Following a preliminary scare days earlier, it has been confirmed that Rock & Roll pioneer and legend Jerry Lee Lewis has passed away at the age of 87.
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With his seventh wife, Judith Coghlan, by his side, Lewis, best known for his raucous hit "Great Balls of Fire," is confirmed to have passed at his home in Desoto County, Mississippi. No cause of death has been made immediately available.
LISTEN NOW: The passing of Jerry Lee Lewis
According to a press release, Jerry is said to have told her in his final days, that he "welcomed the hereafter, and that he was not afraid." He said "he was ready to be with Jesus,” said Judith.
According to a provided obit from Lewis' team by Rick Bragg, in February 2019, Lewis suffered a stroke which, initially described as “minor,” was anything but, and he had to relearn how to use his right hand and how to walk again. “I’ve never experienced anything like it,” he told Rolling Stone in an interview months later. “It was very challenging, and it was a very emotional experience. I didn’t know what was going on. I woke up in the hospital. I just did some heavy praying, and tried to get back on the right track.”
Jerry Lee is survived by his wife, Judith, children Jerry Lee Lewis III, Ronnie Lewis, Pheobe Lewis, and Lori Lancaster, sister Linda Gail Lewis, and cousin Jimmy Swaggart among numerous grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. Services and more information will be announced in the following days. In lieu of flowers, the Lewis family requests donations be made in Jerry Lee Lewis' honor to the Arthritis Foundation or the GRAMMYs non-profit MusiCares.
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