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One of the highlights of my photojournalism career has been covering Jerry Lee Lewis. Always a thrill, always unpredictable and always interesting. Jerry Lee made the rules and Jerry Lee always only did what he wanted to, when he wanted and for whom he wanted to.
Lewis was controversial and quirky. It took patience, dedication and perseverance to do the kind of documentary photography I wanted to do on him.
I was not even alive during his heyday. Most of my coverage of him was in the second half of his life. But the idea that I was documenting history was still omnipresent.
At times, Jerry Lee had a difficult life. He dealt with a lot of personal tragedy, he had a wild reputation, and had to overcome many personal problems.
As for my experience, he was always a gentleman, on occasion a flirt. He was often anxious to go watch his favorite TV show, Gunsmoke. Judge him as you like, Jerry Lee Lewis had a deep faith in God. He was raised with his double cousin televangelist Jimmy Lee Swaggart.
As a photojournalist, you get a front-row seat to life. I always prefer to be a fly on the wall. My style is real and raw, authentic and as spontaneous as possible.
Jerry Lee Lewis was one of the Million Dollar Quartet and the last of those men living. He was a contemporary of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins. He came up under Sun Records and Sam Phillips (he produced Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Howlin' Wolf and more) .
Where ever you go, all over the world, you can hear their music playing. They are still ever-present and relevant all these years later.
What struck me most about Jerry Lee is how much he loved to play piano. He was passionate about playing, always. He never seemed to tire of it. He’d even practice in his hotel room before a show.
He loved his fans and often invited them into his dressing room after the show.
His buddy, newsman Jim Kingsley, one of the original “Memphis Mafia”, would bring me down to the ranch and tell Jerry Lee to let me take photos of him. Jim was someone who could get Jerry Lee to do whatever he asked.
I was with Jerry Lee when he was a guest on Donald Trump’s yacht. I watched the IRS carry Jerry Lee’s piano out the door of his Mississippi ranch for back taxes. I was there with him and Dennis Quaid at parties around the filming of Great Balls of Fire. I witnessed him signing his name to open a name-sake club on Beale Street. I watched him perform at The New Daisy with Dr. Nick ( best known as Elvis Presley's personal physician) standing in the wings. I was there when he and his seventh wife Judith renewed their vows. I was at the garage sale where they were selling his Rolls Royce, some of his record collection and his cowboy boots. I was at many of his birthday parties, concerts, and even a recording session.
At home, he would often retreat to his bedroom which had a security guard door and bars on the windows.
My photos of him ran in newspapers and magazines all over the world.
He put a little extra sparkle in my life. He was living history. He was one of the people who put Memphis and Memphis music on the map.
He was an original, and a living legend.
He will be missed.
