Combine exuberant energy, fierce independence, incredible musical talent and a wild streak and what do you get? None other than the legendary artist Jerry Lee Lewis. Lewis was born in Ferriday, Louisiana on September 29, 1935 to strict members of the Assembly of God church. He tried piano lessons as child, but was punished for wanting to play his own way. He taught himself to play and was influenced by artists like Hank Williams and Al Jolson. Lewis tried various careers before one day driving to Sun Records in Memphis to secure an audition. He wowed owner Sam Phillips who signed Lewis and gave him his first break in the music industry.

It didn't take Lewis long to prove a good investment. He released both "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and "Great Balls of Fire" in 1957, shooting Lewis to stardom. His career was taking off, but scandal would soon rock this up-and-comer. He started a tour of England in 1958 where a reporter found out about his marriage to his 13-year-old second cousin Myra Brown. The revelation made him an outcast in England and had him blacklisted on radio stations when he returned home.

The scandal left Lewis without the ability to get airplay, so he turned to performing. It took him a decade to push the memory of the incident out of everyone's mind, and he again found success, this time in country music, with the release of "Another Place Another Time" in 1968. He continued to release hits throughout the 1970s as his brand of music came back into style. His success did not mean escaping personal tragedy, however, and Lewis's life has been plagued with a struggle with alcohol, the deaths of two children and two wives and a messy divorce. No matter what comes his way, however, Lewis will surely go down in history as a rock and roll legend.