Jerry Lee Lewis, rock ‘n’ roll pioneer, dead at 87

Pioneering rock ‘n’ roll artist Jerry Lee Lewis has died.

Lewis, known for his on-stage antics and high-energy piano playing, died Friday morning at age 87.

Nicknamed “The Killer,” Lewis began his career in the ’50s, recording famous hits like “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” (which he recorded in a single take) before his career was derailed by personal scandal when he married his 13-year-old cousin, Myra Gale Brown. Ultimately, Lewis would marry seven times.

He reinvented himself in the ‘60s as a country artist and won numerous Grammy awards, recording alongside some of the era’s biggest stars and earning a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.

According to a statement by Lewis’ publicists, few expected the rocker to make it to his eighth decade.

“He suffered through the last years of his life from various illnesses and injuries that, his physicians have often said, should have taken him decades ago; he had abused his body so thoroughly as a young man he was given little chance of lasting through middle age, let alone old age,” the statement read.

Lewis is survived by his wife Judith and four children, the statement said.

“Services and more information will be announced in the following days.”

On Wednesday, gossip news site TMZ erroneously reported Lewis’ death, leading to an apology.

— With files from The Canadian Press