Jerry Lee Lewis passed away today at the age of 87, and chronically abused piano keys around the world are rejoicing.
To me, Jerry Lee Lewis was rock 'n' roll. Sure, Elvis had the moves and the sex appeal, and Chuck Berry and Little Richard were first onto the scene. But nobody embodied the uncontrolled recklessness of rock 'n' roll like Jerry Lee Lewis. He didn't play the piano; he attacked the piano. There are few more electrifying experiences in rock music than watching him stand up and kick back his piano stool, flailing around like a coked-up marionette and whipping his floppy mess of curly hair out of his face every five seconds, stamping his feet against the stage and assaulting the keys with every ounce of power his hands could muster. He was unstoppable.
As I was learning to play the piano in eighth grade, Jerry Lee Lewis was one of my idols. I would sit on my bed with my $150 light-up keyboard and play "Great Balls of Fire" over and over and over again until the boogie-woogie bass line and frenzy of high notes were drilled into my hands. I would YouTube old TV performances of his and watch them on repeat, mesmerized that someone could be that wild on stage and still play with that level of musicianship. He felt just as electrifying to watch in 2013 as I'm sure he did in 1957.
Rest in peace, Jerry Lee Lewis. Thank you for the years of inspiration, and thank you for all your incredible contributions to music.
コメント