Elvis Presley’s only child, Lisa Marie, passed away unexpectedly yesterday at age 54. While her father makes a brief appearance in It Happened in Memphis, the plot of that book takes place years before Lisa Marie’s birth.
May her memory be a blessing for her family.
It took me almost a week to be ready to put this together, if I’m honest. It Happened in Memphis was one of my favorite projects to research and write, and I took Jerry Lee’s passing hard.
I’ve said it many times: despite all logic to the contrary, there are some people whom you think will go on forever.
For me, Jerry Lee Lewis was one of them. I had the privilege of seeing him perform live twice. He was one of the main characters in It Happened in Memphis. I could listen to his music all day long and never tire of it.
He passed away this morning, at the age of 87.
I am just the kind of sobbing mess that I predicted I’d be when he left us.
One of my favorite quotes was from an interview Jerry Lee did with biographer Rick Bragg.
Bragg began, “Didn’t I hear that, this one time, you …”
Jerry Lee interrupted with “Yeah, I probably did.”
He is, and always will be, unforgettable.
Hi, everyone. Forty-five years ago today, Elvis Aaron Presley passed away. I’ve written before about what he meant to me as a musician. He’s even shown up in one of my books, the award-winning It Happened in Memphis. Today, I want to share a live recording (not very hi-fi, but it’s from 1956, when he was only 21 years old). This video shows not only his amazing voice, but his tremendous sense of humor.
Rest in power, Elvis.
Sharon E. Cathcart 