Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jerry Lee Lewis, late country singer Keith Whitley and music executive Joe Gallant will join the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Lewis, 86, nicknamed “the killer”, wore a red jacket and white shoes to Tuesday’s meeting, where he was introduced by the duo Brooks & Dunn.
“I was wondering if they would bring me in,” Lewis told a news conference. “But they came and I was very happy and grateful for that.”
He gained his initial popularity with Sam Phillips at Sun Records in Memphis, where he played with Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash in the now famous Million Dollar Quartet. His energy and ego were revealed in early rock hits like “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On”.
Over the years, he has spoken of his lack of country in the Music Hall of Fame and said he could not understand that his country was not recognized for its recordings and contributions to the genre.
His career nearly fell apart due to a marriage scandal with his 13-year-old cousin Maira, and he faced backlash from fans during a tour of England in 1958 when people were fighting.
Lewis spent several years on the blacklist before returning to the country charts in the late 1960s. He had top country singles such as “What Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me)”, “She Even Wake Me Up to Say Goodbye” and “To Make Love Sweet for You”.
Whitley had a brief career, just four years and seven months before her death on the Billboard charts in 1989, aged 34. But he made commercial breakthroughs with hits like “When You Say Nothing All” and “I’m No”. I miss the rain.”
His widow, country singer Lori Morgan, described at a news conference on Tuesday how much he meant to her family and their two children.
“Kate never knew how good she was,” Morgan said. “I would be completely surprised if you were here today.”
At age 32, Gallant took charge of RCA Nashville, the youngest man to lead the Nashville Nashville division. He went on to sign artists like Clint Black, Kenny Chesney, Lori Morgan and Kate Whitley, Vince Gilli, Judd, Martina McBride and others.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
-rhugjk5igegg.png "Creamy Gratin Sweet Potatoes: Empressless impresses")
