Jerry Lee Lewis’ family shared details of the musician’s public memorial and funeral services, set for this upcoming weekend. Lewis, one of the last surviving architects of rock and roll, died on Oct. 28 at 87. “The Killer” was best known for his hits “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” and “Great Balls of Fire,” as well as dozens of country hits during the 1960s and 1970s.
The first service will be held at Hernando Funeral Home in Hernando, Mississippi on Thursday, Nov. 3 at 5 p.m. CT. There will also be another service at Young’s Funeral Home in Ferriday, Louisiana on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 10 a.m. The funeral service will be held at the Louisiana funeral home at 11 a.m., with a live stream available for fans. A celebration of life tribute will be held at the Delta Music Museum Hall of Fame and Arcade Theatre at 1 p.m. in Ferriday. Lewis’ cousin, Reverend Jimmy Swaggart, and Clyde Ray Webber will officiate the funeral.
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Lewis died on the morning of Oct. 27 at 87 at his homie in Mississippi, his representative Zach Farnum said. He is survived by his wife, Judith Coghlan Lewis; his children Jerry Lee Lewis III, Ronnie Lewis, Phoebe Lewis, and Lori Lancaster; sister Linda Gail Lewis; Swaggart; and many grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. Days before his death, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame but was too ill to travel to Nashville to accept the honor in person.
Lewis shot to fame as one of the signature actsย of Sun Records in Memphis. In 1957, he released both “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” and “Great Balls of Fire,” two songs that also highlighted his fiery piano playing. His career almost ended completely in 1958 when it was revealed that the 22-year-old Lewis married Myra Gale Brown, his 13-year-old first cousin once removed.
After failing to score another hit as a rock artist, Lewis stunned the music business by turning to country music in 1968. He scored a big hit with “Another Place, Another Time” and recorded a string of successful country singles through the late 1970s. In 1986, Lewis was one of the first musicians inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He continued performing regularly until he suffered a stroke in 2019. He released his final studio album, Rock & Roll Time, in 2014.ย
