Jerry Lee Lewis, 'Great Balls of Fire' singer, dead at 87

Jerry Lee Lewis has died, Fox News Digital can confirm.

The rock ‘n’ roll pioneer passed away after suffering from various illnesses throughout the years, his publicist said Friday in a press release.

“He was there at the beginning, with Elvis, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Carl Perkins, Fats Domino, Buddy Holly, and the rest, and watched them fade away one by one till it was him alone to bear witness, and sing of the birth of rock ‘n’ roll,” the release added.

“‘Who would have thought,’ he said, near the end of his days, ‘it would be me?’”

Rock ‘n’ roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis has died. He was 87.
(Dimitrios Kambouris)

JERRY LEE LEWIS AND KEITH WHITLEY INDUCTED INTO THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME

Jerry Lee Lewis performs on stage at the London Rock’n’Roll on Aug. 5, 1972.
(Michael Putland/Getty Images)

Over the years, Lewis struggled with drug and alcohol abuse, legal disputes and physical illness.

“He is ready to leave,” his wife Judith said just before his death, according to the press release.

“Jerry Lee’s indelible mark as a rock & roller in no way obscures his impact as one of the greatest country singers of all time,” Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, said Friday in a statement. “He was the ultimate stylist, taking songs to places they could never have gone without his unique voice and soul. Known as ‘The Killer,’ in reality he was a reviver, resurrecting music and emotions. The country records he made with producer Jerry Kennedy will never be replicated or surpassed, and we were honored to recently welcome him into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Among the greatest of artists, he was, as his friend Kris Kristofferson put it, ‘a table-thumpin’ smash.’”

Lewis began as a rock ‘n’ roll performer in the 1950s. Other big-name artists at the time included Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Little Richard.

From left, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash gather on Dec. 4, 1956, in Memphis, Tennessee.
(Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

In the 1960s, the Louisiana-born musician rebranded as a country music artist. He continued to be successful, earning three Grammys.

Lewis was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Oct. 16. He had 34 Top 20 country hits between 1968 and 1981, according to the Country Music Association.

The singer was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.

“To be recognized by Country Music with their highest honor is a humbling experience,” Lewis said in a statement when the induction was first announced.

“The little boy from Ferriday, Louisiana, listening to Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams never thought he’d be in a Hall amongst them. I am appreciative of all those who have recognized that Jerry Lee Lewis music is country music and to our almighty God for his never-ending redeeming grace.”

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Jerry Lee Lewis performs on stage at the Country Music Festival at Wembley Arena in London in April 1987.
(David Redfern/Redferns via Getty Images)

Lewis also collaborated with top artists throughout his career. In 2006, he released the song “Last Man Standing” featuring Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, B.B. King and George Jones. Lewis also produced “Mean Old Man” in 2010, which included works with Jagger, Keith Richards, Sheryl Crow and Tim McGraw, among others.

Lewis was no stranger to controversy throughout his life. At one point, he was married to his cousin. Once the press learned of the marriage, at the same time he was married to his first wife, his career almost ended.

“I probably would have rearranged my life a little bit different, but I never did hide anything from people,” Lewis told The Wall Street Journal in 2014 when asked about the marriage. “I just went on with my life as usual.”

Lewis married seven times, and was rarely far from trouble or death. His fourth wife, Jaren Elizabeth Gunn Pate, drowned in a swimming pool in 1982 while suing for divorce. His fifth wife, Shawn Stephens, 23 years his junior, died of an apparent drug overdose in 1983. Within a year, Lewis had married Kerrie McCarver, then 21. She filed for divorce in 1986, accusing him of physical abuse and infidelity. He countersued, but both petitions eventually were dropped.