Jerry Lee Lewis: The Scandalous Story of Rock’n’Roll’s Child Bride and Cousin

Jerry Lee Lewis, the notorious rock ‘n' roll rebel, passed away on October 28, 2022.

Myra Lewis Williams, also known as Myra Gale Brown, was his third wife and, more shockingly, his 13-year-old cousin when they tied the knot.

In 1970, she filed for divorce, citing allegations of abuse and adultery.

However, due to their daughter, Jerry and Myra remained in contact for many years.

Phoebe, their daughter, worked for him, and during visits with her, Myra would occasionally see Jerry as well.

But things changed after Jerry married Myra's ex-sister-in-law a few years ago.

Phoebe quit working for him, and Myra hasn't seen Jerry since.

He is no longer a part of her life, and she finds peace and tranquility in this new arrangement.

The rock ‘n' roll pioneer behind hits like “Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On” and “Great Balls of Fire” eloped with Myra Gale Brown in December 1957.

Their romance blossomed when Jerry moved into the Memphis home of Myra's father, JW Brown, who happened to be Jerry's cousin and bass player.

According to Jerry's obituary in The Times, he was 22 at the time, while Myra was just 13.

Their scandalous marriage attracted intense media scrutiny as it was revealed that Myra was not only Jerry's second cousin but that he was still married to his second wife, Jane Mitchum, when they wed.

The whispers of incest and bigamy were hard to ignore.

“It was truly the first scandal of rock ‘n' roll,” Myra told Georgia's Gwinnett Daily Post in 2016.

“At that time, rock ‘n' roll was rising in popularity.

The preachers despised it, and radio stations refused to play it, labeling it as the devil's music.

They thought it was crude and had a negative influence on teenagers.

Little did they know what it would become.”

Following the scandal, Jerry Lee Lewis faced professional exile in 1958 when a reporter in London questioned him about the young girl in his entourage who introduced herself as “Jerry's wife.”

Chaos ensued, and he was met with widespread condemnation.

Despite the backlash, Jerry continued making music and performing in theaters during that time.

He eventually staged a comeback about ten years later.

Reflecting on those turbulent times, Myra wrote on Instagram in 2015, “When Jerry Lee and I went to England, there was a lot of trouble.

The media portrayed me as a seductive Lolita, which couldn't have been further from the truth.

Remember, gossip isn't always accurate.”

The revelation shattered Lewis' career.

His tour was abruptly canceled, he was blacklisted by radio stations, and his earnings plummeted overnight.

Interestingly, marrying at a young age was not uncommon in Jerry's Louisiana hometown of Ferriday.

In fact, he had his first wedding at the age of 16 and went on to have a total of seven wives throughout his life.

In 2016, Myra released a new memoir titled “The Spark That Survived,” where she recounted her story with Jerry in her own words.

She wanted to set the record straight after feeling that the movie adaptation of her first book, “Great Balls of Fire” in 1988, misrepresented her experiences.

During the book promotion, she took to Instagram to share some of the sordid details.

She described the memoir as a testament to overcoming life's worst tragedies and foolish decisions.

Jerry Lee Lewis went on to marry four more times, two of which tragically ended in the deaths of his wives.

His fourth and final marriage occurred in 2012 to Judith Brown, who happened to be the ex-wife of his cousin Rusty Brown, Myra's younger brother.

It's safe to say that Jerry had a penchant for relationships with his cousins