Lewis had previously married twice. Nardine Saad covers breaking entertainment news, trending culture topics, celebrities and their kin for the Los Angeles Times. Jerry Lee Lewis and Myra Gale Brown shortly after their wedding in December 1957. ". She has been in news due to the death of her husband, on October 28, 2022. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. "And most of the time, people have no idea who I was! Myra Lewis Williams told Fox News Digital her father was furious when he learned of the marriage. from $6.99 1 New from $6.99 Details the love affair between singer Jerry Lee Lewis and his thirteen-year-old cousin, Myra Brown, and the scandal that resulted from their marriage in 1957 Print length 373 pages Language English Publisher St Martins Pr Publication date January 1, 1989 ISBN-10 0312916418 ISBN-13 978-0312916411 See all details When they got back to Memphis, it had been found that Brown was the little girl of Lewis cousin and bass player, J.W. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. [4] Lewis asserted that Brown was 15 years old and was his wife of two months. Despite re-marrying Brown, this time in a legal ceremony during which he was not already married, and moving in with her parents afterward, the public remained firmly anti-Lewis. [21], Last edited on 11 February 2023, at 05:24, "Loganville couple celebrates 75 years of marriage, music and memories", "JERRY LEE LEWIS, ROCK, STOCK AND BARREL", "The Strange and Mysterious Death of Mrs. Jerry Lee Lewis", "Jerry Lee Lewis's short-lived music success", "Jerry Lee Lewis Online Wild One's Clubhouse: The Largest Jerry Lee Lewis Homepage on the Internet! " The tour in London was booked. With a new memoir, The Spark That Survived," she wrote at the time, sharing an image emblazoned with "Whatever happened to Myra?" (Photo by Express Newspapers/Getty Images). He won three Grammys and recorded with some of the industrys greatest stars. Not only were they criticizing her age, they were also pointing out the fact that Jerry Lee Lewis had once again married before his divorce was finalized. Here is a closer look at his family! After Lewis' second device was finalized, he tied the knot with Myra Gale Brown. 9 interesting facts (that don't blame the farmers). You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Though they were no longer together, they remained amicable throughout the rest of Lewis marriages and still keep up with each other. In 1957, Lewis infamously married his 13-year-old first cousin once removed, Myra Gale Brown. For a man from his time and place, however, marrying at 13 and marrying one's third cousin (twice removed) were both fairly commonplace, although Lewis further complicated matters by again marrying before the divorce from his second wife was final. All rights reserved. She was crying as she moved down the hall. (The situation was not helped by the fact that his latest single was called "High School Confidential."). Myra Lewis Williams, seen here with Jerry Lee Lewis during their marriage, has led a quiet life in Atlanta Georgia where she worked as a real estate agent. Myra Lewis Williams, also known as Myra Gale Brown, was the third wife of late rock 'n' roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis and more infamously his 13-year-old cousin at the time they got married.. The backlash was swift and deserved. When Myra Williams looks back on her life her marriage to her cousin, singer Jerry Lee Lewis, in 1957 when she was just 13 years old, their good and bad times together, the two children they. 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). Jerry Lee Lewis, 23, married Myra Gale Brown in 1957. His managers had warned him about the British press and their delight in tearing down American superstars, but Lewis hadnt listened. Red flag warning issued for large portion of Florida. Lewis reinvented himself as a country performer. (1989). The couple had two kids, Steve Allen Lewis (19591962) who suffocated at age three, and girl Phoebe Allen Lewis (b. Copyright 2023 by Vizaca. When Jerry married his first cousin once removed,Myra, the former couple welcomed two adorable kids together. [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. It was crude and rude and ridiculous what it was doing to the teenagers. ", "I was the adult in the room and Jerry was the silly child," she said. On October 22, 2022, Friday, famous singer Jerry Lee Lewis died at age eighty-seven, and beside the outpouring of tributes to his abilities came reminders of his infamous wedding to his 13-year-old cousin-german in 1957. However, Williams said she wants to look back at the happier times they had. Instead director Jim McBride, who co-wrote the script with Jack Baran, "ends up simply satirizing the argyle innocence and daffy exuberance of the 50s," according to The Times' review. For her part, Williams said that she wasnt 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. over an old photo of her and Lewis. a little baby sittin' in a high chair. Pate died in 1982 due. It was to Judith Brown, who was the ex-wife of his cousin Rusty Brown, Myras younger brother. Phoebe worked for him and when I visited her I would still see him, too. Myra Gale Brown, however, hadnt been told of the story and failed to follow along with the fib. My little brother was born because I begged my parents for a baby at ten years old.. "Jay" Brown. She was a stolid, hard-working black woman who'd taken care of Jerry Lee since before he moved down here from Memphis more than ten years, that made it. The last survivor of a generation that included fellow performers Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Little Richard, died Friday morning at age 87. I dont like that, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, Elliott: Kings use their heads over hearts in trading Jonathan Quick, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, The Weeknd is getting mocked for his response to Rolling Stones The Idol expos, Daisy Jones & the Six review: Riley Keough fronts a rock soap opera, Aaron Carters mom posts awful photos from death scene, pushes for homicide inquiry, Wayne Shorter, influential jazz saxophonist and composer, dies at 89, Travis Scott is sought by New York Police after alleged assault and criminal mischief. Along with Murray Silver, Brown composed an account of Lewis, Great Balls of Fire: The Uncensored Story of Jerry Lee Lewis. My daddy will kill you. And he said, Oh no, he wont. The revelation resulted in the abrupt cancellation of Lewis' tour; he was blacklisted by radio and his earnings dropped overnight. Unfortunately, returning stateside did nothing to stop the flood of vitriol that was spewing about Lewis and Brown. Lewis shocked Hollywood when news broke that he wed his second cousin Myra Gale Brown in 1958. They called it the devils music. Thats what I yearned for more than anything else. But they didnt, and I didnt, and the rest is history, I guess.. Her Instagram account has been dormant since early 2016. The couple owns a real estate company in Atlanta. Thank you everyone for never giving up!! Jerry Lee Lewis plays the piano for his 13-year-old bride at the Cafe de Paree. It turned out that she was a first-cousin once-removed and - shockingly - just 13 years old. "I'm right here! When we arrived, the reporters were there as everyone got off the plane. Ronnie was born in 1956, about three years into Jerry and Janes marriage. Thirteen year old Myra Gale Brown sitting on Jerry Lee Lewis lap. 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? Jerry Lee Lewis had already gone through two marriages by 1957; he'd married Jane Mitcham, his second wife, 23 days before his divorce from his first wife, Dorothy Barton, was final. "Its not a story that ever went away. Lewis was on his way to international rock and roll stardom when he married Brown . [1] In 1949, the family moved to Memphis, Tennessee, when J.W. "Jerry Lee Lewis may be a lot of things, but hes not a simple cartoon. She also described herself as "the adult in the relationship" with Lewis. She dwells in Duluth, Georgia with her better half Richard Williams. She said "I do" once more to Richard Williams in 1984, and they have been together ever since. She was married to her cousin, rock star Jerry Lee Lewis. In this blog post, we will present to you 9+ cases of famous cousin marriages that shocked everyone, in some cases, even the partners themselves did not know about their family origins. Alamy Stock Photo One of the most shocking scandals involving cradle-snatching rock stars was the marriage of the. 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. Jerry Lee Lewis, left, poses with Myra Gale Brown at a London press conference on May 24, 1958. [14] Although Brown found the actors to be talented and friendly, she was not satisfied with the book or the film. Since 1980, Brown has enjoyed success as a real estate agent in Atlanta. RM 2AGA94W - Rock 'n' roll singer Jerry Lee Lewis, whose British tour was cancelled after he had been jeered on the stage of a London theatre, with his 13-year-old wife, Myra (l) and his sister, Frankie, 15, at London Airport. Is Sex/Life Season 3 Happening? Rusty Brown is Myra Gale Brown's brother, O'Connor said. Over the course of his life, he was married to seven different women, including Myra Gale Brown, 78, who was also Jerrys first cousin once removed. The revelation resulted in the abrupt cancellation of Lewis tour; he was blacklisted by radio and his earnings dropped overnight. It was here where Lewis met Brown's daughter, Myra Gale Brown, while on . "Ive had a different life here," she said. Lewis and Brown went on to have two children, Steve and Phoebe, but after all of . Myra Lewis Williams was approached by a reporter in London during the middle of her husband's tour. He was blacklisted from the radio. The radio stations that didnt play it hated it. Brown is a basketball player, and she used to be married to the brother of Lewis's third wife, Myra Gale Brown. ", Rock n roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis passed away on Friday at age 87. 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. And when I said what I said, it was like his hair caught on fire. Stephanie Nolasco covers entertainment at Foxnews.com. Little did they know what it was going to turn into.. 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. But that career hit a sharp nosedive in 1958,whenthe 22-year-old musician'smarriage to Myra Gale Brown, his 13-year-old cousin,became public. Hollywood Life Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images). local news and culture, David Accomazzo 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. 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. "[4][10] Their divorce was finalized on December 9, 1970. Myra and Jerrys daughter,Phoebe Lewis, 59, was born in 1963, about four years after Steven was born. It was during that year that the pianist embarked on a tour in England. Brown's family in the Coro Lake neighborhood in south Memphis. Jerry Lee Lewis was a rock n' roll pioneer & died at the age of 87 years old. Thats how the career took a gigantic nose dive when we arrived in London. 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. Myra Gale Brown (born July 11, 1944) is the cousin and former wife of singer Jerry Lee Lewis. "Sometimes I say something about Jerry and people say, 'Isnt he the one married the little girl?' Their daughter, Lori, was their only child that they had together. Brown, who is known today as an author, is Lewis' first cousin once removed. Myra Gale Brown was the daughter of J.W. When Jerry marriedJaren Elizabeth Gunn Pate in 1971, the two later welcomed his second daughter, Lori Lee Lewis, in 1972. After the press found out in 1958 that Lewis, then 22, married his young cousin, the rock-and-roll star experienced a tremendous backlash that stalled his career for years. More than a long time coming and more than well deserved. On December 12, 1957, Jerry married his third cousin, Myra Gale Brown. He possibly based it on Latin myrra meaning "myrrh" (a fragrant resin obtained from a tree ). The radio stations that didnt play it hated it. Lewis went on to marry four more times. Brown played electric bass, and Lewis played piano and sang. It was to Judith Brown, who was the ex-wife of his cousin Rusty Brown, Myra's younger brother. The name may be derived from Miranda as it can be the shortened version the name Mira. They called it the devils music. Infatuation with a child simply seemed to come with rock and roll territory. Depending on how you view the fact that Jerry Lee Lewis has been married seven times, he's either extremely lucky in love, or "the Killer" is a real killer with the ladies, convincing that many women to marry him. Sam got Jerry to the airport and put him on a plane. In 1970, Brown petitioned for legal separation on the grounds of infidelity and misuse; charging that she had been subject to each kind of physical and mental maltreatment possible. Their separation was settled on December 9, 1970. Myra Gale Brown today known as Myra Lewis William, was an American author. in 2004.. 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. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Moreover, Lewis had not at this point separated from his past spouse, Jane Mitcham. Im stronger and appreciate different things in life that a lot of people take for granted. My 1988 book and the resulting movie, Great Balls of Fire, were just the beginning. Lewis with Myra Gale Brown. There were plenty of ups and downs in her marriage to Lewis. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. She later pursued a career in music and worked on the movie Benji: Off the Leash! But I pulled through it. On December 12, 1957, Lewis wed a woman named Myra Gale Brown (pictured above), who was also his cousin. 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. We were going to visit a bunch of places in Europe. Small world. This was a one-night jam session at Sun Studios. PAT BOONE RECALLS MEETING PAL ELVIS PRESLEY: 'HE WAS JUST A SCARED YOUNG KID', "We were driving from Memphis to Louisiana and Phoebe was about three or four years old," she remembered. Nesbit, MS (25 miles south of Memphis) At the age of twenty-one, Jerry Lee Lewis "The Killer" arrived in Memphis, Tennessee in 1956. [15][19][11], She is shown being interviewed in the Ethan Coen directed 2022 documentary film Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind. (Photo by Express Newspapers/Getty Images), Williams said it was "ridiculous" to be referred to as a "child bride" because she "did not feel like one. Jerry Lee Lewis pictured with his daughter Phoebe at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington, West London. View all photos from this album. Sadly, Jerry II died in 1973 when he was only 19 years old, perThe Guardian. The teenager tragically overturned his Jeep and died in the car accident. 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. That was a very hard time, a very sad time for me. She is most popular for her union with rock n move performer Jerry Lee Lewis who is her subsequent cousin. On December 12, 1958, Myra, 13, married Lewis, 22, in Hernando, Mississippi. ", a 1989 biopic of the famous rock 'n' roll musician. Earthy colored remarried in 1984 and is presently known as Myra Williams. Options, mindsetsthis world has gone so fast the last fifty years that you cant keep up with it. [16][14] The book was originally released in October 1982 by William Morrow and Company. Many fans gave tribute to him and his talent after his death and remembered his and Marry notorious brown marriage. Brown and his family. ", Myra Lewis Williams was approached by a reporter in London during the middle of her husband's tour. To Jerry Lee, the uproar was hard to understand: "I plumb married the girl, didn't I?" 1954). 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.. After Lewis concluded his separation from Mitcham, he remarried Brown on June 4, 1958. Jerry and everybody else was being interviewed and I just stood in the lobby where they were going to play. And, Myra said later, she herself felt ready for marriage. In 2014, Brown, then 70 and known as Myra Williams,gave an interview to music journalist Alan Light published inCuepoint, in which she reflected onher shocking relationship with Lewis. Jerry Lee Lewis 1935 - 2022. They were looking for a place to stick the knife into rock & roll, she said. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Related: 1:11 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. He outlived Elvis, but his career as a rock star was forever crippled by the scandal. I stopped in the middle of my reading to sip my Coca-Cola because I was so thirsty. He married a 13-year-old, Myra Gale Brown, who later said she was "subject to every type of physical and mental abuse imaginable." He shot his bass player, was a serial adulterer, abused drugs . February 24, 2021 Before he knew it, his ticket prices had dropped astronomically, from $10,000 a night to a mere $250. Now I'm older and wiser, and [not] malleable in the hands of others. I tried to ignore the reporter, but he kept insisting. Hulton Arcive/Getty ImagesJerry Lee Lewis and Myra Gale Brown shortly after their wedding in December 1957. Your daddy likes me and your mama likes me. I just kept telling him, They will kill you.", "The next day, he said, You wanna go to a movie or something?" Williams shared. Theyve Had an Inappropriate Relationship For Months, How Black Creators Can Expand Their Network with LinkedIn, Jerry Lee Lewis was a recording artist known for his hit song Great Balls of Fire.. She married Lewis on December 12, 1957, at the age of 13. Lewis was poised to replace Presley as rock n roll's new hit-maker. Did Jerry Lee Lewis marry his niece? Its noon, and the lobby of the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel is swarming with the ladies-who-lunch set. The marriage lasted a year and a half. 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. The press made me out to be a seductive Lolita, which was as far from the truth as it gets. The proud dad welcomed his first son,Jerry Lee Lewis Jr., in 1953. All rights reserved. He later played electric bass and piano in a band with his cousin Jerry Lee Lewis. Myra Gale Brown : All I ever wanted was a little pink house with a blue door. Additionally, his latest single was called High School Confidential, which, though unrelated to his relationship, did not help his case. "And Jerry gave it to themwell, I did, I opened my mouth. And now, via Cuepoint, comes fascinating insight into the relationship that pretty much destroyed Lewis . Tragically, Steve drowned in a pool in 1962 when he was three years old. Earthy colored has a more youthful sibling, Rusty Brown (b. 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. Lewis practiced an incredible backlash that stalled his career for years. American rock 'n' roll musician (19352022), Reports: 3 children dead, 2 wounded in attack at Texas home, Kellyanne Conway, George Conway To Divorce After Decadeslong Marriage: Report, School punished teen girl for working out in sports bra in 100-degree Texas heat, ACLU says, U.S. court won't require FAA to make airplane seat size, spacing rules, 'Extremely dangerous': Spike in illegal crossings at Canada-Vermont border has feds sounding alarm, SoCal in for cool start to weekend, but light rain makes brief return, AccuWeather: Clouds and wind into Saturday AM. They took it and ran. (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images), Fox News Flash Top Entertainment Headlines 10/31, Emma Stones 'And' co-star Willem Dafoe had her slap him 20 times to get scene right, Prince Harry's 'attacks' on 'villain' Camilla led to Frogmore Cottage eviction: expert, Film industry reacts to death of 'Saving Private Ryan' star Tom Sizemore: 'You're a legend', Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves take bumpy second flight after 'CHAOS' on Lufthansa plane: 'Wish me luck', Kelsey Grammer wont apologize for the 'difference' that Jesus has made in his life. Because we have a daughter, Jerry and I remained in contact for many years, she wrote. Lewis had told everyone that Brown was his wife but failed to mention her actual age, instead, telling them she was 15. The book propelled the 1989 film Great Balls of Fire!, featuring Dennis Quaid as Lewis and Winona Ryder as Brown. Legal Statement. [9], By 1970, Lewis' drug addiction, alcoholism, and infidelity took a toll on their marriage. She has a career in real estate in Georgia since 1980 (under the name Myra Williams or Myra Lewis Williams). Stinky! Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. In the end, she says, Jerry Lee Lewis downfall was a bigger issue than her age. And nothing was going to change it.". This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. 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. Getty Images. If you think you know [my] story of being the 13 year old bride of my second cousin, youre in for a surprise, she teased. "And that daddy was looking for him with his trusty little pistol. Myra Gale Brown is an American author. Parents. Everything We Know So Far. 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 "Jerry's wife.". Full body measurements, dress & shoe size will be updated soon. But that career hit a sharp nosedive in 1958, when. Myra Gale Lewis Williams (ne Brown; born July 11, 1944) is an American author, best known for her controversial marriage at the age of 13 to rock and roll musician Jerry Lee Lewis, who was her first cousin once removed and was 22 at the time.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! American actor Dennis Quaid as Jerry Lee Lewis and Winona Ryder as Myra Gale Brown in the film "Great Balls of Fire! 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. Thats the way it was. Jerry Lee Lewis, the rock and roll innovator whose career stumbled after his marriage to his 13-year-old cousin Myra Gale Brown, is dead at the age of 87.. Lewis' passing was announced on Friday, October 28th by his publicist, Zach Farnum of 117 Group. What was happening back then, rock n roll was coming on very, very strong. The former U.S. president was married to his fifth cousin once removed, Anna Eleanor Roosevelt. Did Arkansas women's basketball do enough to make March Madness? Become a member to support the independent voice of Phoenix I get down sometimes, the rock star shared. and help keep the future of New Times, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our. Jerry Lee Lewis III, 35, was born in 1987, about three years after Jerry and Kerrie tied the knot. Thats what this book basically is, this is what happened, this is how I handled it and here I am today, she said. [19], Since 1980, Brown has enjoyed success as a real estate agent in Atlanta. ", 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. Myra Lewis Williams has no hard feelings over the relationship and still blames the press for turning it into something wicked. He continued to record music and perform in theater during that time and mounted a comeback about a decade later. All Rights Reserved. Prior to their divorce, the former couple welcomed two children, Phoebe and Steve. So whatever happened to her? Myra Gale Brown Today What Happened To Her. His death had previously been erroneously reported by TMZ and other outlets on October 26th. The exes remained cordial over the years because of the bond they shared with their daughter.
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