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biography
| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1935– )
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| biography:
| Musician, born in Ferriday, Louisiana, USA. A singer and pianist, he emerged in 1956 as one of the most fervent and blues-flavoured of the rock 'n' roll originators. He began singing in Assembly of God churches and Bible schools before working as a session musician at Sun Records in Memphis, TN. His first recordings for Sun (1957), ‘Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On’ and ‘Great Balls of Fire’, caused a sensation and became classics of rock. In 1958 he starred in the film High School Confidential but later that year, when he married his 14 year-old cousin, Myra, he was effectively boycotted by television and radio. Personal controversy and drug addiction continually dogged his career. He made a successful switch to a career in country music in the 1960s and 1970s, but remained widely celebrated for his contributions to rock. In 1986 he became an inaugural member of the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame. Great Balls of Fire, a major film biography dramatizing the early years of Lewis's career, was released in 1989. |
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