Jerry Lee Lewis is going to pop up alot in this blog. Sorry, he was a big influence on the Stones. He's a touchstone for all of us. I figure if he's still around, and Keith is still around, there's hope for the rest of us!
One of Jerry's Lee's big influences was Merrill Moore. Like most pianists, he started early- at the age of 9 in Des Moines. I think the biggest influence on Jerry Lee's playing, is Merrill's muscular pumping playing style. All these country and blues guys started playing in some pretty tough juke joints, gambling joints, and for lack of a better word, "Man-Bars". If anyone remembers the scene in the Jerry Lee Lewis movie where he plays behind chicken wire in a bar for protection, that was no joke. As a result most of these musicians learned to play "No Matter What"! Bottles breaking, guns blasting, knives-a knifing. It's exciting to think that at one time people were literally playing as if their lives depended on it.
I wish there was more available on cd from him aside from one title, a great compilation from the Bear Family "Boogie My Blues Away"