Jerry Lee Lewis, "Great Balls of Fire" singer, has died at age 87

CBS News ^ | October 28th, 2022 | Jordan Freiman

[CommerceComet]

I can’t think of any of the big 50s rock stars still living.

Bit of a stretch but Cliff Richard is still alive. Far more successful in Britain than in America but his career success started in the late 1950s. You'll get no argument from me if you say he doesn't really qualify, though.

[al baby]

Jim Fowler did all the work

[fidelis]

But he did have a couple of Number One hits in the 50s, yeah I guess you could have called it a watered-down version of Rock and Roll. But who else from that time that had Number One hits is still around?

Last I heard, Chubby Checker is still doing the Twist.

[Col Frank Slade]

I think Chubby Checker is still alive.

[gundog]

I saw him hawking walk-in bathtubs on TV this week.

[Round Earther]

sure, Jerry Lee married his 13 year old cousin and the media was all over it and made Jerry Lee the first victim of Cancel Culture.

But did you every notice that the media never reported on Jerry Lee’s 13 year old cousins that he did not marry?

They just reported on that one 13 year old cousin that he did marry.

[dfwgator]

That was the 60s, though.

[shadowlands1960]

I think in the 50s Richards was doing skiffle. He was still big in the UK when I was a tyke.

[ronniesgal]

?

[dfwgator]

I think in the 50s Richards was doing skiffle. He was still big in the UK when I was a tyke.

The only song I know is "Devil Woman", and that was a pretty rocking tune.

[shadowlands1960]

Southern man can’t get no respect....

[dforest]

Doggone it. That would have really been fun. You should have done it.

Now Iw won’t be sad if I hear you are dead. LOL

[Ezekiel]

Iiii don't know if we should be including Pat Boone in the same conversation as Jerry Lee, Elvis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash.

Awww,

Now my broken heart aches
With every wave that breaks
Over love letters in the sand.

[Sarah Barracuda]

I watched it a few days ago, oh wait that was the Fetterman debate

[Impala64ssa]

Elvis is still alive
Gotta respectfully disagree on this one. If he didn't come back from the dead when Lisa Marie married Michael Jackson, you can bet the ranch on it, HE'S DEAD

[Coronal]

The last of the Founding Fathers of Rock & Roll.

[dforest]

No, a lady saw him behind the frost on her sliding door in Memphis.

He likes being real private.

lol

[chajin]

Shame on you for not leading that rock guitarist list with Carl Perkins....

I would expect someone to chide b=me about forgetting Fats Waller for the piano, but I forgot about Perkins for the guitar.

In my college music course, I compare Muzio Clementi and Beethoven to Orville Gibson and Les Paul, in that Clementi designs the piano to fit what Beethoven wanted to write for it in the early 1800s, and Gibson designs the electric guitar to fit what Les Paul wanted to write for it--and the original Les Paul guitar comes out in 1952, essentially the year rock-and-roll was born.

[fidelis]

That was the 60s, though.

His first big hit "The Twist" came out in 1960, so yeah, Chubby is borderline.

There's also Dion DiMucci of Dion and the Belmonts. Their first big hit, "I Wonder Why" came out in early 1958. Dion's still around.

[dfwgator]

That’s a good point.