One of rock’s founding fathers, Jerry Lee Lewis died at the age of 87 in the United States on October 28th. The information was confi rmed by Zach Farnum, the singer’s friend and manager, who said that the death was due to “natural causes”.

Jerry Lewis was born in Ferriday, Louisiana state, in the US. He taught himself piano and started playing at the church his family attended. His fi rst performance was at age 14 at the opening of a local car store. Six years later, Lewis got a deal with Sun Studio, the same company that discovered Elvis Presley, another rock star.

Throughout his career, Jerry released 40 albums, including Another Place (1968) and Last Man Standing (2006). Some of his most famous songs are “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On”.

Lewis inspired many other artists, including British singer Elton John, who mourned his death with a social media post. “Without Jerry Lee Lewis, I wouldn’t have become who I’m today. He was groundbreaking and exciting, and he pulverized the piano. A brilliant singer too,” he posted.

In 1986, Jerry Lewis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a museum designed to preserve the memory of the greatest artists of this musical style. Lewis is survived by daughters Phoebe and Lori, sons Jerry Lee III and Ronnie, two sisters, and his wife Judith.

Questions

1) At what age did Jerry Lee Lewis have his first performance?

a) 20 years old

b) 14 years old

c) 15 years old

d) 6 years old

2) Do you like rock and roll  as a music genre? Why?

Sources: ABC, Billboard, Folha de S.Paulo, Isto é, G1, Omelete and The Washington Post

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