Jerry Lee Lewis weds his cousin Myra Gale Brown, 13, while still married to his first wife, Jane Mitcham.

Jerry Lee Lewis, the iconic pioneer of rock and roll music, took a significant step on December 12, 1957, that marked a turning point in his career and personal life. This was when he made the controversial decision to tie the knot with his 13-year-old cousin, Myra Gale Brown, while still being married to his first wife, Jane Mitcham.

Jerry Lee Lewis, affectionately known as “The Killer” due to his dynamic and reckless piano playing style, emerged as one of the influential figures in the mid-1950s rock and roll scene. His breakthrough hits such as “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” and “Great Balls of Fire” shook the music industry, placing him on a pedestal shared with the likes of Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry.

However, Lee’s meteoric rise to stardom was blemished by the ruckus he stirred in his personal life. As someone already married to Jane Mitcham, his decision to wed his cousin Myra Gale Brown caused a massive uproar. The act not only violated the law, due to his existing marital status, but also shattered societal norms by marrying a minor who was merely 13 years old at the time.

Marrying one’s cousin might’ve been familiar territory in southern culture, primarily in the 1950s. But the severity of Lee’s action lay not in just the marital bond he formed with his child cousin, but in the backdrop of him still being lawfully wedded to his first wife. This event presented a clear violation of bigamy laws in force at the time.

Adding fuel to this scandal was the alarming age difference between Lee and Brown. With the rock and roll artist being 23 and Brown barely out of childhood at 13, the societal norms of the time were pushed far beyond their limits. Dating a minor was and, to this day, remains a topic bound with a multitude of legal and ethical implications.

Sure enough, the repercussions of their wedding were as severe as they were immediate. News of Lee’s marriage to his minor cousin added a significant dent to his burgeoning career, who found his popularity unquestionably tarnished. The subsequent wave of controversy had unintended consequences for his musical career. Concert venues rapidly canceled his performances, and his records dropped dramatically in sales numbers.

Between the lines of these seismic events in Jerry Lee Lewis’s life, a plethora of questions regarding ethical conduct, societal norms, and lawful marriages bubble up. The adverse reaction from the public towards Lee’s actions underlines the importance of adhering to societal norms and the damage that can ensue if they are blatantly disregarded.

In the subsequent fallout from the scandal, Jerry Lee Lewis’s career could never fully recover the same level of success despite his persistent efforts. His subsequent musical outputs struggled for mainstream acceptance, even though he retained cult status among rock and roll enthusiasts.

the decision made by Jerry Lee Lewis to wed his 13-year-old cousin, Myra Gale Brown, while still being married to his first wife was a defining moment for his career and personal life. This scandal brought ethics, societal norms, and legal statutes into question and yielded a pronounced impact on Lee’s musical endeavors.

As much as the event is remembered for its controversy, it also reflects the dual nature of human beings, capable of creating remarkable art yet making personal choices that conflict with mainstream societal norms. Even within the vibrant landscape of rock and roll, loaded with its share of controversy, the episode remains a significant cultural and societal touchpoint.