- Jerry Lee Lewis was a Grammy-winning rock n’ roll artist known for his hit song “Great Balls of Fire” and more.
- His most recent marriage was to Judith Brown.
- The late singer was previously married to his cousin, who was 13 years old when they tie the knot.
- Jerry died on Oct. 28, 2022, at the age of 87 years old.
The late Jerry Lee Lewis was known for his life full of controversy and making many hit rock n’ roll songs like “Great Balls of Fire”, “Breathless”, and “Crazy Arms.” Jerry died at the age of 87 years old on Oct. 28, 2022, according to Rolling Stone. Over the course of his life, the musician got married a grand total of seven times, including to his first cousin once removed. The hitmaker ended up fathering six children with his multiple wives. Keep reading to meet Jerry’s leading ladies over the years!
Dorothy Barton
Jerry, who was born in 1935, married his first wife, Dorothy Barton, in 1952. At the time, the “Wild One” singer was just 16 years old, and their marriage only lasted until 1953. Jerry also did not waste anytime moving on from Dorothy, as within days of their divorce being finalized he married his second wife, according to The US Sun.
Jane Mitchum
Jane Mitchum and Jerry tied the knot in 1953, about a year after he married Dorothy. Although he and Jane only stayed married until 1957, the two welcomed two children together: Ronnie Guy Lewis, 66, and the late Jerry Lee Lewis Jr., who died in 1973 at the age of 19 years old. His son had tragically died due to a car accident in his Jeep, per The Guardian. “Well, I don’t know if it made me stronger or not, sir, but it got my attention real good, I know. That was a very hard time, a very sad time for me. But I pulled through it. I buried my own. I took care of everything,” the late music star told the outlet in 2015.
Myra Gale Brown
One year after Jerry’s divorce from Jane, he married his first cousin once removed, Myra Gale Brown, 78. The marriage was controversial as Myra was not only related to Jerry, but she was also only 13 years old at the time of their nuptials. The Spark That Survived author and Jerry were married from 1958 to 1970, they officially divorced when Myra was 26 years old and Jerry was 35 years old.
During their 12 years as husband and wife, the former couple welcomed two kids together: Phoebe Lewis, 69, and Steve Allen Lewis. Sadly, Steve was the second child of Jerry’s that tragically passed away, The Guardian also reported. At the age of three years old, baby Steve drowned in a swimming pool.
Following Jerry’s death, Myra spoke out about their controversial marriage, the backlash she and Jerry’s career received because of it, and how she was the real adult in the union. “I was the bad thing in his life,” she recalled to the Los Angeles Times on Oct. 29, 2022. “It was because of our marriage that his career hit the pavement. You know, you were judged for everything you did back then.”
She then went on to recount all the things she accomplished to ensure a smooth life for her and Jerry: she bought their house while he was touring, his car, despite not having a driver’s license at the time, and all their finances. “I was called the child bride, but I was the adult and Jerry was the child,” she noted. “When I look back on it, how can you defend yourself when you’re 13 years old? I mean there’s no excuse good enough for that to be OK.”
Atter confirming that she “took care of everything”, Myra added, “I did all the work and made all the decisions and did all the running and taking care of business and that kind of stuff.”
As noted above, the pair divorced after 12 years of marriage. Myra blamed the downfall of their marriage on Jerry’s drug use. “His personality just became mean. And nasty. It was like a whole different man. Just bad, you know?” she explained.
Jaren Elizabeth Gunn Pate
One year after his divorce from Myra, Jerry had remarried again, this time to Jaren Elizabeth Gunn Pate. Jerry and Jaren welcomed one daughter together, Lori Lee Lewis, 50. Eventually, Jaren tried to sue him during their divorce. Sadly, grief struck Jerry’s life once more when Jaren died in a swimming pool in 1982.
Shawn Stephens
Later, in 1983, the rock n’ roll pioneer found himself married for the fifth time to Shawn Stephens. This marriage was also another short-lived matrimony for Jerry, as Shawn died that same year due to an overdose at home. In 1984, Rolling Stone released an article questioning her death and called it “strange and mysterious.”
Kerrie McCarver
Jerry’s marriage to Kerrie McCarver is notably his longest marriage, as they were together from 1984 until their divorce in 2005. And by the time they called it quits, “The Killer” was 70 years old. Kerrie and Jerry welcomed his final child together, Jerry Lee Lewis III, 35, who was born in 1987.
Judith Brown
After Jerry’s sixth marriage, he stayed single for seven years, likely the longest time he’d gone without remarrying. But in 2012, he married Judith Brown, 78, who notably was previously married to Myra’s brother Rusty Brown. “No, no, I love these women who loved him. But those wives were much younger than him, most of them, and past is past,” Judith told The Guardian about her potential worries on Jerry’s track record with his ex-wives. Judith stood by Jerry in his final days at their Nesbit, Mississippi, ranch until his Oct. 28, 2022 death.