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ABOUT OUR NEW ISSUES 215
Our new August issue (#215) offers the fourth instalment of Jerry Lee Lewis’ activities through 1958, this time it’s the fateful month of May. We have gathered a vast amount of information for the month - photos, newspaper and magazine clips along with contemporary advertising. They go to make this 72 page issue very interesting, especially for our UK readers - this being the month when the much anticipated but now infamous tour of that country started only to be brought to a premature and sad ending. The memorabilia collected about the tour runs to several pages including pieces from both the UK and American press together with some great photos. Jerry wouldn't return to the UK until May 1962.
At the beginning of the month Jerry continued to tour with the Alan Freed ‘Big Beat’ show that had started late March, continuing through April before finally concluding on May 10th in Newark, NJ. It included the notorious incident in Boston on the 3rd where hooligans went berserk resulting in bad press. One result even being that the show in Troy, NY scheduled on the 6th was cancelled by the local police. However, these set-backs don’t seem to have particularly affected our man. On May 17th ‘The Jerry Lee Lewis Day’ was held in his hometown of Ferriday, Louisiana; then shortly after this Jerry flew to England arriving on the 22nd in London where he stayed at the Westbury Hotel. He brought along his new bride Myra, ignoring advice it would be better to leave her at home. Myra was the daughter of J. W. Brown, Jerry Lee’s cousin and bass player. The tour opened May 24th at the Edmonton Regal but the Fleet Street British press, always hungry for scandals and sensations, soon found out Myra’s tender age (she was born July 11th 1944) and that Jerry was a technically a bigamist as his previous marriage hadn't been finalised in the eyes of the law. This led to a public outcry which even reached Parliament where Sir Frank Medlicott asked the Home Secretary Iain Macleod about the issue. Unfortunately many British fans reacted negatively too, and only three concerts were played before the rest of the tour was abruptly cancelled. Jerry and Myra flew back to the US on the 27th arriving in Memphis the following day. That same day the MGM film “High School Confidential” featuring Jerry singing the title song premiered on a benefit show in Atlantic City, NJ with the “official” premiere being held at Loew’s Theatre in New York City on the 30th.
Mid-May saw the release of Jerry Lee’s first LP (Sun SLP 1230) along with three EPs (SUN EP 108, 109 and 110) comprising tracks from the album. We include full colour images of all these records but this time there is no room for a review section, only a list of new releases to complete the magazine.
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ABOUT THE MAGAZINE
American Music Magazine is published by the Swedish Rock 'n' Roll Club. We are a non profit organisation devoted to the 1950s rock 'n' roll music and our intention is to document, as far as possible, the early years of rock-a-billy, rock 'n' roll and its related artforms. The text of the magazine is in Swedish and English. Each issue is full of original photographs and discographies.
AM works in co-operation with the "Tales From The Woods" Roots Music Social Networking Group in the U.K. The aim is to collaborate to keep rock ‘n' roll, its history, and its many talented artists and musicians alive for posterity and future generations – this through sharing articles that have appeared in our magazines over the years, helping each other with publicity and generally spreading the word not just to the converted, but also to those yet to share our enthusiasm.
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American Music Magazine är producerad av 1950s fans för fans och är en svensk tidning med både svensk och engelsk text. Tidningen utkommer med tolv nummer om året och handlar företrädesvis om 50-tals rock 'n' roll, och relaterade musikformer som exempelvis hillbilly/country och rhythm ’n’ blues. American Music Magazine drivs helt ideelt utan ekonomisk vinning.
American Music Magazine samarbetar med "Tales From The Wood - Roots Music Social Networking Group" som är ett namnkunnigt engelskt nätverk med bred verksamhet inom vår musik. Syftet är att gemensamt arbeta för att hålla rock 'n' rollmusiken, dess historia och dess många talangfulla artister och musiker levande för eftervärlden och kommande generationer - detta genom att dela artiklar som publicerats i våra respektive tidningar genom åren, hjälpa varandra med publicitet och sprida det glada budskapet inte bara till de redan frälsta utan också till sådana som ännu inte delar vår entusiasm och passion för denna musik.
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