Lewis had previously married twice. Elvis Presley, the biggest rock star in the world, was dating a 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu, who would later become his wife. (She filed for divorce in 1970, citing allegations of abuse and adultery.). (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images). "Theyve lost a great entertainer, a very talented man. After further digging, the newspapers revealed that Myra Gale Brown was actually 13, his cousin, and that for the second time, Lewis had failed to get divorced before remarrying. She is most popular for her union with rock 'n' move performer Jerry Lee Lewis who is her subsequent cousin. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Brown and his family. 11 Rock Stars Who Slept With Underage Girls | Phoenix New Times It was also controversial because she was 13 years old at the time, while Lewis was 22. Her Instagram account has been dormant since early 2016. A little bit down. 'Great Balls of Fire' Movie: Dennis Quaid as Jerry Lee Lewis . His bride, Myra Gale Brown, was also thrust into the spotlight, and years later discussed how she "never lost the first name '13-year-old-child-bride-Myra.'" Myra Lewis Williams, . Myra (given name) The name Myra was created by the 17th-century poet Fulke Greville 1st Barone Brooke (1554-1628). [5] She married her third husband, Richard Williams, in 1984, and joined his Century 21 Real Estate office. Become a member to support the independent voice of Phoenix 1595 Malone Rd. Steven Allen Lewiswas born in 1959, when his then-wife was 14 years old. . It was a marriage license. I not only survived it, Im better for it, having gone through it. Though he had gotten married again before his divorce was final, it also came out that his new wife was also his third cousin a 13-year-old named Myra Gale Brown. The Troubling History Of Jerry Lee Lewis - Grunge.com About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . "I was reading this book about this baby duck who got lost from its mother. I stopped in the middle of my reading to sip my Coca-Cola because I was so thirsty. Lewis was 22 and Williams was 13, and the press came down hard on him when it was revealed that she was also his second cousin and that Lewis was still married to his second wife, Jane Mitchum, when they wed. Earthy colored was brought into the world on July 11, 1944, in Winnsboro, Louisiana, the girl of Lois and Jay J.W. Brown. Jane is also the mother to Jerrys second-born son,Ronnie Guy Lewis, 66. The press made me out to be a seductive Lolita, which was as far from the truth as it gets. and The Frank Skinner Show. She said it is complicated. Myra Lewis Williams has no hard feelings over the relationship and still blames the press for turning it into something wicked. Steve Allen Lewis (1959-1962) - Find a Grave Memorial The radio stations that didnt play it hated it. But I pulled through it. Myra Lewis was born on July 11, 1944 in the USA as Myra Gale Brown. "My generation was taught to hide under our desk when the bomb came, so you always had in the back of your mind that any minute, any day, life could come to an end. It was crude and rude and ridiculous what it was doing to the teenagers. independent local journalism in Phoenix. She was known as the wife of Lewisrock n roll star Jerry Lewis. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Brown was injured on the job, he decided to start a band. As of Friday afternoon, Williams had not released a public statement about Lewis' death. Two of those unions ended in untimely deaths for the brides, and his fourth and final marriage came in 2012. Rusty Brown is Myra Gale Brown's brother, O'Connor said. The press in both London and Memphis soon discovered the truth about Myra's age and the date of their wedding, and the response was immediate. Their story was previously chronicled in the 1989 film "Great Balls of Fire" starring Dennis Quaid as the performer and Winona Ryder as the former Myra Gale Brown. (Special. Jerry Lee Lewis obituary | Pop and rock | The Guardian This time there are no holds barred. Alamy Stock Photo One of the most shocking scandals involving cradle-snatching rock stars was the marriage of the. Myra Lewis Williams, also known as Myra Gale Brown, was the third wife of late rock n' roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis and more infamously his 13-year-old cousin at the time they got married. Market data provided by Factset. Jerry Lee Lewis: A toxic cocktail of scandal, addiction and violence Prior to their divorce, the former couple welcomed two children, Phoebe and Steve. Did Jerry Lee Lewis marry his niece? "And Jerry gave it to themwell, I did, I opened my mouth. Myra is still alive today. Myra Brown was born on July 11, 1944, in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and She was 78 years old as of 2022. Im not sure Jerry even remembered where he went, but he was just put on the first plane leaving because daddy was furious. On October 22, 2022, Friday, famous singer Jerry Lee Lewis died at age eighty-seven, and beside the outpouring of tributes to his abilities came reminders of his infamous wedding to his 13-year-old cousin-german in 1957. [16][14] The book was originally released in October 1982 by William Morrow and Company. In 2004, divorce proceedings began against his sixth wife, Kerrie McCarver, whom he married in 1984. Myra Gale Lewis Williams (ne Brown; born July 11, 1944) is an American author, best known for her controversial marriage at the age of 13 to rock and roll musician Jerry Lee Lewis, who was her first cousin once removed and was 22 at the time. That stir was nothing compared to the one his third marriage would cause, however. "I'm right here! Nesbit, MS (25 miles south of Memphis) At the age of twenty-one, Jerry Lee Lewis "The Killer" arrived in Memphis, Tennessee in 1956. On May 17, 2022, he shared a group photo with his dad and family. (Photo by Zak Hussein - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images). His second marriage in September 1953 had caused quite a stir when people realized it had taken place 23 days before his first divorce was final. In 1970, Brown petitioned for legal separation on the grounds of infidelity and misuse; charging that she had been subject to each kind of physical and mental maltreatment possible. Their separation was settled on December 9, 1970. Lewis went on to marry four more times. And Jerry gave it to themwell, I did, I opened my mouth. Related: There were plenty of ups and downs in her marriage to Lewis. Despite re-marrying Brown, this time in a legal ceremony during which he was not already married, and moving in with her parents afterward, the public remained firmly anti-Lewis. Lewis didn't seem to realize that this was offensive to most urban markets (and to other countries). At the time, she hadn't realized that there was anything wrong with her relationship with Lewis. She became a licensed broker in 1984, and is a recipient of the Million Dollar Life Time Award 2003. Lewis was 22 and Williams was 13, and the press came down hard on him when it was revealed that she was also his second cousin and that Lewis was still married to his second wife, Jane Mitchum, when they wed. A reporter came up to me and said, Excuse me miss, didnt I see you get off that plane? The couple's controversial marriage comes after the newlyweds arrived in London in May 1958 for Lewis' 37-day tour. Second, she was his cousin, and the daughter of his bassist J.W. (Photo by Express Newspapers/Getty Images). ", She continued: "If you say to me now, 'Theres a 13-year-old girl over here who wants to get married,'I would say 'God, please do not do that, little girl. The duo tied the knot on December 12, 1957, and the musician. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. When they stepped off the plane on May 22, 1958, Lewis obligingly told the British press that Myra was his wife (although he gave her age as 15 and moved up the date of their actual wedding). She described the memoir as her story of how to overcome lifes worst tragedies and your own dumbass decisions.. He got the scoop and I let the cat out of the bag. Small world. He convinced disc jockeys to give him a second chance, and the music industry eventually forgave him. After Lewis concluded his separation from Mitcham, he remarried Brown on June 4, 1958. Getty Images. Im really glad I didnt though because its gotten better as Ive gotten older.. That is when the world learned of their shocking marriage. Hulton Arcive/Getty ImagesJerry Lee Lewis and Myra Gale Brown shortly after their wedding in December 1957. If I can survive lifes worst tragedies and my own dumb-ass decisions, you can, too.. Who Is Jerry Lee Lewis' Wife, Judith Brown? More About His 7 Marriages Myra Lewis Death Fact Check, Birthday & Age | Dead or Kicking Browse 82 myra brown stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesThirteen year old Myra Gale Brown sitting on Jerry Lee Lewis lap. Lewis went on to marry four more times. What happened to Jerry Lee Lewis' 13-year-old bride? She's been here ", "Myra Williams, Jerry Lee Lewis' 13-year-old bride, speaks out", "Jerry Lee Lewis Married His 13-Year-Old Cousin And Ruined His Career", "Jerry Lee Lewis' teenage bride speaks out: 'I was the adult and Jerry was the child', "Jerry Lee Lewis' Lawsuit Against Daughter Dismissed by Judge", "Cousin's ex becomes Jerry Lee Lewis' 7th wife", "The Tiny Spark That Survived: The Rock 'n' Roll Life of Star's Child Bride", "Jerry Lee Lewis' former teenage wife releases new book", "Cannes Review: Ethan Coen's 'Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble In Mind', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Myra_Lewis_Williams&oldid=1138714619, This page was last edited on 11 February 2023, at 05:24. Lewis was 23 at the time of his wedding to his 13-year-old cousin. ", For her part, Williams said that she wasn't a fan of her first book and its movie adaptation because they were someone elses idea about how that part of her life story should be told, the Post said. After the press found out in 1958 that Lewis, then 22, married his young cousin, the rock-and-roll star experienced a tremendous backlash that stalled his career for years. Click to Subscribe to Get Our Free HollywoodLife Daily Newsletter, Allison Holker Snuggles Up To Kids Maddox, 7, & Zaia, 3, Nearly 3 Months After Twitchs Tragic Death, Ariana Madix Hangs With Pal Kristen Doute Amid Tom Sandoval & Raquel Leviss Cheating Drama, Tom Sizemore Dead: Acclaimed Actor Dies At 61 After Brain Aneurysm, Is Sex/Life Season 3 Happening? "Ive had a different life here," she said. She also described Lewis drug addiction, being the victim of abuse, divorcing and jumping into a rebound marriage, the Gwinnett Daily Post said. "If you think you know [my] story of being the 13 year old bride of my second cousin, you're in for a surprise," she teased. Moreover, Lewis had not at this point separated from his past spouse, Jane Mitcham. From left: Musicians Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash as "The Million Dollar Quartet" on Dec. 4, 1956, in Memphis, Tennessee. She was a stolid, hard-working black woman who'd taken care of Jerry Lee since before he moved down here from Memphis more than ten years, that made it. Elvis Presley's Friends Were Worried He Would End Up Like Jerry Lee