by Rick Bragg
Stewart, Rod, 453
Stinton, Alan, 309
Stokes, Sidney, 219
Sullivan, Ed, 179, 194, 202, 206
Sumrall, Leona, 43–45
Sumrall, Mother, 43–44
Sun Records, 9, 153, 154–70, 186, 207, 260–63, 299, 312, 428, 441, 447–48, 456
censorship and, 197–201, 207
decline of Lewis’s career at, 280–85, 298–301, 313–15, 320
Lewis and, 155–84, 201, 207–19, 224–26, 234, 277–83, 298–304, 313–15, 319, 321, 447–48
Lewis’s first recording session at, 163–67
Million Dollar Quartet session, 171–76
Myra scandal and, 266–83, 298
Nashville studio, 302–3, 312, 313
publicity, 199–207, 219–21, 250, 258–59, 266, 300–301, 308, 314
unreleased Lewis recordings, 280–83, 314
“Whole Lotta Shakin’” recorded at, 181–84
Supremes, 299
Sutton, Glenn, 343
Swaggart, Ada, 31
Swaggart, Jimmy, 32, 36, 53, 59, 71, 75, 76, 84, 90, 131, 226–27, 258, 432–34, 456
fame of, 227
Lewis and, 226–27, 247, 357–58, 412–13, 416, 432–36, 438, 455
as a minister, 226–27, 356–58, 402, 433–36
sex scandals, 435–36, 442
Swaggart, Minnie Bell, 31, 33–34, 36, 45, 76
Swaggart, Willie Henry, 31, 58
Swaggart, Willie Leon, 31–32, 33–34, 73, 76
Swan Club, 123
“Sweet Georgia Brown,” 353–54
“Sweet Little Sixteen,” 252
swing music, 68, 72, 180
Sydney, Australia, 247–49, 354
Taj Mahal, 391
“Tammy,” 207
Tampa Red, 83
Tarrant, Tarp, 324, 359
Taylor, Bill, 326
Taylor, Elizabeth, 230–31, 415
television, 5, 95, 168, 185, 194, 200, 220, 276
gospel, 357
Lewis on, 200–209, 224, 250–51, 266–67, 291, 315–16, 319, 327–28, 340, 347–50, 377–79, 383–84, 392, 404, 410, 416–18, 424
Texas, 72, 112–19, 179, 193, 291, 324, 370
Texas & Pacific Railroad, 26
Texas Avenue Assembly of God, 4, 5, 43–47, 73–75, 85, 115, 116, 119, 437
Texas Playboys, 125
Tharpe, Sister Rosetta, 156
“That’ll Be the Day,” 428
“That Lucky Old Sun,” 212
“That Was the Way It Was Then,” 411
There Must Be More to Love Than This (album), 352, 353
“Think About It, Darlin’,” 346
Thomas, Irma, 83
Thomas, Rufus, 159
Thompson, Hank, 125
Thornton, Big Mama, 81
Throckmorton, Sonny, 401, 407
Tin Pan Alley, 93
Tipton, Arnell, 262
Todd, Mike, 230
“To Make Love Sweeter for You,” 345
Tomorrow (TV show), 416
“Toot, Toot, Tootsie, Goodbye,” 91
Toronto, 296, 348
Toronto Peace Festival, 348
Trenier, Claude and Cliff, 271
trombone, 83
troubadours, 139, 319
trumpet, 128
Tubb, Ernest, 14, 58, 95, 143, 375
Tupelo, 146, 259
Turner, Big Joe, 80, 125
Turner, Ike, 157, 159
Turner, Joe, 180, 304, 320
Turtle Lake, Louisiana, 32, 33, 35
“Tutti Frutti,” 377
25 Years of Jerry Lee Lewis (TV show), 416–17
Twist, Arkansas, 88
Twitty, Conway, 418
“Ubangi Stomp,” 348
Universal, 318
Valens, Ritchie, 299
Van Eaton, Jimmy, 163–65, 183, 219
Vapors nightclub, 397
Variety, 340
vaudeville, 141
Vaughan, Stevie Ray, 405
Ventures, 299
Vickery, Mack, 377, 385–86, 402, 407
Vicksburg, 1, 25, 60, 61
Victrola, 30
Vidalia, 24
Vietnam War, 376
violence, 25, 253–58
Lewis and, 11, 12, 254–58, 282, 286–96, 324, 332, 353, 371–74, 381, 385, 388–90, 394–400, 422–23, 461
in rock and roll, 253–58
Volstead Act, 33
Wagoner, Porter, 322, 345
Wagon Wheel, 123, 124–25, 131, 140, 145, 152–53, 181
“Waitin’ for a Train,” 68, 70, 347
Waits, Tom, 470
Walden, Joey, 115
“Walk a Mile in My Shoes,” 366
Walker, Billy, 179
Walker, Jerry Jeff, 391
Walker, T–Bone, 88, 252
“Walking After Midnight,” 231
“Walkin’ the Floor Over You,” 95, 102, 143, 201
Ward, Billy, 173
Waters, Muddy, 156, 252
Weiss, Carl, 34–35
Welch, Gillian, 457
WELO, 259
West, Dottie, 416
“What’d I Say,” 302–4, 348, 376, 429
“What’s Made Milwaukee Famous,” 343–44
“What Will My Answer Be?,” 74–75
WHBQ, 167, 168, 224
“When I Get Paid,” 300
“White Christmas,” 198
Whitehead, Paul, 123–30, 132, 146, 149, 152–53
legacy of, 152–53
piano technique, 125–26
Whitman, Slim, 137, 141, 219
Whittaker, Leon “Pee Wee,” 83
Whitten, J. W., 417
Whitten, Reverend M. C., 240
“Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” 146–52, 181–84, 206–13, 219, 220, 224, 246, 254, 263, 307, 317, 320, 340, 349, 377, 392, 420, 448, 455, 467
as breakthrough hit, 182, 194, 201, 206–12
censorship of, 197–201, 203, 206, 207
origins of, 146–52
performed on Steve Allen Show, 201–7
recording of, 181–84
sales of, 196, 198, 206–12
Wicked River: The Mississippi When It Last Ran Wild (Sandlin), 22
Wilbourn, Sally, 160, 261, 262
“Wildwood Flower,” 102, 161
William Morris Agency, 251, 262
Williams, Andy, 339
Williams, Dave “Curlee,” 148, 150
Williams, Hank, 4, 9, 14, 15, 75, 92–95, 137–40, 142, 144, 156, 180, 221, 225–26, 235, 252, 267, 287, 292, 300, 316, 343, 344, 374, 429–30, 445, 448, 470
death of, 138–39
Williams, Hank, Jr., 429–30
Williams, Tennessee, 61, 98
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, 98
Wills, Bob, 125, 351
“Will the Circle Be Unbroken?,” 65
“Will There Be Any Stars in My Crown?,” 65
Wilson, Jackie, 173, 222, 231, 297, 303
WLAY, 158
WMIS, 69
WNAT, 103, 135, 146
Wolfman, The (movie), 59
“Woman, Woman (Get Out of Our Way),” 352
Wood, Del, 143, 376–77
Wood, Ron, 393, 427, 430, 453
“Workin’ Man Blues,” 349, 377
World War II, 1, 57–60, 80, 268
WREC, 158
wrestling, 199
WSFA, 92, 94
WSM, 141
Barn Dance, 141
WSMB, 69
“You Are My Sunshine,” 69, 76, 97
Young, Faron, 142
Young, Neil, 427, 430, 453
Young Blood (album), 445
Younger boys, 41
“Your Cheatin’ Heart,” 94, 316
“You’re the Only Star in My Blue Heaven,” 165
“Your True Love,” 169
“You Win Again,” 94, 139, 225–26, 404, 429, 448
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo © University of Alabama
/> RICK BRAGG is the author of a trilogy of bestselling books on the people of the American South. He is a professor of writing at the University of Alabama.
DISCOVER GREAT AUTHORS, EXCLUSIVE OFFERS, AND MORE AT HC.COM.
ALSO BY RICK BRAGG
All Over but the Shoutin’
Somebody Told Me: The Newspaper Stories of Rick Bragg
Ava’s Man
I Am a Soldier, Too: The Jessica Lynch Story
The Prince of Frogtown
The Most They Ever Had
CREDITS
Cover design by Richard Ljoenes
Cover photograph courtesy of Bill Millar Collection
Front endpaper: High School Confidential, 1958. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images.
Title page: Backstage at the Star-Club, Hamburg, Germany. Redferns/Getty Images.
Back endpaper: Memphis, Tennessee, May 2014. © Ericson Group Inc.
Grateful acknowledgment is made to reprint the material on the following pages:
“Hong Kong Blues” by Hoagy Carmichael copyright © 1939 by Songs of Peer, Ltd., copyright renewed, used by permission.
“Drinkin’ Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee” © Universal Music Group, used by permission.
“Cherry Red,” written by Barry Alan Gibb. © Crompton Songs (BMI). All rights administered by Warner/Chappell Music LTD. All rights reserved.
“Hadacol Boogie” ©1938 Bill Nettles/Flat Town Music, Nettles Publishing.
“End of the Road” by Jerry Lee Lewis © Lost Square Music. Used by permission of Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
“Whole Lot of Shakin’ Goin’ On” © NIMANI Entertainment, Co.
“Crazy Arms.” Music and Lyrics by Ralph Eugene Mooney and Chuck Seals. All rights reserved.
“I Shall Not Be Moved,” written by John S. Hurt © 1998 EMI Longitude Music. All rights administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, 424 Church Street, Nashville, TN 37219. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
“Great Balls of Fire,” Words and music by Otis Blackwell and Jack Hammer ©1957 (Renewed) UniChappell Music, Inc., Chappell & Co., Inc., Mijac Music and Mystical Light Music. All Rights Reserved.
“Breathless,” Words and music by Otis Blackwell © 1958 (Renewed) UniChappell Music, Inc. All rights reserved.
“You Win Again,” written by Hank Williams Sr. © 1952 Sony/ATV Acuff Rose Music. All rights administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, 424 Church Street, Nashville, TN 37219. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
“Another Place Another Time,” written by Jerry Chesnut © 1968 Sony/ATV Tree Publishing. All rights administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, 424 Church Street, Nashville, TN 37219. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
“Lust of the Blood,” written by Jack Good, Ray Pohlman. Used by permission of Range Road Music, Inc.
“She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye,” written by Douglas Gilmore and Mickey Newbury © 1969 Sony/ATV Acuff Rose Music. All rights administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, 424 Church Street, Nashville, TN 37219. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
“She Still Comes Around.” Music and lyrics by Glenn Sutton © EMI Music Publishing.
“Mother, the Queen of My Heart” by Hoyt Brant and Jimmie Rodgers, copyright © 1933 by Peer International Corporation, copyright renewed, used by permission.
“A Damn Good Country Song,” written by Donnie Fritts © 1975 Combine Music Corp. All rights administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, 424 Church Street, Nashville, TN 37219. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
“Middle Age Crazy,” written by Sonny Throckmorton © 1977 Sony/ATV Tree Publishing. All rights administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, 424 Church Street, Nashville, TN 37219. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
“Why You Been Gone So Long,” written by Mickey Newbury © 1969 Sony/ATV Acuff Rose Music. All rights administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, 424 Church Street, Nashville, TN 37219. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
“Mean Old Man,” written by Kris Kristofferson. Jody Ray Publishing (BMI). All rights reserved. Used by permission.
“Bye, Bye, Blackbird,” written by Mort Dixon and Ray Hederson. Used by permission of Bienstock Publishing Company on behalf of Redwood Music Ltd. © 1926 (Renewed) Ray Henderson Music Company and Olde Clover Leaf Music (Administered by BUG). All rights reserved.
COPYRIGHT
JERRY LEE LEWIS: HIS OWN STORY. Copyright © 2014 by JLL Ferriday, Inc. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
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FIRST EDITION
ISBN: 978-0-06-207822-3
EPub Edition October 2014 ISBN 9780062078230
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