I always thought he was a better piano player than Little Richard (who is my personal "King" of rock and roll).  His showmanship influenced really everything that came after.  He burned a piano before Hendrix laid a Zippo to a Stratocaster.  He exuded attitude in an era where artists kissed up to DJs and programmers.  The "Punk" movement stole this from him.   "Great Balls of Fire" - Rock and Roll never got a lot better than that.  My first impressions came during his rebirth as a C&W artist - 8 track tape in my daddy's car.  His version of this Hank Williams classic (covered by everybody) was the first that I ever heard - and my dad was THE Hank Williams aficionado.  

I got to shake hands with Jerry Lee and get an autograph in 1969. I had a copy of Billboard magazine and there was a nice spread on Jerry Lee in it. He looked it over as if he was seeing it for the first time. 

He played a show similar to this at an old theatre on stage. I think it was Johnson City Tennessee. 

@robertdee Cool story!  I have a friend who is basically a Jerry Lee Lewis protege and disciple named Clay Swafford.  Clay is actually very nearly the centerpiece in a documentary about boogie-woogie piano players.  The documentary never really made it into the light of day, but it features Clay, Marcia Ball and a few other "new" pianists.  Jerry Lee his own self is even in the film.  I have a DVD but I made the mistake of loaning it to another young player I know who is not practiced in the art of returning things that he borrows.  I have digressed from my digression.  Anyway, here's my buddy Clay - I hope he don't mind me posting this - I'm sure he does not.  😉 Long live "the Killer"!  Now, without further ado - here's Clay Swafford!  Enjoy!

@rusty Wow that is good solid boogie piano. Jerry Lee Lewis style. Thank you. Never saw that before. I'm always interested in seeing someone new play. 

When I was a kid in the 1950's my dad bought a couple of albums by a piano player named Tiny Little who looked portly on the cover if I recall. I think it was this kind of music. 

@rusty My mother watched this man every week in the 1950's. She was disappointed years later when it became clear he was gay. But she continued to play his records a few times a month. 

@robertdee The thing about boogie-woogie playing - the left hand actually plays against the right hand!  It's not a style that is taught anywhere!  They don't teach boogie-woogie at Julliard!    It is usually regarded as a backwoods, unorthodox style of playing popular among the musically uneducated.  I haven't spoken with Clay in a little while, but he used to play at some annual Blues-Fest event in Clarksville, Mississippi every year.  Aside from performing, he'd usually put on a "clinic" for boogie-woogie players.  Many of his students were classically trained players who had an interest in the form.  I'm pretty sure that Jerry Lee grew from the same vine of players.

I'm sure Jerry did too. You know Mickey Gilley and the TV preacher Jimmy Swaggart also played a similar style and they are his cousins. 

Here is an interesting one.