American rock and roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis, known for such hits as “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” has died at the age of 87, Reuters reports.

Lewis died at his home in Desoto County, Mississippi, with his wife Judith by his side, his publicist said in a statement. In recent years, he has been ill, in 2019 he suffered a stroke.

He was part of an amazing talent pool at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee that included Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison.

He was one of the first acts inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, and was so influential that when John Lennon met him backstage at a show in Los Angeles, he knelt down and kissed Lewis’s feet.

His albums combined breakthrough rock with gospel, country and R&B, such as “Me and Bobby McGee” and “To Make Love Sweeter for You”, while leading a life that was often filled with alcohol, drugs and tragedy .

His music was sometimes overshadowed by scandals, including his marriage to his 13-year-old cousin Myra in 1957.

He sang with a boldness, originality and lustful wildness that excited his young fans as much as it upset their parents.

According to one legend, Lewis was so upset that Chuck Berry was chosen to close the show that he ended his moment with a move that’s hard to beat — setting the piano on fire and walking out.

Lewis was born on September 29, 1935 in Ferriday, Louisiana, into a poor family. He grew up with cousins ​​who later became famous – television preacher Jimmy Swaggart and country singer Mickey Gilley.

He became interested in the piano at the age of 4, and by the age of 10 he was already hiding to listen to blues artists. He was particularly influenced by the Jimmie Rogers records that belonged to his father, a farmer who had gone to prison for bootlegging.