Judging by the handprints in the cement alongside his honorary brass note in front of Blues City Café on Beale, Jerry Lee Lewis has small hands. That didn’t hinder “The Killer” from pioneering a fiery rock-and-roll piano sound. Confident and broke, Lewis drove to Memphis for an audition at Sun Studios in 1956. The owner, Sam Phillips, signed Lewis as Elvis Presley’s replacement after selling Presley’s contract to RCA. Lewis awed audiences with “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” and “Great Balls of Fire,” and his unique style made a mark, not just in Memphis but across the world.
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