Saturday 5 November 2022 11:10 PM Family, friends and fans gather at funeral for rock 'n' roll legend Jerry Lee ... trends now
Family, friends and fans gathered Saturday to bid farewell to rock 'n' roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis at memorial services held in his north Louisiana hometown.
Lewis, known for hits such as 'Great Balls of Fire' and 'Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On,' died Oct. 28 at his Mississippi home, south of Memphis, Tenn. He was 87.
TV evangelist Jimmy Swaggart, Lewis' cousin, told the more than 100 people inside Young's Funeral Home in Ferriday, the town where Lewis was born, that when Lewis died he 'lost the brother I never had.'
'We learned to play piano together,' Swaggart recalled. 'I had to make myself realize that he was no longer here.'
Swaggart and Lewis released 'The Boys From Ferriday,' a gospel album, earlier this year and Swaggart said he wasn't sure if Lewis was going to be able to get through the recording session.
'He was very weak': Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart speaks at the funeral service for his cousin, rock 'n' roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis, in Ferriday, La. on Saturday, eight days after the singer's death on October 28
Donna Hoffmann, third cousin to rock 'n' roll hall of famer Jerry Lee Lewis, views his casket covered in flowers and portraits before the start of his funeral service
Ronnie Lewis, son of rock 'n' roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis, walks past his father's casket before his funeral service, as flowers, portraits and memorable pictures were on display
Pallbearers carry Lewis' casket into a white hearse following the singer's funeral in his home town of Ferriday, which is right before the Louisiana-Mississippi border
Mourners gather outside Young's Funeral Home following the end of proceedings at Lewis' funeral on Saturday
Judith Brown, seventh wife of Lewis, wore an all-black outfit and shades as she was seen leaving her late husband's funeral
Lewis was the last survivor of the rock 'n' roll generation that included Elvis, Little Richard and Chuck Berry
Lewis died last month, aged 87. He is pictured at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2005 at the Staples Center
'He was very weak,' Swaggart said. 'I remember saying, "Lord, I don't know if he can do it or not." But when Jerry Lee sat at that piano, you know he was limited to what he could play because of the stroke, but when the engineer said the red light is on and when he opened his mouth, he said, 'Jesus, hold my hand, I need thee every hour. Hear my feeble plea, oh Lord, look down on me.'
The session resulted in the album, and two of its songs played during the service: 'In the Garden' and 'The Old Rugged Cross.' Audience members were seen wiping tears from their eyes and singing along with Lewis as the recordings played.
'He was one of the greatest entertainers who ever lived,' Swaggart said.
Lewis, who called himself 'The Killer,' was the last survivor of a generation of artists that rewrote music history, a group that included Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Little Richard.
Lewis' body was at the front of the funeral home's main parlor, inside a closed, red casket with a spray of red roses on top. Several funeral wreaths, including one in the form of a musical note, dotted the walls behind and around the casket as did photos of the singer, one of which showed him in a red suit hunched over and singing into a microphone.
Lewis died at his home in Nesbit, Mississippi, following a battle with pneumonia and a stroke suffered in 2019. He is pictured in the final photo taken before his death in Memphis
Jacob Tolliver greets others outside Young's Funeral Home as family and friends gathered for Lewis' final sendoff following proceedings inside
Mourners Carolyn Coghlan Gremillion and Bert Nokes gather with others outside Young's Funeral Home after Lewis' funeral
Left to right, Gabriel Swaggart, Eric Williams and Zach Farnum gather with others outside Young's Funeral Home on Saturday
Mourners Jacob Tolliver, left, and Eric Williams were also in attendance as they celebrate Lewis' life
Kenny Lovelace, who has performed with rock and roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis since the 1960's, walks outside after the funeral service for Lewis
Swaggart's son, Donnie Swaggart, recalled a meeting in Memphis between Lewis and members of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, a country rock band, that highlighted Lewis' humorous side.
