Jerry Lee Lewis in History of Rock & Roll
Jerry Lee Lewis (1935–) is an American rock and roll singer and musician best known for his unpredictable on-stage antics and hits such as "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and "Great Balls of Fire."
In 1956, Jerry Lee Lewis auditioned for Sun Records, the home of the up-and-coming Elvis Presley. By early 1957, two of his most energetic compositions, "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and "Great Balls of Fire" had blazed up the music charts.
By 1958, however, Lewis' popularity had become mired in controversy around his marriage to a teenage cousin. In the summer of 1958, he published a full-page ad in Billboard that read, "I confess that my life has been stormy. [...] I hope that if I am washed up as an entertainer, it won't be because of this bad publicity."