Life with the Killer

December 2008 Holiday Blog

Hey Everyone,

After a six week tour of Europe, my Daddy and I returned home to our ranch in Nesbit and our wildly appreciative dogs – safe and sound and ready to celebrate the holidays.  For the past two weeks or so since we’ve been back, we decided to do nothing more stressful than unpacking, decompressing, decorating the house for Christmas, and taking care of a few odds and ends.

It’s funny, when I travel with my Daddy on business and work hard behind the scenes coordinating the many demands and details of touring, I run the risk of missing the chance to savor the special moments when the Killer is tearing it up on stage.  Not this time though!  I took advantage of every opportunity to see the show regardless of whether I was sitting out front with the crowd or hanging out back stage.   For me personally, this is one tour that I will always remember with great fondness.  Those of you who had a chance to watch a performance or two know exactly what I mean when I say how great my Daddy sounded and looked.  As we travelled from city to city, and playing for audiences that ranged from enthusiastic, deeply appreciative, and loving to wildly passionate and frenzied with the spirit of great rock and roll, my Daddy seemed to get more and more animated and refreshed as the tour went on.   His voice was so strong and clear and soulful, and his piano seemed like it had a life all its own.  Honestly, he enjoyed the shows as much as the people who bought a ticket and trust me, at each of our stops along the way, the audience saw Jerry Lee Lewis at his best. 

Equally satisfying was the opportunity to visit and catch up with so many of our long time friends and special fans – some of whom have been coming to shows since the 1960’s.  I am smiling as I type this thinking about the laughs we shared.  I also want to mention how special it was to have Wanda Jackson on the bill again with my Daddy.   As many of you know, Wanda is the queen of rockabilly and as she has been called by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC “the sweet lady with the nasty voice.”  Wanda is a pioneer in this business and her talent and energy and showmanship make her seem ten feet tall on stage. 

And lest I forget, I want to extend my sincerest thanks to Linda Gail Lewis and her daughters Mary Jean and Annie for the fabulous job they did opening some of the shows for my Daddy.   In case you have not had the pleasure yet of seeing Linda Gail perform, believe me, she really kicks it into high gear when she's on that stage.  You can definitely tell that she has a true passion for her music and is a Lewis through and through!     

Now for the silly, behind the scenes stuff, that has nothing to do with touring. 

Don’t let it get around, but I, Phoebe Lewis, daughter of the great Jerry Lee Lewis, am guilty of setting off the fire alarm at our hotel in London and responsible for causing all the guests and hotel staff to immediately evacuate the premises.

Here’s what happened.  After checking into the hotel and changing into something a little more comfortable than jeans, I decided that it would be a good thing to relax a little before dinner by burning incense in my room, sitting down with a good book to read, and enjoying some of the tasty snacks that room service just dropped off.  Hey, I was being careful but apparently the new smoke alarms in this five-star hotel are hyper-sensitive and not exceedingly forgiving.   I was kicking back in an overstuffed arm chair, my feet comfortably resting on an ottoman, my shoes and socks somewhere near the closet, when all of a sudden, the overhead fire alarm started to wail like it was an air raid drill during the World War II blitzkrieg!  I was trying to keep my cool but through no fault of my own, things rapidly escalated into a comedy of errors and our little traveling pack looked like the keystone cops.  I first tried to make the alarm stop blaring by fanning sheets of note paper underneath the smoke detector.  Our road manager, J.W. Whitten dashed into the room from my Daddy’s adjoining suite and said with great confidence “here, let me show you how to do that.”   J.W., bless his heart, picked up my winter coat which was draped over the back of the chair and with the flair of a Spanish bull fighter started waving at the smoke detector with purposeful intensity but on the reach back he managed to knock the lamp off the table which crashed to the floor.  Then my Daddy popped his head in the room and as you can imagine, was kind enough to share with J.W. and me the benefit of his thinking (ugghh) but fortunate for us, we couldn’t hear much over the deafening sound of the alarm. Now we were notified that we would have to leave our cozy, warm rooms and evacuate the hotel with the rest of the guests.  My Daddy was none too pleased as he had to rush to put his socks and boots back on as he continued to “sing my praises.”   He slipped on his overcoat and we all headed down the back stairs, rushing to keep pace with the other guests.  So here we were, standing outside in the cold, on the private road that leads to Kensington Palace, former home of Princess Diana.   In our little huddle were me, my Daddy (who is not a huge fan of really cold weather), J.W., and some of our new best friends from the hotel.  As if things weren’t silly enough, I started running around trying to make the employees understand that the hotel was not really on fire and that I had inadvertently set off the fire alarm simply by burning incense in my room.  My Daddy told me to pipe down or they were going to have me arrested.  A few minutes passed and I was looking around from face to face when all of a sudden something dawned on me; “Hey, where the heck are Cecil Harrelson and Linda Gail Lewis – who had both checked in with us?”  Just then, out of the corner of my eye I noticed Cecil, barreling around the corner wearing what looked like a very large tin foil poncho which draped down below his knees!  Linda Gail was following close behind with a big grin on her face.  I looked back at Cecil and thought “what is he wearing and what the heck was he doing?”  Well, as it turned out, Linda and Cecil had been having coffee in the restaurant as I was up in my room executing my “relaxation plan.”  Apparently the inimitable Mr. Harrelson was wearing a light tee shirt and blue jeans and totally unprepared for an emergency evacuation into the raw London weather.  Like I said, it was awfully cold outside so the hotel was thoughtful enough to provide him with an oversized piece of fireproof material to keep him warm and protect his assets.  To me, he looked like a Christmas turkey fully prepared to go in the oven, basted, wrapped, and ready to roast.  What a day…what a day!

And speaking about Christmas, as I mentioned earlier, we are all back at ranch, and have been busy getting ready for the holidays.  Just like all of you, we love decorating the house and putting up the lights, and in our hearts, hoping that Santa will be good to us this year.  As usual, I am cooking our traditional family dinner, but I think that we will keep things under control and not over do the menu and end up with too many leftovers.   We are happy that Linda Gail may be able to join us. This should be a lot of fun as it is always nice to have family around.  So to one and all, from me, Jerry Lee Lewis, Cecil Harrelson, J.W. Whitten, Steve Green, Michael Blitzer, and the entire Lewis family, Merry Christmas and best wishes for a happy, healthy, prosperous, and blessed New Year.

Phoebe

OLD GLORY

Hey Everybody!!

We are back home from Washington DC, our nation's Capitol and a truly memorable July 4th celebration!!!  What a blast we all had (no pun intended)!

This year, as we celebrated the 232nd anniversary of the birth of our nation, my Daddy was invited to perform at a very special concert honoring America.  This production was broadcast live to tens of millions of people throughout the United States and the world.  The frenetic activity behind the scenes was an example of controlled mayhem to say the least.  Famed producer Walter C. Miller and his staff of dedicated, hard working professionals somehow made the impossible possible and produced a seamless program that will be an enduring work of art.  Every single member of the crew that I met was so competent and accommodating.  In addition, our publicist, Maureen O'Conner from Rogers & Cowan was on hand to help us out. Maureen has a knack for keeping a cool head during times of crisis and handles complex details as effortlessly as my Daddy plays the piano.

The night before the live broadcast a dress rehearsal was scheduled which probably had 100,000 people in attendance.  Believe me this in and of itself was a great show but in all honesty, the live performance on 4th of July takes the cake and had a special energy all its own. During our time in DC, JLL was feeling  fantastic and the band sounded great. We all think JLL did a tremendous job!  I have received a record number of phone calls and email messages since the program aired on PBS. Everyone is bragging on my Daddy and quite frankly, I absolutely love to hear that!!!

As I have written in previous editions of my blog, backstage access is always a privilege and a pleasure that I am fortunate to enjoy.  This event was no exception. We had a chance to meet and visit with some of the other talent on the program. Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton was on hand. I saw Scott strolling along several yards in front of me and couldn’t help myself from shouting over to him and waving.. Here is an athlete that I have greatly admired for years.  In the early 1980s, Scott won four consecutive U.S. figure skating championships as well as four consecutive World Championships and of course the gold medal at the 1984 winter Olympics.  He came over and visited for awhile. Scott was incredibly down-to-earth and could not have been more sociable and engaging.  He is a true gentleman.  Over the years and aside from skating, I have followed Scott’s courageous battle against testicular cancer and a benign brain tumor.  I have also been deeply touched by his selfless contributions to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital here in Memphis.  He is a resilient champion and a truly special man. He had his darling little boy Aidan with him who just happens to be the spitting image of his Dad. 

And speaking about the Olympics, as many of you know, this year the summer Olympics will be held for the first time in Beijing, in the People’s Republic of China, August 8 to August 24.  I saw online that the slogan for this year’s Olympics is “One World, One Dream.”  I don’t know about you, but I really enjoy the competition.  In Washington, we had a chance to see many of the athletes who were getting ready to go to the Olympics and represent America.  In a very straight-forward way, I was very proud of these kids.

Back at the show….Huey Lewis came over to us right after he got off stage still dripping with sweat and looking pretty good if I do say so. Huey is a powerhouse performer and his talent seems larger than life when he is out in front of an audience of almost a half a million people. Offstage, I found him to be a sweet, humble and respectful individual as he spoke with my Daddy for a few minutes before they had to drive us to the stage on a golf cart for JLL to get ready to perform.

While in DC, I also took the opportunity to do a little sightseeing with my good friend Doug who happens to live in the area and knows his way around the district. I saw the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Viet Nam Veterans Memorial Wall, and the new National World War II Memorial, recently dedicated by President Bush in May of 2004. All are amazing sights to see and for me, a very emotional experience. It was wonderful to be there in Washington during Independence Day and celebrate America's birthday while acknowledging and paying homage to the countless men and women of the U.S. armed forces who have fought to defend the freedom we sometimes take for granted in this great country of ours.  Doug also took JW Whitten to see the Viet Nam Veterans Memorial Wall. JW is a veteran of that war and knew several of the boys who died in the conflict and now have their names permanently inscribed on the memorial wall. I can't imagine what that must have been like for him.

Ending on a playful note, after JLL’s performance of Great Balls of Fire, I genuinely appreciated the incredible fireworks presentation so much that I seriously considered including it as a special feature in all of my Daddy’s upcoming performances. OK, cooler heads prevailed and on second thought, I realized that the logistics would present a wee bit of a challenge for most venues but you have to admit, that display of inspired pyrotechnical artistry was awesomely cool! If anybody missed it it's already posted on YouTube so go and check it out.

Stay cool everyone and stay tuned.

Phoebe Lewis

Firecracker Special - The Killer Honors America

Hey everybody.

I finished this entry to my blog as my Daddy, JW Whitten, and I head home from Bluesville, a great performance venue at the Horseshoe Casino in Tunica Mississippi. We just saw a terrific show by our old friend Merle Haggard. As it turned out, this was a real family affair as Merle's older son Noel opened the concert for his Dad and Ben, Merle's youngest son, played rhythm guitar in the band. I'll say it; those Haggard boys don't take a backseat to anyone when it comes to pure talent.

Beforehand, we all went backstage and visited with Merle. As you can imagine, this country music legend is very laid back and incredibly gracious. He made sure that his manager, Frank Mull, took extra special care of us. I have included a picture of my daddy and JW sitting in the audience watching the show. JLL was offered a chair on the stage – in the wings – but my Daddy wanted to go sit out front in the crowd and just be a regular fan of a performer that really has earned his respect.

Down the street from the Horseshoe Casino, Tanya Tucker was playing and after her gig, she dropped by Bluesville and spent some time with my Daddy and Merle. JLL and Tanya have known each other for many years.

Overall, it has been a fun spring so far here in Nesbit even though it has felt like summer, actually reaching a sweltering 97 degrees almost every day with stifling humidity. Hey, that’s Dixie for ya! Usually, when we are not on the road or doing an appearance or a special event, we just hang around the ranch and relax but this spring, my Daddy and I are more active than in the past. A few weeks ago, we decided to go pay a visit to BB King who was also performing locally. JLL and BB found some time to hang out with one another prior to the show.  It was great to see those two together again. Both BB and my Daddy are always so busy so when they have time to catch up, it is special. We caught BB’s performance and it was really fantastic. My Daddy and I agreed that BB is playing and singing better than ever and that’s no exaggeration. We had a wonderful time.

The weekend before the BB King show, JW, Mary Jo Pritchett, and I headed down to Beale Street in Memphis and saw the Rowdy Friends Tour with Hank Williams Jr. and Lynyrd Skynyrd. For those of you who do not know this about me, when I was a teenager, and tucked away at a boarding school in the north Georgia mountains, I became a huge fan of Lynyrd Skynyrd and even had a crush on guitarists Gary Rossington and Ronnie Van Zant. Fast forward to the Rowdy Friends Tour from a couple of weeks ago; during the show I yelled, "Free Bird" and I drank beer too!  My daddy says I'm going to have to quit drinking that beer because I'm getting a little wild lately. OK, let's look at this. Jerry Lee Lewis is telling me that I'm getting wild!!!! Sorry daddy, you got no room to talk there.

So anyway, we went backstage before the Skynyrd show to say hi to the band. Hank Jr. had not arrived yet but we did have a chance to visit with Gary Rossington, Rickey Medlocke, Johnny Van Zant, and the boys from Skynyrd.  Honestly, I felt like a teenager all over again being around those guys. They could not have been sweeter to Mary Jo and me. Rickey Medlocke, a longtime fan of “the Killer,” asked about my Daddy and I thought that was so sweet of him. Rickey’s granddaddy was the great Shorty Medlocke, a delta blues legend and someone of whom I am a big fan.  But, I gotta’ say, meeting Gary Rossington backstage that night was definitely one of the highlights for me and is way at the top of my list of cool. Given where he came from, the hard work he put into his art and what he has been through...I am just so grateful that he is still around and kicking that guitar. So many people just don't know how tough many performers have had it during their careers. Life on the road is brutal and unforgiving. There's a lot more down time than you can imagine and then there is just an hour or so on stage to do what you love and came to do. As someone who has seen my own father's life up close and personal, believe me, it is a rough ride for musicians. Real rock and rollers are the toughest guys I know and I admire and I love them for being true to their heart. Let me add that I don't know a single performer that would go back and change what they chose to do to make their mark on the world. They really do love the music and perhaps this is why we have such strong feelings about them and why their legacies are so enduring. Musicians really are ALL THAT and more.

June 15 was Fathers Day and like all good daughters, I bought my Daddy a bunch of presents to celebrate. With some of the gifts, I tried to pay homage to his intrepid spirit and rugged demeanor. For starters, I got him a genuine (synthetic) coon skin cap. I also went to our local sporting goods store and told the salesman I wanted to buy my Daddy a knife for Father’s Day. He asked me what my Daddy did with knives; hunt, fish, etc., and I said no, “he throws them and sticks them up in his bedroom door.” The young man behind the counter was a bit taken aback and kind of looked at me nervously and said, “well, sounds like that man needs one of our best throwing knifes.” “Yeah, that's it” I said, so, I got him one. Then I saw this gorgeous  Browning Liberty Tree knife. It is a real collectable. I am pretty sure my Daddy likes it but in case I am wrong, I am going to keep it for myself – it is gorgeous!! For those of you who are interested, you can read all about the fascinating story of this limited edition knife at: http://www.beebusyoutdoors.com/lihilitrlied.html. Hey now, I am all about American History.

Finally, If you don't hear from me before the 4th of July be sure and watch Jerry Lee Lewis perform on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington DC as he honors America at the annual Fourth of July Concert broadcast on PBS. Here is a link for more information: http://www.pbs.org/capitolfourth/concert.html. Everyone please enjoy a healthy and safe Independence Day celebration and watch out for those fireworks as they can be dangerous!! Let’s leave that stuff to the pros.

God Bless America.

See y’all soon.

Phoebe

Memphis In May

Jerry Lee Lewis did a great show recently at the Beale Street Music Festival which as most of you know, is part of the annual Memphis in May celebration. This is one event in particular that my Daddy always looks forward to playing and genuinely has a good time.  This year was no exception and it sure didn’t hurt that the weather was picture perfect.   The crowds at Tom Lee Park on Riverside Drive between Beale Street and Georgia Avenue were enthusiastic and rowdy as ever (nothing beats a good Memphis audience).  “The Killer” loves the energy and responded by playing a full set of 12 songs.  There really is something about a home field advantage that is true even for musicians. 

Backstage, there was some great BBQ being served and although my Daddy never eats before a performance, it sure didn’t stop me.  Aretha Franklin arrived for her set which was scheduled to follow JLL’s and not only did she look as pretty as a spring flower, she was undeniably sweet and gracious to everyone she met backstage. I have always been a fan of Aretha’s music and believe me, it’s a nice surprise when an artist of her renown is just as warm in person as she is on the stage.  Original Sun artist Billy Lee Riley was also there to perform.  This is Billy’s twelfth year at the festival.  He looked and sounded great. The last time I saw Billy Lee was out in Cleveland a little while back during the American Music Masters tribute to my Daddy.  Billy and I caught up and had a wonderful time as we munched on cornbread and reminisced.

As you can tell, when I attend an event like the Beale Street Music Festival, I truly enjoy chatting with old friends as well as meeting new people.  During my Daddy’s set, I was introduced to University of Memphis basketball coach John Calipari, whose Tigers came within an overtime period of winning the NCAA championship during this year’s March Madness.  I also received visit from Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton.  Actually, it was a quick meet and greet as Dr. Herenton made sure to let me know that he is a huge fan of my Daddy and “wanted to get out there to see the Killer shakin'!!” Click here to check out the video.

Mary Jo Pritchett, who is on the Board of Directors of Pont Neuf and a great asset to our team, was also on hand, helping out both my Daddy and me as she always does. While JLL was on stage, her quote of the night (that really cracked me up) was “Man Phoebe, your Daddy has got to be one of the 10 best dressed men in Rock and Roll!!”  Although she got a kick out of being backstage and seeing JLL perform live, she really appreciated seeing Aretha.  I can’t blame her; she knows good music when she hears it.

To our many fans and friends, keep your comments coming.  I am forever catching up with your letters and well wishes and continue to be pleasantly inundated by email.  Rest assured, I read everything that you send. It is wonderfully humbling and greatly appreciated that you all take the time to write.

Oh, and before I forget, many of you have asked me which of my Daddy’s songs are my personal favorites. That’s really a tough call for me but I would have to go with "Lucky Old Sun" which JLL recorded for Sun Records and more recently, "That's What Makes the Irish Heart Beat” from the award winning “Last Man Standing” album.  I guess you can tell that I am a sentimental kind of girl at heart. 

Finally, on a personal note, My Daddy and I were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of gospel music legend and long time friend Dottie Rambo.  Dottie lost her life tragically when the tour bus she was on was involved in terrible accident in Missouri, on her way to a show in Texas.  JLL recorded two of Dottie’s songs over the years which were big hits for him.  For longtime fans, I am sure you will recall fondly my Daddy’s rendition of “He Looked Beyond My Fault and Saw My Need” and "Too Much To Gain To Lose.”  As Dolly Parton put so eloquently: “I know Dottie is in heaven in the arms of God right now, but our earth angel will surely be missed.” 

Everybody take care and say a prayer for someone who needs it. 

Phoebe

Special End of Year Blog 2007

 

When I sat down to write this blog it was hard to believe that we are just a few weeks away from another Christmas.  I guess it is true that time really does fly when you are having fun…or if you are busy doing what you love doing.  Believe me, over the past few months, there certainly has been no lull in the Lewis schedule or the demand for my Daddy’s time.  We have also made the decision to get involved with a number of meaningful projects where we hope our participation will make a positive difference in the lives of many.  More about this later.

Since my last blog entry, we have completed and released a unbelievable new film entitled Jerry Lee Lewis: Killer Piano; performed at the famed Apollo theater in Harlem at the request of former President Bill Clinton; visited the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland where “The Killer” was honored through the prestigious American Music Masters program; and as many of you have been reading, we just returned from a special visit to the 9th Ward in New Orleans where my Daddy appeared with Brad Pitt and performed in support of the Make It Right project.

Awhile back, Alfred Publishing, the world’s largest producer of music instructional videos and music education products spoke with my business people and wanted to find out if my Daddy would be  interested in a project that would feature him playing the piano and answering questions about what he does at the keyboard.  As you can imagine, when he first heard the words “instructional video” Jerry Lee Lewis was skeptical to say the least. His first comment was “no one can do what I can do at the piano.”  Over time however he warmed to the idea and in late May, at Sam Phillips Studio here in Memphis, the Lewis family got together to record what turned out to be a memorable and moving interview.  My Daddy was feeling more and more comfortable with the format and very quickly it became apparent that history was being captured on film as he reflected on his life and demonstrated his personal and innovative technique through the songs that he has always loved to play.  Honestly, he would not have behaved any differently had he been in our living room with friends and family.  The end result is a testament to the simple genius of Jerry Lee Lewis and will prove to be a documentary milestone that will be referenced by generations of piano students and music aficionados. (You can purchase this great video by clicking here.)

On September 29, my Daddy and I traveled to New York City and the Apollo Theater to be a part of a special concert in support of youth activism through the Clinton Global Initiative, a non-partisan catalyst for action that brings together concerned people to develop and implement solutions to some of life’s challenges.  Along with our good friend Solomon Burke, my Daddy opened the show with an amazing musical collaboration.  With former President Bill Clinton in the house, we also enjoyed the opportunity to celebrate Jerry Lee’s 72nd birthday with a hip new generation of enthusiastic young people who represent the leadership of tomorrow.  President Clinton came out on stage and said "All my life I wanted to perform at the Apollo," and mentioned the countless invites he received to play his horn on “amateur night.”  We had to chuckle when he admitted that over the years, he tried (unsuccessfully) to convince several musicians to join him so that “he wouldn't get booed.”   Well, imagine that, Jerry Lee Lewis and Bill Clinton sharing a stage.  We had a terrific time performing at the Apollo and by the thunderous applause at the end of my Daddy’s set; I think that the audience truly enjoyed witnessing a genuine American icon still making a difference through music.

On November 10, my Daddy and I flew to Cleveland to attend the American Music Masters tribute held in his honor in conjunction with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Case Western Reserve University.  The American Music Masters series celebrates the lives and careers of artists who changed the shape and sound of American culture.  Begun in 1996 with a 10-day tribute to the life and legacy of Woody Guthrie, the AMM series has honored people like Jimmie Rodgers and Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters and Hank Williams and Sam Cooke to name just a few.  As with many things in his career, Jerry Lee Lewis was the first living artist ever to receive this tribute.  Many years of planning came to fruition on a very moving late autumn night at the State Theater in Cleveland.  Suffice it to say that my Daddy was honored to receive this recognition which affirms his place in music history and his influence as an artist and as a human being.  As many of you might have heard, he was not scheduled to perform that evening but could not resist Kris Kristofferson’s suggestion that one song would be a fitting way to close the show.  I have to admit, when he sat down at the piano and started to play “Over the Rainbow,” you could have knocked me over with a feather.  It was one of the most soulful performances of that song I have ever heard him deliver.  Many thanks to Michael Blitzer and Brasstacks Alliance, Terry Stewart, Warren Zanes, Todd Mesek, John Goehrke and the many performers and friends who made this important and special event possible. (You can read all about that night by clicking here)

On December 3, we were in New Orleans with Brad Pitt and his lovely wife Angelina Jolie to help launch and promote a national fundraising campaign to help the city recover from the lasting devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.  Through a partnership spearheaded by Brad and our good friend Steve Bing, 150 affordable and sustainable homes will be built starting in the Lower 9th Ward, an area that was completely leveled by this vicious storm.  As it has been widely reported in the press, Brad and Steve announced at the Clinton Global Initiative that they each would match $5 million in contributions to the houses, for a total of $10 million in matching funds, and challenged others to join them in rebuilding New Orleans.  For those of you that have been a fan of Jerry Lee Lewis for any length of time know that the city of New Orleans is a very special place to the entire Lewis family.  My Daddy volunteered to perform at the benefit concert to help create awareness about this incredibly worthwhile initiative.  Personally, I hope each and everyone of you will visit the web site of the Make It Right Foundation (http://www.makeitrightnola.org) and find it in your heart to do whatever you can to help.

My Daddy and I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge a very special lady, Kay Martin.  Kay is a good friend and a lifetime fan of Jerry Lee Lewis.  In fact, Kay started the first fan club back in the 1950’s and is celebrating her 50 year anniversary.  Kay, thank you for being so good to my Daddy and for being unshakably loyal.  Let me also offer a personal note of thanks to the countless Jerry Lee Lewis fans – young and old – from all over the globe.  I hope you know that my Daddy and I value your support and look forward in 2008 and beyond to more exciting projects we trust you will embrace and enjoy .

Merry Christmas to one and all and if you are in the area, stop by on New Years eve at the Gold Strike Casino and Resort in Tunica, MS.  Trust me, it will be one heck of a performance as we have much to celebrate after a truly blessed 2007.

Phoebe Lewis

and of course Topaz!

SPRINGING!!!!

Here we are in mid-May already and along with the spring flowers in our garden, several projects that we’ve been nurturing are starting to bloom. There is much to talk about and in a funny way; the latest project from our good friends at Time Life really is a perfect place to begin. As most of you know, last year, Time Life released “Jerry Lee Lewis; A Half Century of Hits” – a three CD box set representing a wonderful career retrospective including my Daddy’s very first ever recording from New Orleans when he was only sixteen years old. This box set has won critical acclaim and has been very well received by long time fans and first time buyers and everyone in between. My Daddy still says that this box set was one of the most comprehensive collections of his audio recordings and the best package he has ever seen. Now, after almost a year of planning, Time Life has done it again with their forthcoming release of a brand new DVD entitled “Jerry Lee Lewis: Greatest Live Performances of the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s.” Time Life as everyone knows is a company that really does things right and their Senior Vice President Mike Jason has worked awfully hard to source the best film footage of my Daddy’s live performances (some of which have never been seen before in their entirety) .



The team at Time Life wanted to make sure that Jerry Lee Lewis was satisfied with the way the story was told and that he felt that the DVD presented him properly. When we were in Europe a couple of months back, Time Life overnighted the rough cuts to our hotel in Oslo so that my Daddy, Cecil, and I could watch the video and provide our feedback and final approval. I have to admit, when we viewed the rich mix of interview footage and live performances, we were all smiling ear to ear as we truly enjoyed some of the timeless recordings. It was so great to see Daddy and his cousin Mickey Gilley for example just going at it on Ralph Emery’s “Pop Goes the Country.” In that particular segment, Jerry Lee and Mickey were talking about their family and their childhood and their love of music. Ralph encouraged the two cousins to “relive the old days from Ferriday, Louisiana.” Sitting side-by-side at their pianos, Jerry and Mickey started playing “Has Anybody Seen My Gal?” By the time they ran though a number of classic songs and got to Jerry Lee’s “Lewis Boogie,” Jerry turns to Mickey and says with a playful sneer: “let’s play a little Boogie Woogie…” You could actually see the fire burning in my Daddy’s eyes and feel the passion he has for the music. It was breathtaking! Even cousin Mickey was awestruck.



And all those classic performances from the UK and around the world (some of them quite rare)….it was spectacular if I do say so myself. As an aside to all those people who love to hear Jerry Lee talk about his life, his career, the early days of Rock and Roll, and his insights into the music business and the people he has met along the way, this DVD, contains a 15 part interview that my Daddy gave back in 1993 at Sun Studios in Memphis. In my humble opinion, this was one of the best interviews I have ever seen. I am so proud of him and I can’t wait for everyone to see it and write to me with their thoughts and comments. The DVD will be released on May 22.



That’s all for now. We are gearing up for a busy spring and summer schedule and look forward to seeing many of you at one of Jerry Lees upcoming tour dates. Be sure to look for my blog next month with more news about the comings and goings at the ranch and life with “The Killer.”



Best regards to one and all,



Phoebe

Spring has Sprung and so has my daddy's new video release

  PRE-ORDER NOW - IN STORES MAY 22

  JERRY LEE LEWIS - GREATEST LIVE PERFORMANCES

NEW ORLEANS HERE WE COME!

As always there is much happening in the world of Jerry Lee Lewis. Before I talk about the life and times of my Daddy, on behalf of the entire Lewis family. I would like to take this opportunity to extend our love and prayers and heartfelt sympathy to the families and friends, of the 32 people that lost their lives to the senseless bloodshed we witnessed on the campus of Virginia Tech University on April 16th. My Daddy and I were no different than the millions of people around the world that watched in horror the events unfolding in Blacksburg, Virginia. I once heard it said that perseverance is more prevailing than violence; and many things which cannot be overcome when they are together, yield themselves up when taken little by little. Let the healing begin.

Now back to the blog:  We are getting ready to head off to "The Big Easy," New Orleans Louisiana for the 2007 Jazz and Heritage Festival scheduled for late April. My Daddy is keenly aware of the festival this year because as you know, besides performing on Sunday, April 29, JLL has been honored as the featured artist on this year’s official Jazz & Heritage Festival poster. Last week, a monster 18 wheel truck pulled up to the ranch and we watched as the truck driver and Troy, our long time ranch hand, unloaded several huge crates that contained 1050 prints and canvasses for Jerry to sign. Once we brought the packages to the main house, we set up a makeshift assembly line in the family room to insure that things proceeded as smoothly as possible for my Daddy. We wore white gloves when we handled the prints (which are unbelievably beautiful by the way) and carefully unpacked each individual print for Jerry to sign and then repacked it in the crate as if was the Mona Lisa. Art4Now, the publisher, sent four dozen #2 pencils for Jerry to use to sign the paper prints and gold markers for Jerry to add his personal autograph to the limited edition canvas prints. As you can all appreciate, my Daddy is a perfectionist and a true professional, and signed each and every print as well as a number of artist and publisher proofs without complaint. Even though I knew his hand was getting a little tired, he just smiled and said "Phoebe, keep ‘em coming." I think he knows that fans and collectors will really like this particular print as much as he does.

As an aside, this is really the first "official" limited edition collectible artwork that has been authorized by Pont Neuf and Jerry Lee lewis. In the past, Jerry’s alleged signature has appeared for sale on everything from musical instruments to photographs to album covers to pillow cases and has showed up on eBay and in countless memorabilia shows. Sometimes when we look at this stuff we shake our heads and feel sorry for the people who have been duped and angry at those that try to make a quick buck by ripping off my Daddy’s name. Going forward, Pont Neuf is working closely with our attorneys and our licensing agents on protecting the rights and interests of Jerry Lee Lewis as well as assuring the value of legitimate memorabilia and collectibles. We look for your help by not supporting operations that infringe of Jerry’s rights and hurt the public by offering merchandise that is fraudulent and unauthorized. If you do have an interest in buying authorized merchandise – from tee shirts to autographs, look for the Pont Neuf brand mark and as always, let us know what you think.

Finally, as some of you may have heard, we recently lost one of our beloved dogs, Spikette, a loyal and loving companion to "The Killer" for many, many years. She lived a good life and provided us all with a great deal of pleasure with her antics and her playful energy, and her unconditional love. We are going to miss her dearly.

Happy Spring to one and all and we look forward to seeing you at an upcoming show.

Best regards,

Phoebe

2007 THE BEST IS YET TO COME!

Hey everybody. First and foremost, Happy New Year to all of my Daddy’s fans and our many, many friends from around the world.  We truly want to wish each and everyone the very best for the upcoming year.  Personally, I have a feeling that 2007 is going to prove to be the best yet. 

We had a great Christmas at home this year and trust me; we did a lot of eating during the holiday season. My Daddy’s sister Linda Gail Lewis drove in from Atlanta to spend time with us. Cecil Harrelson shared the holidays with the Lewis family as well. I cooked our traditional Christmas dinner of turkey, cornbread dressing with oysters, sweet potato casserole (which my Daddy wouldn’t touch), mashed potatoes with gravy and his favorite English peas. We had fudge pie for dessert. It was great! When we unwrapped our presents, I surprised Jerry with a few DVDs: “Have Gun Will Travel” and “Wanted Dead or Alive: Season One”.  I also added to Daddy’s very special collection of antique firearms. JLL really does appreciate their beauty, craftsmanship, quality, and unique nature.  I wish you could have seen his smile.       

While we are home and not touring, we spend time quietly recharging our batteries and catching up with life’s simple pleasures. My Daddy loves to play with our dogs.  And even though I ask him not to feed them from the dinner table, Jerry Lee Lewis is not a man who likes to be told what to do and he always seems to find a way to slip them some of his supper, which drives me crazy! He has Topaz eating tater tots and oatmeal cookies! Sound familiar?  We also love to watch television. As many of you know, Jerry Lee Lewis is a big fan of the classic TV westerns and old movies in general. He especially likes a good horror flick or great classic comedies like W.C. Fields movies. His TV is usually on Turner Classic Movies or one of the cable news networks like CNN.            

So here we are, it’s January of another exciting new year.  They say time flies when you are having fun.  Well, during 2006, that certainly proved to be true.  For the past six months, we have been busy helping the record label, promote Last Man Standing.  I have to admit, from the time we were notified of the release date to the end of 2006, Jerry has been nothing short of amazing.  Despite the breakneck pace that would surely bring a lesser person to his knees, JLL’s physical stamina and incredibly positive attitude has been a thing to behold.  I think we all can all agree that Jerry Lee Lewis has risen to the occasion and exceeded all expectations.  At a point, when a living legend like my Daddy could be taking it easy and basking in the well deserved admiration earned from the years and years of performing in front of audiences around the world, “The Killer” is showing everyone what I already knew to be true:  Jerry Lee Lewis loves what he does and what he loves most is to entertain the folks that spend their hard earned money on a ticket.  And speaking of performances, we are in the process of building Jerry’s touring schedule for the next 12 months.  If you check out the calendar on JLL.com, you will notice that a number of dates have already been added as we continue to book shows for 2007.

We also are pleased to announce two new music folios which have been put out by Alfred Publishing (http://www.alfredpublishing.com).  So many of you have written to us asking for the sheet music for some of JLL’s greatest hits as well as for the 21 tracks on Last Man Standing.  These two folios are now available in fine music stores everywhere as well as online.  In addition, we are also working on a number of video projects which will feature interviews with JLL talking about playing the piano and breaking down some of his innovative techniques as a musician.  To those aspiring piano players out there as well as accomplished keyboard artists, I have a feeling you are going to love this.  Stay tuned. 

Finally, my Daddy was very saddened to hear about the death of his good friend James Brown. They knew each other for many, many years and the untimely passing of “The Godfather of Soul” has left a void in the world of music that may never be filled.  James Brown was more than an innovative genius and a courageous, groundbreaking performer.  He was a good friend to the Lewis family and was indeed one of the entertainers that Jerry Lee Lewis loved to watch work.  He will be sorely missed by one and all.

So dear friends, on a happier note, please allow me once again to personally extend my heartfelt best wishes for a healthy and happy New Year and as always, may God bless you.

Sincerely,

Phoebe Lewis

PS - Here is a picture from December 12...guess who?

Jerry Lee and Kid Rock go Honky Tonk

Check out this video of my daddy with Kid Rock performing The Rolling Stones song "HONKY TONK WOMEN"....