Myra Lewis Williams, seen here with Jerry Lee Lewis during their marriage, has led a quiet life in Atlanta Georgia where she worked as a real estate agent. Everything We Know So Far, Shoppers Say This Nicole Kidman-Approved Brands $4 Lip Balm Is the Best of the Best for Healing Cracked Lips, Did Vanderpump Rules Tom Cheated on Ariana With Raquel? . Now a news-agency reporter, Ray Berry, raised questions about Jerry's third wife, Myra Gale Brown. Browse 8 myra gale brown stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Before he knew it, his ticket prices had dropped astronomically, from $10,000 a night to a mere $250. Elvis Presley, the biggest rock star in the world, was dating a 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu, who would later become his wife. You come out of the fire you make it. This is the book I wanted to write then. (1989). Williams conjointly lined their wedding with the 1982 book nice Balls of the fireplace, custom-made into a 1989 film prima Dennis Quaid as Lewis and Winona Ryder as Williams. Jerry Lee Lewis and Myra Lewis Williams with their newborn son Steve Allen Lewis on Feb. 28, 1959, in Ferriday, Louisiana. . It was to Judith Brown, who was the ex-wife of his cousin Rusty Brown, Myra's younger brother. "Because we have a daughter, Jerry and I remained in contact for many years," she wrote. Lewis had told everyone that Brown was his wife but failed to mention her actual age, instead, telling them she was 15. Family Members. 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. Lewis was poised to replace Presley as rock n roll's new hit-maker. 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. Myra Brown, of Andover Community Care, talks about the organization's efforts to help raise money for those in need. Myra Gale Brown was the daughter of J.W. My 1988 book and the resulting movie, Great Balls of Fire, were just the beginning. [10][11] Brown filed for divorce on the grounds of adultery and abuse,[5] stating that she had been "subject to every type of physical and mental abuse imaginable. Alamy Stock Photo One of the most shocking scandals involving cradle-snatching rock stars was the marriage of the. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Brown, Lewis' cousin and the bass player in his band. American rock 'n' roll musician (19352022), Reports: 3 children dead, 2 wounded in attack at Texas home, Kellyanne Conway, George Conway To Divorce After Decadeslong Marriage: Report, School punished teen girl for working out in sports bra in 100-degree Texas heat, ACLU says, U.S. court won't require FAA to make airplane seat size, spacing rules, 'Extremely dangerous': Spike in illegal crossings at Canada-Vermont border has feds sounding alarm, SoCal in for cool start to weekend, but light rain makes brief return, AccuWeather: Clouds and wind into Saturday AM. 1963). Im still the 13-year-old child bride," Williams, who became a real-estate broker in Atlanta, said. Lewis and Myra were divorced in 1970. The duo tied the knot on December 12, 1957, and the musician. "In my little mind, I couldnt believe that they could not see that I was a grown woman," she said. Earthy colored. He later played electric bass and piano in a band with his cousin Jerry Lee Lewis. His bride, Myra Gale. It was a marriage license. Jerry Lee Lewis plays the piano for his 13-year-old bride at the Cafe de Paree. See more of: Jerry Lee Lewis, myra gale brown. Despite Elvis success, Brown felt that the world just wasnt ready for rock and roll. "I'm right here! [5] The scandal over the marriage destroyed Lewis' promising rock and roll career,[8] although he subsequently found success in country music. First, Myra Gale Brown had been just 13 years old when they got married on Dec. 12, 1957. I could so easily have said, Im J.W. Today, Myra Williams, 78, reflects on the scandal and her late ex-husband. Additionally, his latest single was called High School Confidential, which, though unrelated to his relationship, did not help his case. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. Theyve Had an Inappropriate Relationship For Months, How Black Creators Can Expand Their Network with LinkedIn, Jerry Lee Lewis was a recording artist known for his hit song Great Balls of Fire.. We were going to visit a bunch of places in Europe. 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, . (The situation was not helped by the fact that his latest single was called "High School Confidential."). More than a long time coming and more than well deserved. "We kept thinking every year, every six months, that it was going to go away, theyre going to stop talking about it, and it just didnt happen. Jerry Lee Lewis : They just want to see the new king of rock 'n 'roll. 1954). After her separation, Brown was momentarily hitched to the criminal investigator she had employed to trail Lewis and record his treacheries. It was also controversial because she was 13 years old at the time, while Lewis was 22. He also toldThe Guardianhow he copes with having lost a few of his kids and ex wives. My little brother was born because I begged my parents for a baby at ten years old.. In the end, she says, Jerry Lee Lewis downfall was a bigger issue than her age. ", Rock n roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis passed away on Friday at age 87. Many rememberJerry Lee Lewisfor the prolificmusic career that cemented his status as a rock 'n' roll icon before his death at age 87 Friday. [1] They went on to make rock and roll history, recording hit singles on Sun Records. We did it fam!! "I said, OK, sure. So we got in the car and he drove straight to the preacher that married us. Would Williams do it all over again if she could? Now I'm older and wiser, and [not] malleable in the hands of others. On December 12, 1958, Myra, 13, married Lewis, 22, in Hernando, Mississippi. So whatever happened to her? In 1957, 22-year-old Jerry Lee Lewis married Myra Gale Brown. However, it was discovered that she was only 13, and that they had been married for five months. For a man from his time and place, however, marrying at 13 and marrying one's third cousin (twice removed) were both fairly commonplace, although Lewis further complicated matters by again marrying before the divorce from his second wife was final. [9], By 1970, Lewis' drug addiction, alcoholism, and infidelity took a toll on their marriage. "[4][10] Their divorce was finalized on December 9, 1970. In 2016 she published her memoir, The Spark That Survived. The couple welcomed two children, a son named Steve Allen Lewis in 1959 and a daughter named Phoebe Lewis in 1963. (7) See myra gale brown stock video clips. Who are you? I said, Im not anybody. But he insisted. Brown's family in the Coro Lake neighborhood in south Memphis. Myra Gale Brown : I don't even know what hydrogen is. And when I said what I said, it was like his hair caught on fire. She said "I do" once more to Richard Williams in 1984, and they have been together ever since. But its done and we might as well just live with it. Daddy backed down and said, Well, lets see what happens then. He couldnt change it. During his 87 years of life Jerry welcomed six kids into his life. Williams, 78, said in 2016 that shes been right here the whole time but she apparently no longer had a relationship with her notorious ex-husband after 2015. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. I took care of everything, the late music star told the outlet in 2015. I went out and found us a house. 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, Brown recalled in an interview. The press made me out to be a seductive Lolita, which was as far from the truth as it gets. Earlier in London, Myra, who was 13 years old and Lewis's third cousin, revealed their secret marriage. ", Jerry Lee Lewis, rock 'n' roll pioneer and perpetual ball of fire, dies at 87, "It was something that marked Jerry for life," she said. In this blog post, we will present to you 9+ cases of famous cousin marriages that shocked everyone, in some cases, even the partners themselves did not know about their family origins. '", Myra Lewis Williams described Jerry Lee Lewis as "a country bumpkin who wore blue jeans and had ears that stuck out" when they first met. (Indeed, Lewis had moved in with Myra's parents when he married her.) She was crying as she moved down the hall. Great Balls of Fire is the toon of rock movies, with Jerry Lee Lewis reduced on screen to Roger Rabbit, Times music critic Robert Hilburn wrote at the time. But that career hit a sharp nosedive in 1958, when. Lewis had been married twice before. "But I didnt know. These vintage pics of Jerry Lee Lewis with his new wife, Myra Gale Brown, accompanied by his sister Jean as they arrive at Idlewild Airport in New York City on May 28, 1958. After several tour dates were canceled, Jerry and his new bride left the country. Nesbit, MS (25 miles south of Memphis) At the age of twenty-one, Jerry Lee Lewis "The Killer" arrived in Memphis, Tennessee in 1956. Pate died in 1982 due. Brown played electric bass, and Lewis played piano and sang. Brown would eventually file for divorce in 1970 citing adultery and abuse as reasons, with her charge adding that she had been "subject to every type of physical and mental abuse imaginable." The pair had two children while they were together, the first when Brown was just 15 years old. Jerry and everybody else was being interviewed and I just stood in the lobby where they were going to play. [3][2] When Lewis arrived in London for a 37-date tour in May 1958, Brown revealed to a reporter at the airport that she was his wife. Lewis tour was canceled. ", 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. [2], On December 12, 1957, at the age of 13, Myra Brown married Jerry Lee Lewis, then 22, in Hernando, Mississippi. How long was Jerry Lee Lewis married to his cousin, in this case? He married a 13-year-old, Myra Gale Brown, who later said she was "subject to every type of physical and mental abuse imaginable." He shot his bass player, was a serial adulterer, abused drugs. Myra Gale Brown (born July 11, 1944) is the cousin and former wife of singer Jerry Lee Lewis. I guess if I had to do it all over again, Id have to do some things differently. Well, I dont know if it made me stronger or not, sir, but it got my attention real good, I know. After they divorced, Brown worked as a receptionist to support her daughter as a single parent. Williams and Lewis divorced in 1970. She also described herself as "the adult in the relationship" with Lewis. His earnings dropped overnight to virtually nothing. The singer married his first wife, Dorothy Barton, when he was just 16. Unfortunately, returning stateside did nothing to stop the flood of vitriol that was spewing about Lewis and Brown. [13], Shortly after her divorce, Brown married Pete Malito,[14] the detective she had hired to trail Lewis and document his infidelities,[15] and moved to Atlanta, Georgia. It was here where Lewis met Brown's daughter, Myra Gale Brown, while on . Lewis with Myra Gale Brown. Everything We Know So Far. About to depart for the Army, Elvis himself who would soon fall in love with a 14-year-old girl told reporters that if they were in love with each other, it was all right with him. Hollywood Life Jerry Lee Lewis had already gone through two marriages by 1957; he'd married Jane Mitcham, his second wife, 23 days before his divorce from his first wife, Dorothy Barton, was final. And he brought his marriage license home to me for us to get married. And Jerry gave it to themwell, I did, I opened my mouth. She is incredibly refreshing to read.. The England tour was supposed to establish a British fan base that would, hopefully, lead to a worldwide audience. Im right here! "We dont know, maybe this couple loves each other. She was a stolid, hard-working black woman who'd taken care of Jerry Lee since before he moved down here from Memphismore than ten years, that made it. Since 1980, Brown has enjoyed success as a real estate agent in Atlanta. Earthy colored wedded Lewis in Hernando, Mississippi on December 12, 1957, at 13 years old. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images). There was no getting around it. The couple had two of Lewis' six children: son Steve Allen Lewis (named after former late-night TV host Steve Allen), who tragically drowned when he was only 3 years old, and a daughter, Phoebe, who now manages the singer's career and lives at his ranch in Nesbit, Mississippi. Myra Gale Brown (11 de julio de 1944) es la sobrina segunda y exesposa del cantante Jerry Lee Lewis.. Biografa. The Ferriday, LA native moved in with his cousin J.W. Lets check, How Rich is C, All You Need To Know About Tamara Hurwitz. Lewis went on to marry four more times. In America, he told them, it was quite all right to marry at age 15, even at 10, provided you could find a husband. Myra Gale Brown : I don't know how to be a wife. Lewis was shunned . 1:11 Many remember Jerry Lee Lewis for the prolific music career that cemented his status as a rock 'n' roll icon before his death at age 87 Friday. View all photos from this album. After Lewis' second device was finalized, he tied the knot with Myra Gale Brown. American actor Dennis Quaid as Jerry Lee Lewis and Winona Ryder as his underage wife Myra Gale Brown in the film 'Great Balls of Fire!', a biopic of. Browse 82 myra brown stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. On December 12, 1957, Lewis wed a woman named Myra Gale Brown (pictured above), who was also his cousin. (Couples married young in his Louisiana hometown of Ferriday, and he wed for the first time when he was 16 and had seven wives over the course of his life.). Thats what this book basically is, this is what happened, this is how I handled it and here I am today, she said. Sadly, Jerry II died in 1973 when he was only 19 years old, perThe Guardian. Phoebe is from his third marriage to Myra Gale Brown. When Myra Williams looks back on her life her marriage to her cousin, singer Jerry Lee Lewis, in 1957 when she was just 13 years old, their good and bad times together, the two children they. In 2014, Brown, then 70 and known as Myra Williams,gave an interview to music journalist Alan Light published inCuepoint, in which she reflected onher shocking relationship with Lewis. She later pursued a career in music and worked on the movie Benji: Off the Leash! However, upon landing in the country with his child-bride, it became clear that the Brits were not on board with Jerry Lee Lewis. (Photo by Zak Hussein - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images). At the time, she hadn't realized that there was anything wrong with her relationship with Lewis. Myra Gale Browns height is unknown & weight Not Available right. (Photo by Keith Hamshere/Getty Images), "He had gone to Louisiana and came back," she recalled. Before Jerry Lee Lewis and Myra Gale Brown divorced in 1970, the couple had two children, one of whom died as a child and the other who manages his career today. Thank you everyone for never giving up!! (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images), Lewis and Williams, his second cousin, married in 1957 when he was 22, and she was 13. The former U.S. president was married to his fifth cousin once removed, Anna Eleanor Roosevelt. It was in 1958 when British journalists learned of the tender young age of Myra Gale Brown, and the ensuing uproar caused Lewis to cancel his tour and spoiled his chance to dethrone Elvis as the. She later pursued a career in music and worked on the movie Benji: Off the Leash! It was to Judith Brown, who was the ex-wife of his cousin Rusty Brown, Myras younger brother. I find living is nice and calm this way.". Myra and Lewis were married for more than a decade and they had two children, Steve and Phoebe. In an Instagram post from 2015, Williams discussed her relationship with Lewis after . His managers had warned him about the British press and their delight in tearing down American superstars, but Lewis hadnt listened. She married Lewis on December 12, 1957, at the age of 13. Lewis was 23 at the time of his wedding to his 13-year-old cousin. Parents. He possibly based it on Latin myrra meaning "myrrh" (a fragrant resin obtained from a tree ). Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Lewis was poised to replace Presley as rock n roll's new hit-maker. That is when the world learned of their shocking marriage. She co-wrote many books, such as Great Book Of Fire and The Spark That Survived, and earned peoples love and popularity through her book. Rusty Brown is Myra Gale Brown's brother, O'Connor said. Myra and Jerry's daughter, Phoebe Lewis, 59, was born in 1963, about four years after Steven was born. Longtime Gwinnett resident Myra Lewis Williams has penned a new memoir sharing her life story, including her teenage marriage with her second cousin rock n' roll star Jerry Lee Lewis. But it brought me and Jerry very close, and we had ten incredible, wonderful years together after that. Son of singer Jerry Lee Lewis & Myra Gail Lewis. [16][14] The book was originally released in October 1982 by William Morrow and Company. ", "I was the adult in the room and Jerry was the silly child," she said. ", Williams again addressed their scandalous relationship in her 2016 memoir, "The Spark That Survived." ", "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. | Powered by Artimization. Williams penned twobooks discussing her relationship: "The Spark That Survived" in 2016 and "Great Balls of Fire: The Uncensored Story of Jerry Lee Lewis" in 1982. The British public, fueled by the tabloids branding Lewis as a cradle robber and a baby snatcher, practically drove him out of the country, vehemently abhorring his relationship. He proclaimed himself for ever a rock'n'roller, through his remaining decades of turmoil, lurid tragedy and . It was really the first scandal of rock n roll, Williams told Georgias Gwinnett Daily Post in 2016. 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