The Killer regularly used the standing mike as part of his routine. There is no doubt Jerry Lee Lewis is a big part of what Rock n Roll is as a musical genre. Rest in peace Killer.
I grew up listening to Jerry Lee Lewis. He was a staple on the radio and on juke boxes everywhere. I remember getting in trouble with my mama for going around saying, "Helllooooooo baby! This is the killer speaking" lol I was like six or seven years old.
I have to say that this is the first time I enjoy a review of Jerry Lee Lewis's music and performances...and the fact that you stopped the video so often to talk about it and the things he was doing made me think that MAYBE I'm not the only that like to see the little things that are going on. This is awesome...and so is my passion for his music...he was a true one and a unique one. Thank you.
Jerry Lee set a piano on fire the 1st time at a show where Little Richard was supposed to close the show. Jerry set his piano on fire & played it til it burned down. Little Richard didn't go on. The audience loved it, he loved the reaction & it became a thing.
Jerry Lee Lewis and his cousin Rev. Jimmy Swaggert were taught piano by the same piano teacher in Louisiana. Later, their cousin, Mickey Gilley of country music fame, also was taught by the same piano teacher. There is a video with these three playing the piano with each of their hits.
Jerry Lee was the first music artist I fell in love with on my own.. it would be years before I got into Nirvana and the Sex Pistols and punk and grunge but at 8 years old I knew I loved Jerry Lee.
Really great observation (s) re JLL's working around the mike. I'd seen him do it but never really realised how he did it with absolutely no fuss whatsoever....Great review...(reaction)
OK one Jerry studied in Seminary school & graduated to be a preacher - a fire and brim stone preacher. So that command of the stage has alot to do with that, the massive stage presence came from knowing Elvis was on his same label & had already blown the doors off in 1956 with the Pelvis. This was his debut, and he wanted to create a name for himself. Hence the dramatic stage presence- His piano skills have came from 20+ YEARS of complete submergence in Gospel, Honkey Tony's, and bars. He is from Louisiana, Melting pot of Zodeco, Cajun & Tex-Mex music. 🥰💗🇺🇲
I grew up loving Jerry because of my mom, she was born in 48 so she grew up in the 50’s and 60’s ,so she grew up on Rock N Roll, her favorite was Elvis but she listened to everything and I grew in the late 80’s listening to everything she listened to
Astute reaction, young Gentleman. Jerry Lee and Little Richard were wild men who did outrageous things in performance with such smooth technique that it tempered the outrageousness of what they were doing and saying in coded language. Keep on keeping on.
Jerry lee is the epitome of a stylist along with Elvis, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams and a few select others. Someone who can take any song and make it their own. And don't even try me with all the new pop and rap artists that essentially copyright older songs and add some cool distortion and beat and then rap or sing over top of that. No this cat made his music with his own blood,sweat and tears. Different class if musician folks. Different class.
CGI did not exist back then. No one even heard of it or any other digital effects, as such didn't exist, at least commercially, in the pre-70s. All analog and special effect props only back then. Good video! 😊👍
He was so great. Just great. Could have been even greater. The guy could sing anything. He was just filled with hubris and bs. Jerry Lee was a wild one.
Who woulda thunk, in the 1930s, three young boys sitting on a porch in Louisiana, all first cousins named Jerry Lee Lewis, Mickey Gilly and Jimmy Swaggart would all become famous worldwide.
Enjoyed your analysis Crafty of JLL, as well as a legend on piano, he was a showman, the full package, unbelievable energy 👏. A bit like yourself, when you play with the SingitLive crew, as well as been an excellent guitarist, you bring great energy to the recordings..
Jerry Lee Lewis appeared on several TV shows where lipsyncing was not only very common but was actually required. But Jerry Lee Lewis would still insist on performing entirely LIVE! If they wouldn't let him do it live then he wouldn't perform!
Very enjoyable video. Also, how about the very young Dick Clark (with such a literally slick haircut) interviewing the fan club president. 😀 Almost a classic in and of itself.
Steve Allen, the host, was very interesting in his own right. He developed the concept of the Tonight Show and was its first host, is widely considered the most prolific song writer ever with about 8500 songs, and wrote about 40 books.
My only criticism of the Louisiana Fireball is that, later in his career, he really fell in love with glissandoes; I feel like that little accent works better as an occasional, less-is-more trick. I believe the quick shadow flying across the bottom of the screen around 5:36 was a chair. When Jerry Lee kicked it out, Steve Allen wound up fielding it. According to Allen, he didn't know what to do with it, so he threw it back across the stage.
Jerry Lee was a wild and crazy guy, when his hair started getting wild you knew he was worked up !! He was known for his piano playing, he even set his piano on fire 🔥❤️🔥🎹. His microphone was placed like that because Jerry started going crazy during his performances and eventually his piano bench was kicked out of the way so he could really go crazy on his piano 😂!! He was with Sun Records the same company as Elvis, (the King) and Jerry had a feud going on with Elvis probably because Elvis sold more records ! RIP Jerry Lee Lewis, you are remembered & cherished 🙂🙃
Jerry Lee Lewis was deservedly called The Killer. When Jerry Lee, Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins were at Sun Studios one afternoon, they had a jam session now known as The Million Dollar Quartet. They were all fabulous, of course, but no one wanted to follow Jerry Lee on the piano. That’s the Sun Studio story anyway, so I’m sticking with it. I grew up in Memphis, and one of my older brothers owned some Jerry Lee records. JLL would have been a bigger star, but he married his 13 year old cousin. That was a bit too much for the record biz back then. I saw him perform when he was in his 60s or so, and he still killed it. You haven’t yet seen him play piano with his feet.
I remember being shocked myself at seeing the same video of a man in the 1950s with hair streaming down past his ears! Those long strawberry-blonde curly locks of his, he looks like he could have been Robert Plant's older brother!!!
Nice tribute to one of the rock and roll originators, and an exciting performer. He might have had the longest hair, but Little Richard and Elvis were right there with him on that. You mention influences - one of the influences of rock and roll in general and JLL in particular, was blues-derived "boogie-woogie" piano music. Boogie-woogie influenced rhythm and Blues, which in turn, influenced early rock and roll. If you look up Albert Ammons, Meade Lux Lewis or Pete Johnson, you will see the direct influence the style had on the songs in this very video.
Steve Allen WAS pretty Hip. There is a clip somewhere with young Frank Zappa as his guest. Mic stand was just part of the gig. It's where they lived then.
Yes, he was definitely the pioneer of head banging, his hair was curly locks, and he could never keep it laid back like others, so he grew it out to give weight…He was the youngest touring on those back roads with Johnny Cash, Elvis, Chuck Berry etc…Matter of fact, they made sure he callled his mom at every stop!🤣Possibly the first to use pyrotechnics too!
LOL...I grew up in the 50s & 60s and my mother's favorite artists (she was born in 1910): Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Haley. So there wasn't always a generation gap. Plus if you watch the hand jive by the audience, I would bet most were in HS pep squads.
Steve Allen was a musician in his own right as well as an actor and comedian. His program started the whole late night TV talk shows. I remember seeing this show as a young child. TV was all live in those days. There was no tape. This was filmed on real movie camera film. You bet it was real fire. You are talking about a guy who would set his own piano on fire while playing it! Who else? How about Big Joe Turner and Boogie Woogie Country Girl: ua-cam.com/video/CiCiVBlZtz4/v-deo.html
Rock and Roll , Rock a Billy . Elvis was cool, but Carl Perkins was a master. Little Richard was one of the first crossovers. Screaming Jay Hawkins too.
The fire was CGI added to the video. Also, the first boomers were around 10 years old at this time. Boomer Generation 1946-1964. Their time would be more in the 1960's.
The god of rockn’roll with little richard Chuck berry and fats domino... Thèse guys were singers and real musicians... They didn't have guitar as décoration.....like someone......who never did solo or intro and only played by chords.. and stopped to play to moove his body when tempo began brright.... You know what i mean....
Yeah I've had a hunt around and not found much early Billy Joel to react to ie. pre-Piano Man, if you've got any links to point me in the right direction then go for it!
Limitations of kinescope recording, plus who knows how many generations removed from the original source these clips are from. I have seen a marginally better copy of the Steve Allen performance, but all copies of the Dick Clark performance I've seen have sounded bad.
Picture it: Small-town Kentucky. There is no internet. I found a few of the Killer's records at my local library: MIND BLOWN. I had to hear more, and called our local radio station to request Great Balls of Fire. I was SEVEN. The dj -- yes, live literal DISC JOCKEY -- was baffled. It was 1976. I regret nothing lololol
The mic stand placement was a Jerry Lee trademark.
It's true ...microphone placement was his trademark from early on
The Killer regularly used the standing mike as part of his routine. There is no doubt Jerry Lee Lewis is a big part of what Rock n Roll is as a musical genre. Rest in peace Killer.
Glad to see the younger generations enjoy Jerry. True legend . RIP Jerry thanks for the memories. 👍🇺🇸🇺🇸
I grew up listening to Jerry Lee Lewis. He was a staple on the radio and on juke boxes everywhere. I remember getting in trouble with my mama for going around saying, "Helllooooooo baby! This is the killer speaking" lol I was like six or seven years old.
Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis - love the way they screamed into my ear!
* YES ,Jerry Lee Lewis was the First With "Long Hair " !!
Jerry is one of the founders of rock and roll along with early Elvis, Little Richard and Chuck Berry to name some of the headliners
I have to say that this is the first time I enjoy a review of Jerry Lee Lewis's music and performances...and the fact that you stopped the video so often to talk about it and the things he was doing made me think that MAYBE I'm not the only that like to see the little things that are going on. This is awesome...and so is my passion for his music...he was a true one and a unique one. Thank you.
Jerry Lee was a genius and a true original talent. No one comes close. Amazing.
My parents loved Jerry Lee Lewis. I feel so fortunate to have grown up in a household that entertained a wide variety of genres of music.
Jerry Lee set a piano on fire the 1st time at a show where Little Richard was supposed to close the show. Jerry set his piano on fire & played it til it burned down. Little Richard didn't go on. The audience loved it, he loved the reaction & it became a thing.
The real king of rock'n roll❤
Jerry Lee Lewis and his cousin Rev. Jimmy Swaggert were taught piano by the same piano teacher in Louisiana. Later, their cousin, Mickey Gilley of country music fame, also was taught by the same piano teacher. There is a video with these three playing the piano with each of their hits.
It's my understanding that Jerry Lee Lewis was self taught. He.mentions it on The Tonight Show. And he said he doesn't read music.
@@december1008 Jimmy Swaggart and Mickey Gilley said that Jerry Lee Lewis was taught by the same piano teacher and they were taught to play by ear.
Jerry Lee was the first music artist I fell in love with on my own.. it would be years before I got into Nirvana and the Sex Pistols and punk and grunge but at 8 years old I knew I loved Jerry Lee.
I was born in '53. My mom loved rock n roll so it was always on the radio. Jerry Lee, Elvis, Roy Orbison & Fats Domino were my favorite's.
Really great observation (s) re JLL's working around the mike. I'd seen him do it but never really realised how he did it with absolutely no fuss whatsoever....Great review...(reaction)
OK one Jerry studied in Seminary school & graduated to be a preacher - a fire and brim stone preacher. So that command of the stage has alot to do with that, the massive stage presence came from knowing Elvis was on his same label & had already blown the doors off in 1956 with the Pelvis. This was his debut, and he wanted to create a name for himself. Hence the dramatic stage presence- His piano skills have came from 20+ YEARS of complete submergence in Gospel, Honkey Tony's, and bars. He is from Louisiana, Melting pot of Zodeco, Cajun & Tex-Mex music. 🥰💗🇺🇲
I grew up loving Jerry because of my mom, she was born in 48 so she grew up in the 50’s and 60’s ,so she grew up on Rock N Roll, her favorite was Elvis but she listened to everything and I grew in the late 80’s listening to everything she listened to
He was just so great. A true legend. Many days I listen to him all day as I work in the garden.
Astute reaction, young Gentleman. Jerry Lee and Little Richard were wild men who did outrageous things in performance with such smooth technique that it tempered the outrageousness of what they were doing and saying in coded language. Keep on keeping on.
That's what you call Rock n Roll.
Jerry lee is the epitome of a stylist along with Elvis, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams and a few select others. Someone who can take any song and make it their own. And don't even try me with all the new pop and rap artists that essentially copyright older songs and add some cool distortion and beat and then rap or sing over top of that. No this cat made his music with his own blood,sweat and tears. Different class if musician folks. Different class.
Notice that in the second video, instead of the microphone standing in his way, it’s hanging around his neck like a necklace.
CGI did not exist back then. No one even heard of it or any other digital effects, as such didn't exist, at least commercially, in the pre-70s. All analog and special effect props only back then. Good video! 😊👍
Another Great Tribute Video, Really great analysis of a performer, some of the things you mentioned I had never noticed, Thank You
He was so great. Just great. Could have been even greater. The guy could sing anything. He was just filled with hubris and bs. Jerry Lee was a wild one.
Who woulda thunk, in the 1930s, three young boys sitting on a porch in Louisiana, all first cousins named Jerry Lee Lewis, Mickey Gilly and Jimmy Swaggart would all become famous worldwide.
Off of tv at concerts Jerry would set his piano on fire 🔥
DANGER! Mom and dad were shocked!
Enjoyed your analysis Crafty of JLL, as well as a legend on piano, he was a showman, the full package, unbelievable energy 👏.
A bit like yourself, when you play with the SingitLive crew, as well as been an excellent guitarist, you bring great energy to the recordings..
Jerry Lee Lewis appeared on several TV shows where lipsyncing was not only very common but was actually required. But Jerry Lee Lewis would still insist on performing entirely LIVE! If they wouldn't let him do it live then he wouldn't perform!
His last albums were amazing Last Man Standing, Mean Old Man and RocknRoll time awesome albums
Very enjoyable video. Also, how about the very young Dick Clark (with such a literally slick haircut) interviewing the fan club president. 😀 Almost a classic in and of itself.
Steve Allen, the host, was very interesting in his own right. He developed the concept of the Tonight Show and was its first host, is widely considered the most prolific song writer ever with about 8500 songs, and wrote about 40 books.
He gave Jerry Lee his first break. So, Jerry named his first child Steve Allen Lewis. Sadly, the little boy drown in a pool accident.
He was great, man!
Another contender for "first headbanger" would be Cab Calloway in the 1930s.
My only criticism of the Louisiana Fireball is that, later in his career, he really fell in love with glissandoes; I feel like that little accent works better as an occasional, less-is-more trick.
I believe the quick shadow flying across the bottom of the screen around 5:36 was a chair. When Jerry Lee kicked it out, Steve Allen wound up fielding it. According to Allen, he didn't know what to do with it, so he threw it back across the stage.
Jerry Lee was a wild and crazy guy, when his hair started getting wild you knew he was worked up !! He was known for his piano playing, he even set his piano on fire 🔥❤️🔥🎹. His microphone was placed like that because Jerry started going crazy during his performances and eventually his piano bench was kicked out of the way so he could really go crazy on his piano 😂!! He was with Sun Records the same company as Elvis, (the King) and Jerry had a feud going on with Elvis probably because Elvis sold more records !
RIP Jerry Lee Lewis, you are remembered & cherished 🙂🙃
Jerry Lee Lewis in his most wild performances would set his piano on fire, which was an inspiration for Jimi Hendrix lighting his guitar on fire
Yep, Jerry used a coke bottle filled with gasoline, Hendrix used lighter fluid. A classic example of history repeating itself
Jerry Lee Lewis was deservedly called The Killer. When Jerry Lee, Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins were at Sun Studios one afternoon, they had a jam session now known as The Million Dollar Quartet. They were all fabulous, of course, but no one wanted to follow Jerry Lee on the piano. That’s the Sun Studio story anyway, so I’m sticking with it. I grew up in Memphis, and one of my older brothers owned some Jerry Lee records. JLL would have been a bigger star, but he married his 13 year old cousin. That was a bit too much for the record biz back then. I saw him perform when he was in his 60s or so, and he still killed it. You haven’t yet seen him play piano with his feet.
Great video to begin the tribute video of Jerry Lee Lewis 🔥 doing his hit song Live 🤣 on the air Thank you for posting this
I remember being shocked myself at seeing the same video of a man in the 1950s with hair streaming down past his ears! Those long strawberry-blonde curly locks of his, he looks like he could have been Robert Plant's older brother!!!
Really enjoyed that. Great video Crafty
That's a great vid & review
The Killer was one of the fathers of Rock. Rock came from Country. It came out of the rural South and was a mixture of country and jazz.
His style was unique
Nice tribute to one of the rock and roll originators, and an exciting performer. He might have had the longest hair, but Little Richard and Elvis were right there with him on that. You mention influences - one of the influences of rock and roll in general and JLL in particular, was blues-derived "boogie-woogie" piano music. Boogie-woogie influenced rhythm and Blues, which in turn, influenced early rock and roll. If you look up Albert Ammons, Meade Lux Lewis or Pete Johnson, you will see the direct influence the style had on the songs in this very video.
It was real fire. He was kind of a legend for burning up a few pianos back in the day...
He use to kick the Piano 🎹 Bench out of the way.
Jonny cash.... Elvis.... Jerry Lee Lewis where the first rock stars in how we think of rock stars today. These 3 men did a lot of firsts
Great review...the Killer...I was there
This was a subdued performance of Jerry’s for TV in 1957!😂
Steve Allen WAS pretty Hip. There is a clip somewhere with young Frank Zappa as his guest. Mic stand was just part of the gig. It's where they lived then.
Schmock - Schmock, I watched Steve too, and he was Hip.
Dude I never noticed about the mic stand!
They don't make them like him anymore. Ain't it sad.
Yes, he was definitely the pioneer of head banging, his hair was curly locks, and he could never keep it laid back like others, so he grew it out to give weight…He was the youngest touring on those back roads with Johnny Cash, Elvis, Chuck Berry etc…Matter of fact, they made sure he callled his mom at every stop!🤣Possibly the first to use pyrotechnics too!
All the teenagers in the country had orgasms and all the parents had strokes and heart attacks. 1957. Another world.
Jerry Lee Lewis - Rockin' My Life Away
ua-cam.com/video/044050IQkdw/v-deo.html&ab_channel=AndreuRock
I think this is the best performance ever !😆
Mean nasty rocka Billie, ...... the Killer i as he was known, Rip.........
LOL...I grew up in the 50s & 60s and my mother's favorite artists (she was born in 1910): Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Haley. So there wasn't always a generation gap. Plus if you watch the hand jive by the audience, I would bet most were in HS pep squads.
Steve Allen was a musician in his own right as well as an actor and comedian. His program started the whole late night TV talk shows. I remember seeing this show as a young child. TV was all live in those days. There was no tape. This was filmed on real movie camera film.
You bet it was real fire. You are talking about a guy who would set his own piano on fire while playing it!
Who else? How about Big Joe Turner and Boogie Woogie Country Girl: ua-cam.com/video/CiCiVBlZtz4/v-deo.html
When Jerry Lee kicked the chair backwards, I think it bumped and annoyed Steve Allen. If you look closely the chair flys by the other way.
Steve Allen had written around 3000 songs.
Jerry Lee and Little Richard could pound a piano
i was there. Elvis stold the show but Jerry Lee was the musical genius, the real essence of rock n roll, wild man!
If you want to find the polar opposite of the time check out Bill Haley. It was said he looked more like your Dad than your Dad. Ian Dee.
The fire was a flashpot...
Mickey Gilley & Jimmy Swaggart the televangellist were Jerry Lee's cousins
Rock and Roll , Rock a Billy . Elvis was cool, but Carl Perkins was a master. Little Richard was one of the first crossovers. Screaming Jay Hawkins too.
They consider his music for being early Punk Rock Music
Yes, it's real fire. CGI didn't exist
The fire was CGI added to the video. Also, the first boomers were around 10 years old at this time. Boomer Generation 1946-1964. Their time would be more in the 1960's.
They didn't have CGI in the 50s, dude. It was foash paper.
No cgi back then.
Real fire? He set five to the piano once!
This is what happens when you ride around on the back of a truck with a piano
That fan girl’s voice is seeexy
The earliest headbanger I can find is Cab Calloway! 🙄
Yeah a mate of mine brought that to my attention after I filmed this
The Killer always killed ?
The god of rockn’roll with little richard Chuck berry and fats domino...
Thèse guys were singers and real musicians...
They didn't have guitar as décoration.....like someone......who never did solo or intro and only played by chords.. and stopped to play to moove his body when tempo began brright....
You know what i mean....
Great stuff... gotta ck out Billy Joel 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
Yeah I've had a hunt around and not found much early Billy Joel to react to ie. pre-Piano Man, if you've got any links to point me in the right direction then go for it!
Stage FX
How About Gene Vincent and the Bluecaps
We used to get our money's worth back in the day...
I was 3 in bed.
Terrible audio,there was no CGI in the fifties,need to get version of him playing with his feet,& Elbows!!!!!!
Limitations of kinescope recording, plus who knows how many generations removed from the original source these clips are from. I have seen a marginally better copy of the Steve Allen performance, but all copies of the Dick Clark performance I've seen have sounded bad.
Picture it: Small-town Kentucky. There is no internet. I found a few of the Killer's records at my local library: MIND BLOWN. I had to hear more, and called our local radio station to request Great Balls of Fire. I was SEVEN. The dj -- yes, live literal DISC JOCKEY -- was baffled. It was 1976. I regret nothing lololol