And so, the story was cooked up. Lewis tour was canceled. What was happening back then, rock n roll was coming on very, very strong. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Getty Images. Thats exactly what it was.". (Couples married young in his Louisiana hometown of Ferriday, and he wed for the first time when he was 16 and had seven wives over the course of his life.). But that career hit a sharp nosedive in 1958, when. Myra and Jerry Lewiss marriage was considered the most controversial marriage in history. A lot of ink has been spilled about his close blood relationship with Myra, and the fact that she was only 13 and still believed in Santa Claus when the pair were married. Nardine Saad covers breaking entertainment news, trending culture topics, celebrities and their kin for the Los Angeles Times. I guess I went through like a trial by fire. The marriage eventually came to an end in 1970, when Williams divorced Lewis. In 1957, Lewis infamously married his 13-year-old first cousin once removed, Myra Gale Brown. Prior to their divorce, the former couple welcomed two children, Phoebe and Steve. In America, he told them, it was quite all right to marry at age 15, even at 10, provided you could find a husband. She said "I do" once more to Richard Williams in 1984, and they have been together ever since. Robert Fontenot Jr. is an entertainment critic and journalist focusing on classic rock and roll and published nationally for more than 25 years. I not only survived it, Im better for it, having gone through it. Lewis stated that Brown was 15 years of age and was his better half of two months; in any case, it was found that she was just 13, and that they had been hitched for almost five months. "My 1988 book and the resulting movie, Great Balls of Fire, were just the beginning. It was crude and rude and ridiculous what it was doing to the teenagers. Jerry Lee Lewis marriage to his 13-year-old cousin in 1957 nearly ended his career. There was never a big argument about it it was just a resolve. Myra Brown was born on July 11, 1944, in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and She was 78 years old as of 2022. Williams penned twobooks discussing her relationship: "The Spark That Survived" in 2016 and "Great Balls of Fire: The Uncensored Story of Jerry Lee Lewis" in 1982. She co-wrote many books, such as Great Book Of Fire and The Spark That Survived, and earned people's love and popularity through her book. She also described herself as "the adult in the relationship" with Lewis. Earthy colored. According to Williams, her relationship with Lewis also gave criticsof rock 'n' roll more leverage to attack the genre. [14], Brown hired writer Murray Silver to co-write a book that was meant to be her autobiography, but after a publisher's editing it became Great Balls of Fire: The Uncensored Story of Jerry Lee Lewis. . [6][7] In addition, Lewis had not yet divorced his previous wife, Jane Mitcham. From left: Musicians Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash as "The Million Dollar Quartet" on Dec. 4, 1956, in Memphis, Tennessee. Myra Gale Brown (born July 11, 1944) is the cousin and former wife of singer Jerry Lee Lewis. Earthy colored wedded Lewis in Hernando, Mississippi on December 12, 1957, at 13 years old. Phoebe Lewis-Loftin later became her father's manager and lived at his ranch in Nesbit, Mississippi until 2012, when he married Judith Brown,[12] the ex-wife of his first cousin once removed, Rusty Brown (Myra Gale's brother). Become a member to support the independent voice of Phoenix Katie Serena is a New York City-based writer and a staff writer at All That's Interesting. Williams and Lewis divorced in 1970. Jerry and everybody else was being interviewed and I just stood in the lobby where they were going to play. Their son passed away in 1962 at age 3 from drowning in a swimming pool. ", Jerry Lee Lewis pictured with his daughter Phoebe at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington, West London. In 1971, the rock 'n'. Is Sex/Life Season 3 Happening? A year later, the late singer found love again and married Myra Gale Brown and they stayed married until 1970. Great Balls of Fire is the toon of rock movies, with Jerry Lee Lewis reduced on screen to Roger Rabbit, Times music critic Robert Hilburn wrote at the time. Life and career Earthy colored was brought into the world on July 11, 1944, in Winnsboro, Louisiana, the girl of Lois and Jay "J.W." Brown. Go to college, get an education, then figure it out.' Inside The Short And Tumultuous Life Of Gia Carangi, "The World's First Supermodel", 44 Grim Photos That Show The Brutal Reality Of Mid-Century America's Polio Epidemics, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. And he was going everywhere going, Are you my mother? This poor little duck was just desperate. . If I can survive lifes worst tragedies and my own dumb-ass decisions, you can, too.. There was no getting around it. She was a stolid, hard-working black woman who'd taken care of Jerry Lee since before he moved down here from Memphismore than ten years, that made it. Indeed, it was. Lewis and his sixth wife, Kerrie McCarver, were married for 20 years and had a child. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Thats how the career took a gigantic nose dive when we arrived in London. Many fans gave tribute to him and his talent after his death and remembered his and Marry notorious brown marriage. "But I didnt know. Many remember Jerry Lee Lewis for the prolific music career that cemented his status as a rock 'n' roll icon before his death at age 87 Friday. When they got back to Memphis, it had been found that Brown was the little girl of Lewis cousin and bass player, J.W. After the two were married on December 12, 1957, Lewis planned to take Brown along on a tour of England. "I was reading this book about this baby duck who got lost from its mother. His death had previously been erroneously reported by TMZ and other outlets on October 26th. She is best known for her controversial marriage at the age of 13 to rock and roll musician Jerry Lee Lewis, who is her first cousin once removed. But that career hit a sharp nosedive in 1958,. I was happy to think I would have a home and a husband and children. With a new memoir, The Spark That Survived, she wrote at the time, sharing an image emblazoned with Whatever happened to Myra? over an old photo of her and Lewis. Myra Gale Brown : I don't know how to be a wife. [1] They went on to make rock and roll history, recording hit singles on Sun Records. ". Lewis went on to marry four more times. I could so easily have said, Im J.W. "He told him my parents found [his] marriage license," she said. They were divorced in 2004, according to Spinner.com. Before he knew it, his ticket prices had dropped astronomically, from $10,000 a night to a mere $250. [4] After Lewis finalized his divorce from Mitcham, he remarried Brown on June 4, 1958. He had taken a friend of his to the courthouse. [10][11] Brown filed for divorce on the grounds of adultery and abuse,[5] stating that she had been "subject to every type of physical and mental abuse imaginable. Here is a closer look at his family! Lewis shocked Hollywood when news broke that he wed his second cousin Myra Gale Brown in 1958. I tried to ignore the reporter, but he kept insisting. Lewis and Myra were divorced in 1970. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! After reading about the third wife of Jerry Lee Lewis, Myra Gale Brown, check out Lori Maddox and Sable Starr, two teenage groupies who made a career out of chasing after rock stars. (Getty Images). Jerry Lee Lewis III, 35, was born in 1987, about three years after Jerry and Kerrie tied the knot. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Biography, Net Worth, Gossips, Salary, News & Much More. He continued to record music and perform in theater during that time and mounted a comeback about a decade later. (Photo by Tom Baffer/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images). (7) See myra gale brown stock video clips. American actor Dennis Quaid as Jerry Lee Lewis and Winona Ryder as Myra Gale Brown in the film "Great Balls of Fire! ", For her part, Williams said that she wasn't a fan of her first book and its movie adaptation because they were someone elses idea about how that part of her life story should be told, the Post said. independent local journalism in Phoenix. Click to Subscribe to Get Our Free HollywoodLife Daily Newsletter, Allison Holker Snuggles Up To Kids Maddox, 7, & Zaia, 3, Nearly 3 Months After Twitchs Tragic Death, Ariana Madix Hangs With Pal Kristen Doute Amid Tom Sandoval & Raquel Leviss Cheating Drama, Tom Sizemore Dead: Acclaimed Actor Dies At 61 After Brain Aneurysm, Is Sex/Life Season 3 Happening? He was set to become rock music's biggest star, as the tour was supposed to establish his worldwide fame. Lewis practiced an incredible backlash that stalled his career for years. Parents. Elvis Presley, the biggest rock star in the world, was dating a 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu, who would later become his wife. A little bit down. "I said, OK, sure. So we got in the car and he drove straight to the preacher that married us. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Williams conjointly lined their wedding with the 1982 book nice Balls of the fireplace, custom-made into a 1989 film prima Dennis Quaid as Lewis and Winona Ryder as Williams. His managers had warned him about the British press and their delight in tearing down American superstars, but Lewis hadnt listened. When Jaren was suing Jerry for divorce she tragically died in a friends swimming pool in 1982. And now, via Cuepoint, comes fascinating insight into the relationship that pretty much destroyed Lewis . The "Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On and Great Balls of Fire" hitmaker had eloped with Myra Gale Brown in December 1957, the result of a romance that developed when he moved into the Memphis home of Myras father, JW Brown, who was Lewis cousin and bass player, according to Lewis' obituary in The Times. But when he and his entourage landed in London, the press was eager to . All Rights Reserved. However, the two the face of it created peace later. (The situation was not helped by the fact that his latest single was called "High School Confidential."). If I can survive life's worst tragedies and my own dumb-ass decisions, you can, too. Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesThirteen year old Myra Gale Brown sitting on Jerry Lee Lewis lap. The 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees are Dolly Parton, Duran Duran, Eminem and more. It was really the first scandal of rock n roll, Williams told Georgia's Gwinnett Daily Post in 2016. You come out of the fire you make it. [5] She married her third husband, Richard Williams, in 1984, and joined his Century 21 Real Estate office. . I think this book will warm your heart, tickle your funny bone, and touch your soul. How long was Jerry Lee Lewis married to his cousin, in this case? It was also controversial because she was 13 years old at the time, while Lewis was 22. In the end, she says, Jerry Lee Lewis downfall was a bigger issue than her age. The British public, fueled by the tabloids branding Lewis as a cradle robber and a baby snatcher, practically drove him out of the country, vehemently abhorring his relationship. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. How is this happening? [3][2] When Lewis arrived in London for a 37-date tour in May 1958, Brown revealed to a reporter at the airport that she was his wife. "Jerry Lee Lewis may be a lot of things, but hes not a simple cartoon. Brown. American actor Dennis Quaid as Jerry Lee Lewis and Winona Ryder as his underage wife Myra Gale Brown in the film 'Great Balls of Fire!', a biopic of. [2], On December 12, 1957, at the age of 13, Myra Brown married Jerry Lee Lewis, then 22, in Hernando, Mississippi. Lewis didn't seem to realize that this was offensive to most urban markets (and to other countries). Though they were no longer together, they remained amicable throughout the rest of Lewis marriages and still keep up with each other. This was a one-night jam session at Sun Studios. Before Kurt and Courtney, Sid and Nancy, or John and Yoko, there was Jerry Lee Lewis and his thirteen-year-old bride, Myra Gale Brown. People didn't know it at the time that they wed, but although she was listed as a 20-year-old, legally Brown was actually only 13 (via Biography). Longtime Gwinnett resident Myra Lewis Williams has penned a new memoir sharing her life story, including her teenage marriage with her second cousin rock n' roll star Jerry Lee Lewis. I hope my story helps you handle your own ups and downs. [4] By the time they returned to Memphis, it had been discovered that Brown was not only Lewis' wife, she was also his first cousin once removed. All you could hear was Jerry going, Well?! At the time, she hadnt realized that there was anything wrong with her relationship with Lewis. "Sometimes I say something about Jerry and people say, 'Isnt he the one married the little girl?' Who are you? And I said, Oh, Im Jerrys wife. I may as well drop the bomb in the middle of London Town.". That was a very hard time, a very sad time for me. Remember, gossip is not gospel, Williams wrote on Instagram in 2015. Little did they know what it was going to turn into.". But I pulled through it. Everything We Know So Far, Shoppers Say This Nicole Kidman-Approved Brands $4 Lip Balm Is the Best of the Best for Healing Cracked Lips, Did Vanderpump Rules Tom Cheated on Ariana With Raquel? Remember, gossip is not gospel," Williams wrote on Instagram in 2015. Williams said her father marched down to Sun Records ready to confront Lewis. Dad, youre the greatest and I love you!, he captioned the snapshot. Jerry Lee Lewis : They just want to see the new king of rock 'n 'roll. " The tour in London was booked. Hes no longer part of my life. In a separate Instagram post from 2015, Williams elaborated on her later relationship with the rocker, sharing a photo of them with their daughter, Phoebe. The couple had two of Lewis' six children: son Steve Allen Lewis (named after former late-night TV host Steve Allen), who tragically drowned when he was only 3 years old, and a daughter, Phoebe, who now manages the singer's career and lives at his ranch in Nesbit, Mississippi. There were plenty of ups and downs in her marriage to Lewis. Jerry Lee Lewis made global headlines after news of his marriage to his 13-year-old cousin Myra Gale Brown came to light in 1958. Myra Lewis Williams told Fox News Digital her father was furious when he learned of the marriage. That Time Jerry Lee Lewis Married Myra Gale Brown, His 13-Year-Old Cousin. Jerry Lee Lewis married his second cousin Myra Gale Brown when she was just 13. Lewis with Myra Gale Brown. The 1989 biopic "Great Balls of Fire," which starred Dennis Quaid as Lewis and a 17-year-old Winona Ryder as Myra, was based on Williams' first book of the same name. However, upon landing in the country with his child-bride, it became clear that the Brits were not on board with Jerry Lee Lewis. View all photos from this album. She was known as the wife of Lewisrock n roll star Jerry Lewis. Lewis Fired, Then Sued His Daughter. myra gale brown Photos. Myra Gale Brown was the daughter of J.W. and The Frank Skinner Show. in 2004. She married Lewis on December 12, 1957, at the age of 13. However, while Lewis toured in England, the press not only learned of the controversial marriage to Williams, but that the star was still married to his previous wife. Two of those unions ended in untimely deaths for the brides, and his fourth and final marriage came in 2012. 1963). See also Other Works | Publicity Listings | Official Sites (Photo by Zak Hussein - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images). First, Myra Gale Brown had been just 13 years old when they got married on Dec. 12, 1957. Quick filters: Black & white. Legal Statement. We were like a little camp that had been attacked by the enemy, and we held strong to each other and said, regardless of what they do, were going to keep fighting.". Small world. "[4][10] Their divorce was finalized on December 9, 1970. What I wanted was a baby in my arms, a home, a husband, a kitchen to cook in, a yard to raise roses. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images). [15][19][11], She is shown being interviewed in the Ethan Coen directed 2022 documentary film Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind. We were going to visit a bunch of places in Europe. ", Jerry Lee Lewis, rock 'n' roll pioneer and perpetual ball of fire, dies at 87, "It was something that marked Jerry for life," she said. Nesbit, MS (25 miles south of Memphis) At the age of twenty-one, Jerry Lee Lewis "The Killer" arrived in Memphis, Tennessee in 1956. She co-wrote the book Great Balls of Fire: The Uncensored Story of Jerry Lee Lewis (1982), which was adapted into the film Great Balls of Fire! JOHNNY CASHS SON, JOHN CARTER CASH, RECALLS LATE SINGERS DEEP DEVOTION TO FAITH: HIS GREATEST LEGACY, Jerry Lee Lewis and Myra Lewis Williams with their newborn son Steve Allen Lewis on Feb. 28, 1959, in Ferriday, Louisiana. Brown was injured on the job, he decided to start a band. I'm only 13. Stinky! Now a news-agency reporter, Ray Berry, raised questions about Jerry's third wife, Myra Gale Brown. Lewis had been married twice before. Infatuation with a child simply seemed to come with rock and roll territory. Below is everything to know about the late singers kids! She filed on the grounds of adultery and abuse. "Phoebe worked for him and when I visited her I would still see him, too. And when I said what I said, it was like his hair caught on fire. ADVERTISEMENT 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Myra Brown, his Ex-wife, also showed her grief after his death and said in a recent interview, She never Lost hwePrimery Name 13 years old Child Bride Title.. Lewis, who died Friday at age 87, weathered professional exile in 1958 after a reporter covering his arrival in London inquired about the young girl in his entourage who ultimately introduced herself as Jerrys wife.. Origins of Jerry Lee Lewis's Nickname: The Killer, 30 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Elvis, 30th Anniversary of 1986 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Biography of Frank Sinatra, Legendary Singer, Entertainer, 25 Best Country Pop Crossover Songs of All Time, American Bandstand - 10 Great Performances. Myra Brown, of Andover Community Care, talks about the organization's efforts to help raise money for those in need. The British press began labeling Lewis, a "cradle robber" and a "baby snatcher," criticizing his performances (which had always been hit-or-miss, depending on the singer's mood, and calling for a boycott of his concerts. Ronnie was born in 1956, about three years into Jerry and Janes marriage. The American press proved just as harsh as their English counterparts, and Jerry Lee's fee for personal appearances soon dropped from $10,000 a night to $250. Siblings . They called it the devils music. Im not sure Jerry even remembered where he went, but he was just put on the first plane leaving because daddy was furious. Full body measurements, dress & shoe size will be updated soon. In 2016, when William was 78 years old, shes been right here the whole time but she no longer had a relationship with her notorious ex-husband since 2015. Myra Gale Brown was born on July 11, 1944, in Vicksburg, Mississippi, the daughter of Lois (ne Neal) and J.W. Jane is also the mother to Jerrys second-born son,Ronnie Guy Lewis, 66. So whatever happened to her? Jerry Lee Lewis may be a lot of things, but hes not a simple cartoon., Williams again addressed their scandalous relationship in her 2016 memoir, The Spark That Survived. While promoting the book, she took to Instagram to air some of the sordid details. After Lewis' second device was finalized, he tied the knot with Myra Gale Brown. The revelation resulted in the abrupt cancellation of Lewis tour; he was blacklisted by radio and his earnings dropped overnight. [5] This caused an uproar and after a few dates the tour was cancelled. Earlier in London, Myra, who was 13 years old and Lewis's third cousin, revealed their secret marriage. She has a career in real estate in Georgia since 1980 (under the name Myra Williams or Myra Lewis Williams). The teenager tragically overturned his Jeep and died in the car accident. You come out of the fire you make it. | Powered by Artimization. [5] The scandal over the marriage destroyed Lewis' promising rock and roll career,[8] although he subsequently found success in country music. Thats what I yearned for more than anything else. ELVIS PRESLEY'S FINAL MONTHS WERE PLAGUED WITH PHYSICAL PAIN AS HE EMBARKED ON GRUELING TOUR, AUTHOR CLAIMS, "I let the cat out of the bag," said Williams. The book propelled the 1989 film Great Balls of Fire!, featuring Dennis Quaid as Lewis and Winona Ryder as Brown. His bride, Myra Gale Brown, was also thrust into the spotlight, and years later discussed how she "never lost the first name '13-year-old-child-bride-Myra.'" Myra Lewis Williams, .