Elvis Presley, the biggest rock star in the world, was dating a 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu, who would later become his wife. "I could so easily have said, 'Im J.W. Myra Brown, first cousin once removed and third wife of American rock and roll star, Jerry Lee Lewis, in London at the beginning of Lewis's planned British tour, 26th May 1958. 1954). Rolling Stone named him to its list of Immortals (later the 100 Greatest Artists) in 2005. "He told her, in his final days, that he welcomed the hereafter,and that he was not afraid.". Today, Myra Williams, 78, reflects on the scandal and her late ex-husband. At 13, Brown didnt see anything wrong with her marriage to Lewis. Brown, Lewis cousin and the bass player in his band. It wasnt easy persuading country writers to write for somebody they considered a hopped-up rock & roll piano man, but eventually Jerry had a song in front of him, Another Place Another Time, and he thought it spoke to him. Hes no longer part of my life. Lewis had been struggling with his health, and Judith had agreed to care for him at the request of Rusty. He grew distant. Meanwhile, Williams wrote in an Instagram post in 2015 that she had keep in contact with Lewis over the years due to their shared daughter, Phoebe. Since Myra Lewis Williams, now 70, was never able to go on with, or even to start, her life as usual, it seemed a good time to finally let her tell her own story, in her own words. It bumped De Gaulle off the front page of the newspaper. The 'Great BallsOf Fire' singer started performing in the early 1950s, in his late teens. It was about being with somebody you couldnt keep: I just put in my last dime/Heard you whisper wed meet again/Another place, another time. He sang it. In the early 1960s, he went to Smash Records, a subsidiary of Mercury. Myra Gale Brown se narodila 11. ervence 1944 ve Vicksburgu v Mississippi, dcei Lois a J.W. Took your son away from you., In 1970, Myra filed for divorce on the grounds of adultery and abuse. [9], By 1970, Lewis' drug addiction, alcoholism, and infidelity took a toll on their marriage. Seemed like I was always on my way to the graveyard, Jerry Lee said. It was something that marked Jerry for life. He hit the gate, he went on, Cause Is drunk.. Myra Gale Brown var bare 13 og troede stadig p julemanden, da hun blev gift med Jerry Lee Lewis. Although there was some controversy surrounding their involvement because Lewis and Mitchum's divorce was not yet finalised, it was mostly scrutinised given Brown's young age. "It was really the first scandal of rock 'n' roll," Brown said in an interview with Georgias Gwinnett Daily Post in 2016. Thats exactly what it was.. The radio stations that didnt play it hated it. Coming off of Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On and Great Balls of Fire, he embarked on a tour of England that was supposed to establish his fame worldwide. The British tabloids went ballistic, and after a few dates, the tour was cancelled. "What was happening back then, rock 'n' roll was coming on very, very strong. He had gone into the army and I was hitting big, but there were a lot of narrow-minded people who thought I was corrupting the youth. He took a rather different stand: Im dragging the audience to hell with me. You might say that took no small amount of courage if you believed that by making worldly music, you were putting your soul at stake. But they didnt, and I didnt, and the rest is history, I guess.. I could so easily have said, Im J.W. He was a coward, Jerry Lee told Bragg He hurt me. Myra Gale Brown. Rock & roll is mean and corrupting music, said Jerry Lee, who was raised deeply religious in Louisiana (his cousin was the televangelist Jimmy Swaggart). Others think he suspected Othello of having slept with his own wife. Remember, gossip is not gospel, Williams wrote on Instagram in 2015. My generation was taught to hide under our desk when the bomb came, so you always had in the back of your mind that any minute, any day, life could come to an end. Myra is currently in news after Jerry Lewis, her husband, died on 28 Oct 2022 at the age of 87. That Time Jerry Lee Lewis Married Myra Gale Brown, His 13-Year-Old Cousin. She just dispersed into whatever. For years, their daughter worked for Jerry Lee. "They were looking for a place to stick the knife into rock & roll. The press made me out to be a seductive Lolita, which was as far from the truth as it gets. They did have one tiff. The album of the same name proved not only among his best, but also among the best country albums of the period. She also released a memoir, The Spark That Survived, in 2016. However, its thought that his rock 'n'roll career was forever marred by his marriage to Brown. (She filed for divorce in 1970, citing allegations of abuse and adultery.). He kept marrying: In 1984, the year after Shawn Stephens death, he wed Kerrie McCarver; the couple divorced in 2005. Im stronger and appreciate different things in life that a lot of people take for granted. Before he knew it, his ticket prices had dropped astronomically, from $10,000 a night to a mere $250. When towing a car with his Jeep, the hitch came loose, causing the Jeep to flip, breaking Jr.s neck. 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. Image: Getty. Williams said she considered herself an adult at the time of her marriage to the rock star, and people around the couple said she was "more mature than Jerry." 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 had wanted to tell the story of a woman surviving difficult circumstances and inspire women to understand their own strengths,[18] so she published her memoir, The Spark That Survived, in 2016. 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. Little did they know what it was going to turn into," she reflected. The couple were due in court that same month to end the union. It was an inspired call. Reviews were good, and Catch My Soul was a hit. It also ruined Lewis' career. Back at home, he told Myra, If you ever leave me, Ill throw acid in your face, and then kissed her. "Judith, his seventh wife, was by his side when he passed away at his home in DeSoto County, Mississippi, south of Memphis," the statement read, per BBC. After my divorce, she told the L.A. Times in 1989, I had to go to a psychiatrist because I thought Ive got to have lost it. [5] The scandal over the marriage destroyed Lewis' promising rock and roll career,[8] although he subsequently found success in country music. I guess I went through like a trial by fire. Select from premium Myra Brown of the highest quality. Thats what this book basically is, this is what happened, this is how I handled it and here I am today, she said. Remember, gossip is not gospel," Lewis wrote on Instagram in 2015. According to Jerry Lee Lewis: Lost and Found, by author Joe Bonomo, he later said, I was a 21-year-old kid, and I didnt know whether I was comin or goin. [19], Since 1980, Brown has enjoyed success as a real estate agent in Atlanta. [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. Jerry Lee loved playing Iago. ", "Myra Williams, Jerry Lee Lewis' 13-year-old bride, speaks out", "Jerry Lee Lewis Married His 13-Year-Old Cousin And Ruined His Career", "Jerry Lee Lewis' teenage bride speaks out: 'I was the adult and Jerry was the child', "Jerry Lee Lewis' Lawsuit Against Daughter Dismissed by Judge", "Cousin's ex becomes Jerry Lee Lewis' 7th wife", "The Tiny Spark That Survived: The Rock 'n' Roll Life of Star's Child Bride", "Jerry Lee Lewis' former teenage wife releases new book", "Cannes Review: Ethan Coen's 'Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble In Mind', Sings the Country Music Hall of Fame Hits, Vol. What can you do but accept it? [14] The producers did not want Brown or Lewis involved with the film, but she visited the Memphis set anyway. When he disembarked at Heathrow Airport, a Daily Mail reporter met him on the tarmac and noticed there was a young girl in Lewis party. And so, the story was cooked up. The fallout began immediately after Lewis told the reporters that his wife was 15. Williams, 78, said in 2016 that shes been right here the whole time but she apparently no longer had a relationship with her notorious ex-husband after 2015. and The Frank Skinner Show. Who is Myra Gale Brown? If Myra doesnt go, he told them, Im not going.. Surprisingly, the Country Music Hall of Fame which has been around since 1961 took a long time to induct him: He wasnt admitted until October 2022, the month of his death. He sought out his cousin, Jerry Lee Lewis, who was also an unknown musician at the time. 1954). When she tried to ward him off, he grabbed her hands and beat her black and blue with her own fists. And still, the world remains fascinated by the marriagewhen the Wall Street Journal asked him about it recently, he said, I probably would have rearranged my life a little bit different, but I never did hide anything from people The newspapers in England came down heavy but they didnt faze me, really. You cant go through a life like that and come out and be OK. She is an American author and is famed with her botched marriage with Jerry Lewis. Brown, Lewis' cousin, the pair developed a romantic relationship when the singer came to live with her family. "Jay" Brown. He went immediately from being a guy who made $10,000 a night to a guy who didnt make $100 a night.. Iago is one of most formidable and daunting characters in all theater, a mystery, and he is a void: Life has wronged him and he wants to wrong others. It turned out that she was a first-cousin once-removed and - shockingly - just 13 years old. Jay" Brown. Lewis was 22. Lock him up, said Elvis. But they didnt, and I didnt, and the rest is history, I guess. She became a licensed broker in 1984, and is a recipient of the Million Dollar Life Time Award 2003. The press found out after Brown accidentally told a reporter that she was Lewis's wife. In 1984, doctors diagnosed him with perforated ulcers, and cut away a third of his stomach. Never hurt nobody unless they got in my way. Though Lewis and his team had come up with a story about Brown being 15, Brown reportedly wasn't told about this plan. Myra Gale Brown today known as Myra Lewis William, was an American author. When fans learned of this while Lewis was on tour overseas in 1958, it exploded into a . Jerry Lee Lewis and Myra Gale Brown shortly after their wedding in December 1957. He re-married soon after, also in 1953. She was 13 at the time. Alamy Stock Photo One of the most shocking scandals involving cradle-snatching rock stars was the marriage of. It was Do as I say, not as I doand if you get caught, we dont even know you. Also, a lot of people took good notes when it happened. I was seeing someone punished because of my age, my existence, and I always wanted to just stand up and defend him. Myra Gale Brown later turned Myra Lewis Williams was born on 11th July, 1944. Jack Good had plans to take it Broadway, but Lewis wouldnt go with it. Her second book chronicled her experiences becoming a mother at age 14 and then again at 17 and losing their son Steve by accidental drowning in 1962. His concert fee dropped from $10,000 a show to $250 a show. Brown. The British press reacted with outrage. Neither was badly hurt in the accident, but Lewis got charged with drunk and reckless driving. Youre the only one I know as evil as he is, Good said. His managers had warned him about the British press and their delight in tearing down American superstars, but Lewis hadnt listened. Lewis was 22 and Williams was 13, and the press came down hard on him when it was revealed that she was also his second cousin and that Lewis was still married to his second wife, Jane Mitchum, when they wed. Its got a hair trigger. Bragg related what happened next: It appears to be that way, Butch, Jerry Lee said, too drunk to be overly concerned. A musician whod worked with the country singer Mickey Gilley asked Jerry Lee if he would consider driving to Nashvillle to record a song. [16][14] The book was originally released in October 1982 by William Morrow and Company. Then, when he fell from grace, he was untouchable in a different way, but he was dogged. At that time, Elvis had gone into the Army, and Jerry was poised to be the king. As of Friday afternoon, Williams had not released a public statement about Lewis death. The trouble was, it couldnt be heard: It wasnt available in the U.S. until a 1994 release by Rhino. Everything came together at one time, and heres Elvis and heres rock & roll and heres Dick Clark and Ed Sullivana new generation born, a new music born. They would say, Youre fine. You should be. So when a reporter asked me, Who are you?, I was the one who let the big ol cat out of the bag. [5] This caused an uproar and after a few dates the tour was cancelled. Priscilla Presley Disputes Invalid Amendment to Lisa Maries Trust After just a few shows in England, the tour was canceled. What Happened To Her? Anyway - Myra is obviously a woman with a story and I am just sad that it was not told better. "Hes no longer part of my life. 108 Following. So whatever happened to her? Jerry Lee Lewis married his second cousin Myra Gale Brown when she was just 13. Jerry Lee Lewis is often tagged The Last Man Standing these days, a reference to his status among the core group of musicians who helped ignite the big bang of rock n roll of the 1950s. What I wanted was a baby in my arms, a home, a husband, a kitchen to cook in, a yard to raise roses. Other times, it must have been like playing into a void. I not only survived it, Im better for it, having gone through it. 1 of 5. Myra Gale Brown was the daughter of J.W. Because of her marriage to Jerry Lewis, she was controversial. His final marriage was to Judith Lewis (ne Brown, the former wife of the brother of Myra Gale Brown), on March 9, 2012. Jerry Lee would try to stop him, but they would get into fights. Those who wouldnt had good reasons not to. Brown was injured on the job, he decided to start a band. The Idol: How HBOs Next Euphoria Became Twisted Torture Porn Behind the Graceland Gates at Lisa Marie's Memorial: We Watched Her Go Through Her Struggles, Two days after the tour started, Lewis called it off. At one time, it seemed like I was burying somebody every week.. Jerry Lee Lewis would remain a mix of good news and bad until he was too old to trouble anybody much, but that was a long time and a lot of trouble later. Lewis had been married twice before. Few shows in England, the tour was cancelled U.S. until a 1994 by. Greatest Artists ) in 2005 the best country albums of the same name myra gale brown interview only! 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