Jerry Lee Lewis, one of the original pioneers of rock’n’roll, has died, aged 87 at his Memphis home.
The infamous musician and last surviving member of the generation of rock that included Elvis Presley and Little Richard, career spanned over 7 generations and released the legendary tracks “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” “Breathless” and “Great Balls of Fire.”
He opened the doors for the 50’s wave of rockabilly that inspired Elvis and Carl Perkins.
His film roles included High School Confidential!; Jamboree!; American Hot Wax and had his life story turned into a film in the 1989 biopic, Great Balls of Fire starring Dennis Quaid.
Scroll through the photo gallery for highlights from his career.
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 1950s
Image Credit: Everett Collection Jerry Lee Lewis.
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 1950s
Image Credit: Everett Collection Jerry Lee Lewis, American musician, 1950s.
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 1950s
Image Credit: Everett Collection Jerry Lee Lewis.
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 1950s
Image Credit: Everett Collection Jerry Lee Lewis, Sun Records promotion, c. mid-late 1950s.
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 1956
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Rock and roll musicians Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash as “The Million Dollar Quartet” December 4, 1956 in Memphis, Tennessee. This was a one night jam session at Sun Studios.
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 1950s.
Image Credit: Everett Collection Jerry Lee Lewis, 1950s.
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 1957
Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images Jerry Lee Lewis performs in concert circa 1957 as disk jocky Art Laboe looks on, in Los Angeles, California.
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 1957
Image Credit: Getty Portrait of rock-and-roll recording artist Jerry Lee Lewis.
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JAMBOREE, 1958
Image Credit: Everett Collection Jerry Lee Lewis (right)
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 1958
Image Credit: Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images The Musician Jerry Lee Lewis With His Wife Myra, Who Is Also His Cousin And Is 13 Years Old. She Is His Third Wife, And Their Marriage Caused Quite A Scandal.
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 1958
Image Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images Promotional studio headshot portrait of American rock n’ roll singer and pianist Jerry Lee Lewis wearing a striped blazer.
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 1960’s
Image Credit: Redferns/Getty Photo of Jerry Lee.
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HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL!, 1958
Image Credit: Everett Collection Jerry Lee Lewis (far right)
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HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL!, 1958
Image Credit: Everett Collection Jerry Lee Lewis.
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HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL!, 1958
Image Credit: Everett Collection Jan Sterling and Jerry Lee Lewis on set.
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KEEP ON ROCKIN’, 1969
Image Credit: Everett Collection Jerry Lee Lewis.
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KEEP ON ROCKIN’, 1969
Image Credit: Everett Collection Jerry Lee Lewis.
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 1970s
Image Credit: Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Jerry Lee Lewis.
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 1970s
Image Credit: Getty Images THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL — Episode 11 — Pictured: (front) Jerry Lee Lewis (back) The Bee Gees (l-r) Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 1974
Image Credit: ABC Photo Archives/Getty Images Jerry Lee Lewis in concert.
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AMERICAN HOT WAX, 1978
Image Credit: Everett Collection Jerry Lee Lewis.
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AMERICAN HOT WAX, 1978
Image Credit: Everett Collection Jerry Lee Lewis and Tim McIntire.
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AMERICAN HOT WAX, 1978
Image Credit: Everett Collection Jerry Lee Lewis.
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 1982
Image Credit: Paul Natkin/Getty Images Singers Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis at the Dane County Coliseum, Madison, Wisconsin, February 18, 1982. Natkin/Getty Images)
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 1982
Image Credit: Thomas S. England/Getty Images American singer and pianist Jerry Lee Lewis (left) and singer and guitarist Johnny Cash on stage during a sound check at the Performing Arts Center, Nashville, Tennessee, January 22, 1982.
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 1986
Image Credit: Everett Collection From left: Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash recording the CLASS OF ’55 album.
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 1986
Image Credit: Everett Collection From left: Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis.
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 1987
Image Credit: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images Jerry Lee Lewis during Jerry Lee Lewis Performs at the Lone Star Cafe in New York City on January 14, 1987.
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 1980s
Image Credit: Getty Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, and James Brown stand together at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. They were three of the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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GREAT BALLS OF FIRE!, 1989
Image Credit: Orion Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection Jerry Lee Lewis, Dennis Quaid (as Jerry Lee Lewis).
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GREAT BALLS OF FIRE!, 1989
Image Credit: Orion Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection Jerry Lee Lewis and Dennis Quaid on set.
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GREAT BALLS OF FIRE!, 1989
Image Credit: Orion Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection Dennis Quaid, as Jerry Lee Lewis posing with Jerry Lee Lewis.
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GREAT BALLS OF FIRE!, 1989
Image Credit: Orion Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection Jerry Lee Lewis and Dennis Quaid on set.
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 2004
Image Credit: Lionel FLUSIN/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images Jerry Lee Lewis lives at Casino de Divonne les Bains in Divonne les Bains, France on October 09, 2004.
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 2004
Image Credit: R. Diamond/WireImage Jerry Lee Lewis, Neil Young and Willie Nelson backstage at Farm Aid 2004.
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 2008
Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images (L-R) Musicians Little Richard, John Fogerty and Jerry Lee Lewis perform onstage during the 50th annual Grammy awards held at the Staples Center on February 10, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 2008
Image Credit: Rick Diamond/WireImage Musician Jerry Lee Lewis and singer Cher at the 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards.
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 2008
Image Credit: Rick Diamond/WireImage Willie Nelson and Musician Jerry Lee Lewis backstage at Farm Aid in the Comcast Center on September 20, 2008 in Mansfield, Massachusetts.
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 2015
Image Credit: Leon Morris/Redferns via Getty Images Jerry Lee Lewis at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival on April 30, 2015 in New Orleans.
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 2019
Image Credit: Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via Getty Images Rock and roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis performs on stage with his band on January 27, 2019 at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota, Florida.
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 2019
Image Credit: Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via Getty Images Rock and roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis (center) performs on stage with his band on January 27, 2019 at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota, Florida.
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JERRY LEE LEWIS, 2022
Image Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty Image Sarah Trahern, Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn, Jerry Lee Lewis, Joe Galante and Lorrie Morgan pose with guests at the Country Music Hall of Fame 2022 inductees presented by CMA at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on May 17, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee.
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