RIP Jerry Lee Lewis

There’s a lot of discussion these days about the difference between art and the performer. There’s probably not a much bigger example of that double edged sword than Jerry Lee Lewis. Already enough of a personality for a biopic in my youth, Dennis Quaid’s portrayal probably only made me like him more. In the early 90s, Rhino re-released “Live at the Star Club, Hamburg 1964” finally as a CD with the ensuing publicity surrounding it as the greatest live album of all time. It’s a full decade (and several universes) from Iggy’s Metallic KO but it is no doubt deserving of its reputation. Counter to my previous image of 50s rock n roll singers, Lewis is for 40 minutes, the Sonic combination of Johnny Rotten, the Ramones, Jimi Hendrix and Little Richard. All of the stories are true. For the first part of my life, I frequented a small town Record Store that was a local institution for many years. It was a usual stop for me and my friends as vinyl gave way to CDs up until Best Buy finally got the niche for cost and selection in the late 90s. Even then, we often figured a couple of dollars were worth it to support the proprietor- someone who seemingly was tied to rock n roll from birth- the same age, the accompanying haircut and a store full of expensive glam rock imports. One needn’t ask, but of course, his favorite artist was Jerry Lee Lewis. Per Google search, the store was in operation from 1978 until 2017. Ironically, around the time that vinyl was becoming a hot commodity again (though of course, as the appropriate retirement age was also near) it closed. Still, I know those of a certain age and location will always hold it in their memory.