My Brother and Jerry Lee Lewis | Eastern North Carolina Now

   My brother Jim took piano lessons for thirteen years from the age of five until eighteen. My dad was a self-taught musician and played multiple instruments, so he imbued my brother with the love of music. Jim also had a natural talent for music. He would often complain about the long hours of practice to no avail.

   His music teacher Mrs. Hall lived within a few blocks of our house so he could ride his bike over to her house for his twice a week lessons. She also went to our church so my mother got a twice-weekly report on his progress at the Wednesday and Sunday church meetings. Jim started out playing all the standards and some classical music. My dad taught him most of the songs from the 1920-1940’s.

   My mother loved Liberace and we watched his TV show every time it would air in the early 1950’s. I guess you know that Liberace was Italian. What more could a mom ask but for her boy to play like him. She was somewhat naïve. Liberace’s signature sign off song was “I’ll be Seeing You” which my brother dutifully played it for the family at every gathering.

   Music began to make a dramatic change in 1954 when Elvis Presley became popular. But the earthquake hit in 1957 when Jerry Lee Lewis released “Great Balls of Fire”. At 17 years old, my brother could not fail to notice the adoration that Ole Jerry Lee got from the opposite sex.

   With 12 years of practice as his foundation, he plunged into the new music. The rest is history except he still had to play “I’ll be Seeing You.” and other favorites for the family at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

   Somewhere around 1980, I bought my first Video Camera and recorded a 1-hour music session where Jim and Dad played the guitars. At the end, I asked Jim to revive his Jerry Lee Lewis imitation. He had it down pat by then and had used it to woo many a gal.

   This short YouTube video is a sample of Jim’s act. He never went into music as a career but he played many a piano bar and party for Drinks & Tips etc. I guess he could have been a contender in the music business but his career as a chemical salesman got in the way. Jerry Lee will turn 80 in September of 2015; Jim will turn 75 In May of 2015. Happy Birthday Bro.

   Both are still rocking. There are a couple of other videos here of Jim doing Liberace.

     Enjoy: