Jerry Lee Lewis in Athens?

Whole Lotta Shakin'!

Interview with Jerry Lee

Having missed Bob Dylan in Athens, I've just discovered that I shall not be seeing Jerry Lee Lewis perform in Athens either. He recently released a new single, Mean Old Man.  He's at the Lycabettus Theatre tomorrow night, according to Athens News

"Great balls of fire! After an absence of 20 years, Jerry Lee Lewis is back in Athens for one night of rock’n’roll! Performing at the legendary Lycabettus Theatre with his sister, Linda Gail Lewis, Some Like It Hot and the Memphis Beats, the 74-year-old promises a night full of surprises. Jerry Lee Lewis is bringing rock’n’roll back, and you need to be there!"

  When July 23, 9pm

  Where Lycabettus Theatre, Lycabettus Hill
  Tickets 55 euros
  Information 210-646-5000





Here's something I wrote 25 years ago!

The Killer

A career in cultural diplomacy.
Met a lot of concert pianists: regular recitals.
Nothing against them: decent people, played good piah-no.
But I must admit
I'm a rocker at heart.
Prefer boogie-woogie blasting out,
Jerry Lee thumping the keyboard,
Pumping the pianner with fingers, fists, elbows, feet,
Humping it, jumping on top of it too,
Kicking the piano stool
Across the quaking stage,
Standing there shaking and stabbing the keys.
I loved it then, a quarter of a century ago;
I love it now; it's the music of my age.
When nobody's around,
I still try to pick out a basic twelve-bar boogie,
Pound away like the Louisiana "Welshman" on the Steinway concert grand.
I'm good at the glissandi. Nothing else.
The Killer began at eight. For me at forty it's getting late.
Rewrite the syllabus for Young Beginners !
Let Great Balls of Fire, the Lewis way,
Become their Grade One Study piece:
Fortissimo; with feeling.

(January 1984).

And for Czech friends, a Czech translation from just before the Velvet Revolution (samizdat edition, Prague, October 1989):

Now a plug for a new Jerry Lee Lewis CD , and for a good supplier I've used before:

THE FOLLOWING NEW RELEASES ARE NOW AVAILABLE TO ORDER AT BIM BAM RECORDS TO PURCHASE ON-LINE GO TO WWW.BIM-BAM.COM



JERRY LEE LEWIS - MEAN OLD MAN

18 TRACK SPECIAL EDITION

DUE FOR RELEASE ON SEPTEMBER 7th
(NEWLY RECORDED MATERIAL - 18-song edition. Jerry Lee Lewis might be a Mean Old Man, but he's got plenty of friends. For his new album, the 74-year-old rocker will be assisted by three of The Rolling Stones, a former Beatle and 'God.'

According to Rolling Stone Keith Richards plays guitar on Lewis's version of 'Sweet Virginia,' Mick Jagger sings on 'Dead Flowers' and Ronnie Wood plays on 'Mean Old Man,' a song Kris Kristofferson wrote specifically for this album. Ringo Starr and John Mayer help out on 'Roll Over Beethoven' and Eric 'God' Clapton and James Burton back up 'The Killer' on 'You Can Have Her.'

The album, due September 7, is packed with all-stars, just like 2006's Last Man Standing. Other guests on Mean Old Man include Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Slash and Kid Rock.

Track listing:
Mean Old Man, You Can Have Her, Sweet Virginia, Rocking' My Life Away, Roll Over Beethoven, Bad Moon Rising, Dead Flowers, You Are My Sunshine, Middle Age Crazy, Whiskey River, Swinging Doors, Hold You In My Heart, I Really Don't Want To Know, Railroad To Heaven, Sunday Morning Coming Down, Will The Circle Be Unbroken, Miss The Mississippi And You, Please Release Me)

USA VERVE £14



JERRY LEE LEWIS - MEAN OLD MAN

10 TRACK STANDARD EDITION

DUE FOR RELEASE ON SEPTEMBER 7th
(NEWLY RECORDED MATERIAL - Standard, 10-track edition. Jerry Lee Lewis might be a Mean Old Man, but he's got plenty of friends. For his new album, the 74-year-old rocker will be assisted by three of The Rolling Stones, a former Beatle and 'God.'

According to Rolling Stone Keith Richards plays guitar on Lewis's version of 'Sweet Virginia,' Mick Jagger sings on 'Dead Flowers' and Ronnie Wood plays on 'Mean Old Man,' a song Kris Kristofferson wrote specifically for this album. Ringo Starr and John Mayer help out on 'Roll Over Beethoven' and Eric 'God' Clapton and James Burton back up 'The Killer' on 'You Can Have Her.'

The album, due September 7, is packed with all-stars, just like 2006's Last Man Standing. Other guests on Mean Old Man include Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Slash and Kid Rock.

Track listing:
Mean Old Man, You Can Have Her, Sweet Virginia, Rocking' My Life Away, Roll Over Beethoven, Bad Moon Rising, Dead Flowers, You Are My Sunshine, Middle Age Crazy, Whiskey River)

USA VERVE £12

Having first seen Jerry Lee live at the Colston Hall, Bristol, when I was 13 years old (and many times since) I was delighted to be able to visit his ranch in Nesbit, Mississippi, a little south of Memphis, where he keeps his car collection and memorabilia, and where I had a chance to see round his house and piano-shaped pool. Tours of the ranch are apparently no longer available. He deserves some peace and quiet. What a life!

Jerry Lee has had to cancel his current European tour dates. He is suffering from a painful form of shingles, and has been in hospital in Memphis.


One of my favourite country songs:


"It all depends on who will buy the wine"