, but people said I was more mature than Jerry. Thirteen year old Myra Gale Brown sitting on Jerry Lee Lewis lap. Instead, as he stood over that small grave, he knew that his drive was the only thing that could save him.. In 2016 she published her memoir, The Spark That Survived. Lewis was charged with a misdemeanor: firing a gun within city limits. It was crude and rude and ridiculous what it was doing to the teenagers. The nose of that Lincoln was a mile long, he said in Braggs book. [1] In 1949, the family moved to Memphis, Tennessee, when J.W. It was Do as I say, not as I doand if you get caught, we dont even know you. Also, a lot of people took good notes when it happened. Jerry Lee Lewis, the rock and roll innovator whose career stumbled after his marriage to his 13-year-old cousin Myra Gale Brown, is dead at the age of 87. Nobody knew Jerry Lee Lewis was coming to town, and few would have cared to know. Fifteen, Lewis answered, with a cocky grin. Also learn how She earned most of networth at the age of 77 years old? When towing a car with his Jeep, the hitch came loose, causing the Jeep to flip, breaking Jr.s neck. Myra Gale Brown se narodila 11. ervence 1944 ve Vicksburgu v Mississippi, dcei Lois a J.W. I could so easily have said, Im J.W. Brown is a basketball player, and she used to be married to the brother of Lewis's third wife, Myra Gale Brown. The marriage lasted a year and a half. They called me his deputy mom; I just took him over. Myra is currently in the news because of Jerry Lewis' death at 87 years old, 28 October 2022. He and Myra flew back to the United States, where he expected more sympathetic treatment. Jerry Lee would try to stop him, but they would get into fights. Although there was some controversy surrounding their involvement because Lewis and Mitchum's divorce was not yet finalised, it was mostly scrutinised given Brown's young age. I plumb married the girl, didnt I? he told one reporter. But while Lewis toured in England, the press learned three damaging things: He was married to 13-year-old (possibly even 12-year-old) Myra Gale Brown, she was his cousin, and he was still married . Myra Gale Brown (known today as Myra Lewis William) is an American author. His final marriage was to Judith Lewis (ne Brown, the former wife of the brother of Myra Gale Brown), on March 9, 2012. ", "Myra Williams, Jerry Lee Lewis' 13-year-old bride, speaks out", "Jerry Lee Lewis Married His 13-Year-Old Cousin And Ruined His Career", "Jerry Lee Lewis' teenage bride speaks out: 'I was the adult and Jerry was the child', "Jerry Lee Lewis' Lawsuit Against Daughter Dismissed by Judge", "Cousin's ex becomes Jerry Lee Lewis' 7th wife", "The Tiny Spark That Survived: The Rock 'n' Roll Life of Star's Child Bride", "Jerry Lee Lewis' former teenage wife releases new book", "Cannes Review: Ethan Coen's 'Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble In Mind', Sings the Country Music Hall of Fame Hits, Vol. Lewis' passing was announced on. His second marriage in September 1953 had caused quite a stir when people realized it had taken place 23 days before his first divorce was final. Myra Lewis Williams, as she's now known, made those comments to journalist Alan Light when he met up with her and Lewis for a 2010 story for Rolling Stone. He hit the gate, he went on, Cause Is drunk.. Myra Gale Brown var bare 13 og troede stadig p julemanden, da hun blev gift med Jerry Lee Lewis. The couple tried to repair Lewis' image by remarrying in a ceremony shortly after his divorce was finalised, and even moving in with Brown's parents once more. Options, mindsetsthis world has gone so fast the last fifty years that you cant keep up with it. Little did they know what it was going to turn into," she reflected. Along with sporadically brilliant music, death, violence, and illness some of it directly his doing became leitmotifs of Jerry Lee Lewis life. "It wasn't harming me, it was harming somebody I loved, that was the pain of it.". Brown. It was as if now being onstage wasnt saving him like it had; it was simply a means to stay on the road with musicians he could party with. She was also Jerry Lee's second cousin, as well as the daughter of Jay 'JW' Brown, the bass player in his band. Thats what this book basically is, this is what happened, this is how I handled it and here I am today, she said. She co-wrote the book Great Balls of Fire: The Uncensored Story of Jerry Lee Lewis (1982), which was adapted into the film Great Balls of Fire! Rusty Brown is the brother of Jerry's third wife Myra - making the union even more. What I wanted was a baby in my arms, a home, a husband, a kitchen to cook in, a yard to raise roses. The book includes lots of details about Jerry's early career that a music historian might appreciate. Browns daughter'," Brown later said when reflecting on the day. You scared of me? he once asked her sister. The Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On and Great Balls of Fire hitmaker had eloped with Myra Gale Brown in December 1957, the result of a romance that developed when he moved into the Memphis home of Myras father, JW Brown, who was Lewis cousin and bass player, according to Lewis obituary in The Times. Behind the Graceland Gates at Lisa Marie's Memorial: We Watched Her Go Through Her Struggles, Two days after the tour started, Lewis called it off. You indeed know what he wants, and it isnt money. And Jerry gave it to themwell, I did, I opened my mouth. Her second book chronicled her experiences becoming a mother at age 14 and then again at 17 and losing their son Steve by accidental drowning in 1962. He took a rather different stand: Im dragging the audience to hell with me. You might say that took no small amount of courage if you believed that by making worldly music, you were putting your soul at stake. Who is Myra Gale Brown? The singer lived out rock's audacity in extreme fashion, making him one of the defining performers of his era. Cramer didnt accuse the performer of murder, but he argued persuasively that the matter merited a more careful inquiry. 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