Pioneer of rock ‘n’ roll Jerry Lee Lewis has sadly passed away, and among those who pay tribute is the actor who played the famous singer in the biopic Big fireballs!. Known for his classic songs like “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” Lewis passed away Friday at the age of 87. Given the influence he has had, Lewis mourned his death a lot with tribute, and actor Dennis Quaid released a statement expressing his sadness at the news.
“Jerry Lee was a Christian, an American icon and the greatest pianist in the world,” Quaid said via Yahoo. “People will be listening to ‘Great Balls of Fire’ and ‘Whole Lot of Shakin’ in 500 years. I will miss him. God bless you Jerry Lee.”
Quaid is one of many celebrities who take this time to pay tribute to Lewis. Horror mastermind Stephen King also honored the singer with a separate message on Twitter that read: “RIP Jerry Lee Lewis. The killer is gone. He could play that piano, boy. Think I should play me some Lewis Boogie.”
horrifying The last drive thru host Joe Bob Briggs also shared a story about something that happened on the set of Big fireballs!.
“In 1988, JLL came to the set of his biopic and he expressed how stupid we all were, including me, the guy who played the DJ who made him famous,” Briggs said. “Dennis Quaid said, ‘You’d think he’d be scared not to piss me anyway.’ But that was him: the anti-Elvis.”
Jerry Lee Lewis was one of a kind
On Wednesday it was incorrectly reported that Lewis had died, but his death was to come Friday. Lewis reportedly died with his wife Judith at his side at his Mississippi home. An obituary written by his biographer, Rick Bragg, stated that Lewis was not afraid of death and that he was now no longer suffering.
“Lewis suffered during the last years of his life from various illnesses and injuries that, as his doctors have often said, should have taken him decades ago,” the obituary reads. “He told (Judith), in his last days, that he welcomed the afterlife and that he was not afraid.”
Of course, there are also many names from the music world who honor Lewis. Fellow pianist and singer Elton John, who was also the subject of a biopic about his life called Rocketman, posted an image to Twitter of the two together. John also wrote a message of praise for his late friend.
“I wouldn’t have become who I am today without Jerry Lee Lewis,” said John. “He was groundbreaking and exciting, and he pulverized the piano. A brilliant singer too. Thanks for your groundbreaking inspiration and all the rock and roll memories.”
Meanwhile, The Beatles’ Ringo Starr also tweeted, “God bless Jerry lee Lewis peace and love to all his Ringo family.”
You can see more tributes to Lewis from other musicians below.