Lewis was 22 and Williams was 13, and the press came down hard on him when it was revealed that she was also his second cousin and that Lewis was still married to his second wife, Jane Mitchum, when they wed. The teenager tragically overturned his Jeep and died in the car accident. Myra Gale was 13 years old when she married to 22 years old Jerry Lee Lewis in 1958. Myra Gale Brown is an American author. '", Myra Lewis Williams described Jerry Lee Lewis as "a country bumpkin who wore blue jeans and had ears that stuck out" when they first met. When we arrived, the reporters were there as everyone got off the plane. The couple owns a real estate company in Atlanta. Lewis and Brown went on to have two children, Steve and Phoebe, but after all of . 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. Myra Gale Browns height is unknown & weight Not Available right. I guess he had it all set up. and The Frank Skinner Show. She became a licensed broker in 1984, and is a recipient of the Million Dollar Life Time Award 2003. Earthy colored wasnt happy with the book or the film, so she delivered her journal, The Spark That Survived, with subtleties of her wild union with Lewis and the life after him. His bride, Myra Gale Brown, was also thrust into the spotlight, and years later discussed how she "never lost the first name '13-year-old-child-bride-Myra.'" Myra Lewis Williams, . It was adapted into the 1989 film Great Balls of Fire!, starring Dennis Quaid as Lewis and Winona Ryder as Brown. After they divorced, Brown worked as a receptionist to support her daughter as a single parent. He proclaimed himself for ever a rock'n'roller, through his remaining decades of turmoil, lurid tragedy and . I pull myself out of it. She is a writer, known for Great Balls of Fire! The press made me out to be a seductive Lolita, which was as far from the truth as it gets. At the time, Jerry was married toJane Mitchum, which was his second marriage after he split from his first wife,Dorothy Barton. That stir was nothing compared to the one his third marriage would cause, however. Biography, Net Worth, Gossips, Salary, News & Much More. Myra Gale Brown today known as Myra Lewis William, was an American author. This was a one-night jam session at Sun Studios. Jerry and everybody else was being interviewed and I just stood in the lobby where they were going to play. His bride, for her part, told the gathering that 15 wasn't too young to marry back home: "You can marry at 10 if you can find a husband.". Brown, Lewis' cousin and the bass player in his band. From left: Musicians Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash as "The Million Dollar Quartet" on Dec. 4, 1956, in Memphis, Tennessee. Lewis was 22. ", "I was the adult in the room and Jerry was the silly child," she said. Brown, Lewis cousin and the bass player in his band. Brown took a job with Memphis Gas, Light and Water, where he worked as a lineman. . Market data provided by Factset. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images). ", Jerry Lee Lewis pictured with his daughter Phoebe at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington, West London. They had two children, Steve Allen Lewis (19591962), who drowned at age three, and daughter Phoebe Allen Lewis (b. If I can survive lifes worst tragedies and my own dumb-ass decisions, you can, too.. I find living is nice and calm this way.. 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. His earnings dropped overnight to virtually nothing. This is the book I wanted to write then. . It was really the first scandal of rock n roll, Williams told Georgia's Gwinnett Daily Post in 2016. . [14] Although Brown found the actors to be talented and friendly, she was not satisfied with the book or the film. In 1957, 22-year-old Jerry Lee Lewis married Myra Gale Brown. The singer married his first wife, Dorothy Barton, when he was just 16. (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. Little did they know what it was going to turn into.". Legal Statement. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Jane is also the mother to Jerrys second-born son,Ronnie Guy Lewis, 66. Lewis went on to marry four more times. 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. As of Friday afternoon, Williams had not released a public statement about Lewis death. She became a licensed broker in 1984, and is a recipient of the Million Dollar Life Time Award 2003. "I was more of the adult than Jerry was. Phoebe is from his third marriage to Myra Gale Brown. Dawn Staley thinks so, Why do we have daylight saving time? He outlived Elvis, but his career as a rock star was forever crippled by the scandal. In 1956, Lewis moved in with J.W. Myra Gale Brown. in 2004. She also described Lewis drug addiction, being the victim of abuse, divorcing and jumping into a rebound marriage, the Gwinnett Daily Post said. 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. Im stronger and appreciate different things in life that a lot of people take for granted. I hope my story helps you handle your own ups and downs. 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 . Who are you? And I said, Oh, Im Jerrys wife. I may as well drop the bomb in the middle of London Town.". The marriage eventually came to an end in 1970, when Williams divorced Lewis. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Lewis was 23 at the time of his wedding to his 13-year-old cousin. Go to college, get an education, then figure it out.' However, since his marriage a few years ago to my ex-sister-in-law, who wasnt an ex yet when they got together (yes, you read that correctly), Phoebe quit working for him and I havent seen him since. 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 Whats going on? Lewis practiced an incredible backlash that stalled his career for years. From left: Musicians Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash as "The Million Dollar Quartet" on Dec. 4, 1956, in Memphis, Tennessee. "He called me out to his car and showed me something. And he brought his marriage license home to me for us to get married. 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. Moreover, Lewis had not at this point separated from his past spouse, Jane Mitcham. These vintage pics of Jerry Lee Lewis with his new wife, Myra Gale Brown, accompanied by his sister Jean as they arrive at Idlewild Airport in New York City on May 28, 1958. (Getty Images). Im right here! 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. This created a scene and after a couple of dates, the visit was dropped. 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. What was happening back then, rock n roll was coming on very, very strong. That memory will never not be funny to me.". Browns daughter,' she said, looking back on the day it was revealed she was 13 and Jerry Lee Lewis spouse. Brown, who celebrate their 75th wedding anniversary on Monday, with their daughter, Myra, in the late 1940s or early 1950s. Their fans were heartbroken when they knew they parted ways after an extended period, and it was Lewis, not their first marriage; he had already been married 2,3 times previously. Unfortunately, returning stateside did nothing to stop the flood of vitriol that was spewing about Lewis and Brown. She is most popular for her union with rock 'n' move performer Jerry Lee Lewis who is her subsequent cousin. But that career hit a sharp nosedive in 1958, when. Thats what this book basically is, this is what happened, this is how I handled it and here I am today, she said. So whatever happened to her? With a new memoir, The Spark That Survived," she wrote at the time, sharing an image emblazoned with "Whatever happened to Myra?" ", a 1989 biopic of the famous rock 'n' roll musician. I mean, he was ready to kill. He also toldThe Guardianhow he copes with having lost a few of his kids and ex wives. Jerry Lee Lewis pictured with his daughter Phoebe at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington, West London. The press in both London and Memphis soon discovered the truth about Myra's age and the date of their wedding, and the response was immediate. All rights reserved. Lewis married once more to Jaren Elizabeth Gunn Pate the following year. A little bit down. Phoebe Lewis-Loftin later became her father's manager and lived at his ranch in Nesbit, Mississippi until 2012, when he married Judith Brown,[12] the ex-wife of his first cousin once removed, Rusty Brown (Myra Gale's brother). Earthy colored wedded Lewis in Hernando, Mississippi on December 12, 1957, at 13 years old. 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. But it was a different world, things have changed so drastically. The Killer was there within seconds. At the time, she hadnt realized that there was anything wrong with her relationship with Lewis. 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. When J.W. [19], Since 1980, Brown has enjoyed success as a real estate agent in Atlanta. I guess I went through like a trial by fire. 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.. Brown allegedly told a reporter she was Lewis' wife, and Lewis claimed Brown was 15 years old and had been his wife for two months. American actor Dennis Quaid as Jerry Lee Lewis and Winona Ryder as Myra Gale Brown in the film "Great Balls of Fire! She was known as the wife of Lewisrock n roll star Jerry Lewis. Famous People Who Married Their Cousins. To Jerry Lee, the uproar was hard to understand: "I plumb married the girl, didn't I?" ", Rock n roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis passed away on Friday at age 87. The press made me out to be a seductive Lolita, which was as far from the truth as it gets. Indeed, it was. Rock n roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis passed away on Friday at age 87. Remember, gossip is not gospel, Williams wrote on Instagram in 2015. "Theyve lost a great entertainer, a very talented man. Williams, 78, said in 2016 that she's been "right here" the whole time but she apparently no longer had a relationship with her notorious ex-husband after 2015. "We kept thinking every year, every six months, that it was going to go away, theyre going to stop talking about it, and it just didnt happen. In America, he told them, it was quite all right to marry at age 15, even at 10, provided you could find a husband. [20] Now known as Myra Lewis Williams, she resides in Duluth, Georgia with her husband; they own a real estate company. Would Williams do it all over again if she could? Many fans gave tribute to him and his talent after his death and remembered his and Marry notorious brown marriage. The backlash was swift and deserved. I hope my story helps you handle your own ups and downs. Im stronger and appreciate different things in life that a lot of people take for granted. "We dont know, maybe this couple loves each other. 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. All Rights Reserved. Myra Lewis Williams has no hard feelings over the relationship and still blames the press for turning it into something wicked. Myra Lewis was born on July 11, 1944 in the USA as Myra Gale Brown. Jerry Lee, never one to change his mind, took her anyway. The couple eventually decided to call it quits and divorced in 1957. She filed on the grounds of adultery and abuse. "And thats how we got married," she chuckled. Thats how the career took a gigantic nose dive when we arrived in London. Despite Elvis success, Brown felt that the world just wasnt ready for rock and roll. Because that was the truth! He convinced disc jockeys to give him a second chance, and the music industry eventually forgave him. "I said, OK, sure. So we got in the car and he drove straight to the preacher that married us. Is Sex/Life Season 3 Happening? The preachers hated it. This was a one-night jam session at Sun Studios. The British press began labeling Lewis, a "cradle robber" and a "baby snatcher," criticizing his performances (which had always been hit-or-miss, depending on the singer's mood, and calling for a boycott of his concerts. I not only survived it, Im better for it, having gone through it. 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. (She filed for divorce in 1970, citing allegations of abuse and adultery.). That is when the world learned of their shocking marriage. 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. Jerry Lee Lewis 1935 - 2022. Their daughter, Lori, was their only child that they had together. Stephanie Nolasco covers entertainment at Foxnews.com. [5] The scandal over the marriage destroyed Lewis' promising rock and roll career,[8] although he subsequently found success in country music. American rock musician Jerry Lee Lewis holds his second cousin and third wife Myra Brown in his lap at a press conference in the Westbury Hotel,. Myra Lewis Williams was approached by a reporter in London during the middle of her husband's tour. Copyright 2023 by Vizaca. Myra (given name) The name Myra was created by the 17th-century poet Fulke Greville 1st Barone Brooke (1554-1628). Getty Images. "I'm right here! I dealt with [the controversy] a lot better than anybody else did I had not thought like a child in a long time. In 1957, Lewis infamously married his 13-year-old first cousin once removed, Myra Gale Brown. Since 1980, Brown has enjoyed success as a real estate agent in Atlanta. First, Myra Gale Brown had been just 13 years old when they got married on Dec. 12, 1957. The preachers hated it. Before Jerry Lee Lewis and Myra Gale Brown divorced in 1970, the couple had two children, one of whom died as a child and the other who manages his career today. "And Jerry gave it to themwell, I did, I opened my mouth. ", Williams again addressed their scandalous relationship in her 2016 memoir, "The Spark That Survived." They called it the devils music. Here is a closer look at his family! Myra Gale Brown, however, hadnt been told of the story and failed to follow along with the fib. I get down sometimes, the rock star shared. 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). Lewis married Myra before his divorce from his second wife was final. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Lewis in the long run discovered achievement in down-home music. Lois (left) and J.W. Lewis was poised to replace Presley as rock n roll's new hit-maker. 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. However, Williams said she wants to look back at the happier times they had. On December 12, 1958, Myra, 13, married Lewis, 22, in Hernando, Mississippi. 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.
Disadvantages Of Holistic Assessment, The Mandagies Bucket List By State, Articles M