JERRY LEE LEWIS Vs ELVIS PRESLEY Vs GENE VINCENT

When it comes to the popular music of the 1950s,there
were many artists,styles & songs.The extreme contrasts
in the '50s can be seen when we compare & contrast such
hitmakers as Perry Como & Little Richard.In every way,
they were different - but both were equally popular in
1958.
There were,however,artists who could (and did) do it
all.Jerry Lee Lewis (born in Louisiana,1935),Elvis
Presley (born in Mississippi,1935) & Gene Vincent (born
Virginia,1935) were the most eclectic & versatile of all
the 1950s artists.All 3 could croon like a Perry Como or
Dean Martin & rock 'n' roll like a Little Richard.All 3
were excellent bluesmen & Gene & Jerry Lee were great
country singers.Gene & Elvis knew the tricks & strategy
of the good popstar - Jerry Lee knew that he could put
pure blues,boogie & country into the mainstream.All 3
artists knew they had a unique versatility - something
that few artists would ever have from 1960 on.
There are major differences between how all 3 artists
handled their abilities,though.Gene Vincent hit it big
in 1956 with the excellent countrified blues original
'Be bop a Lula',but found it hard to follow up this hit.
He tried many different styles between 1956 & 1970:rock
'n' roll,R&B,blues,country,teen pop,country rock & soul.
A few minor hits like 'Wild cat' & 'Pistol packin' Mama'
resulted,but he never gained the fame his talents truly
deserved.He died in 1971,almost broke.
Jerry Lee Lewis started off his career as a nightclub
blues & country singer & cut his first records in 1954.
He signed to Sun Records in 1956 & recorded his first
record 'Crazy arms' (a bluesified country tune)/'End of
the road' (a self written ragtime-boogie-blues).
From the earliest of sessions,Lewis demonstrated his
versatility.He could do blues like 'Deep Elem blues' or
'Hello hello baby' & then do straight country like 'You
win again' or 'It all depends'.He could rock wilder than
anybody & his gospel was steeped with the fervour of the
Holy Ghost.This unique versatility paid dividends when
'Whole lotta shakin'' & 'Great balls of fire' became big
rock 'n' roll hits for him in 1957.The hits continued in
1958 with such offerings as 'Breathless' & 'Highschool
confidential'.
Then,for a variety of reasons,rock 'n' roll began to
wind down.Jerry Lee's marriage to Myra Gail was a
perfect excuse to wind down one rock career.Lewis was a#
fighter,though & he never gave up.He wouldn't compromise
to the teen pop rock 'n' roll style that was popular
from 1958 to 1963.Instead,he went the blues & country
root & in 1968,'Another place another time' commenced
his country ballad hits.Between 1968 & 1981,Jerry Lee
was at his most successful - with many No.1s,No.2s & top
10 country hits every year.
Nowadays,Jerry Lee is recognised as a living legend &
a cult hero.His vocal & musical talent is incomparable
to any other artist.
Elvis Presley was by far the most successful pop artist
of the 3.This was both a good & bad thing for him.Along
with Frank Sinatra,Elvis is probably the worlds best
knwon singer - but this tends to be treated in degrees
of fanatical loves & hates.
Unlike Jerry Lee,Elvis never really explored his blues
potential & in later years was quite happy to sing just
pure pop.From 1956 to 1977,Presley had many
international hits - the early ones displayed his blues
& gospel roots;the later ones were evidence of his sell
out to pop.He died in 1977,considered by many as a joke.
When you start comparing the 3 artists,Lewis & Vincent
stuck to their roots pretty consistantly.Presley,on the
other hand,forgot his roots often because of advice from
people like Tom Parker.Elvis was weak in this way & was
afraid to stand up to Parker.As a result,Elvis' best
years were lost.
While artists like Jerry Lee,Carl Perkins or Gene were
experimenting with contemporary blues & soul between
1960 & 1970,Elvis was starring in terribel movies doing
terrible songs.In 1968 & 1969,Elvis made an all-to0-brief
comeback.From 1970 to his death,he was playing a lot of
repetitive,pop-orientated concerts that did nothing to
show his true talents.
Jerry Lee is the most blues & soul orientated of the
3 & has cut many pure gutbucket blues songs like 'Big leg
woman','Milk cow blues' & 'Hello hello baby'.Elvis was a
convincing bluesman,too,but did way too little of it.
Gene's blues were lighter & more folky overall.
Jerry Lee's also the most country-orientated & most of
his biggest hits were on the country charts.Gene's
country owed more to country-rock while Elvis rarely
sang any pure country in a real country style.

How these 3 artists are viewed today:

ELVIS PRESLEY:Regarded as a legend,a superstar & a total
phenomenon.He's considered to be the first real popstar
& has indeed set the standard for all pop stars that
followed.
He has caused many to adore & dislike him & sometimes
both feelings are felt by the same person.Overall,even
his staunchest fans have to admit that he wasted a lot
of his prime years doing substandard pop & films.

JERRY LEE LEWIS:Regarded as the living legend of rock 'n'
roll & the real King of rock 'n' roll by the more
studious-minded music fans.Respected as a talent,known
well for his reputation as a general-purpose wildman.
As I know from being one,Jerry Lee Lewis fans are the
most fanatic of all fans.Even Elvis diehards can't
compare to the true Lewis fan.Unlike Elvis,Jerry Lee
never truly wasted any moment of his career.This is of
course a major advantage for the non-casual rock,blues or
country fan.
Lewis is known also as one of the greatest country
singers of all time.His blues potential,which is as
impressive,is often under-rated (mainly,because of lack
of knowledge about it).
Unfortunately,Jerry Lee is regarded as primarily a rock
star & pioneer today.He certainly is that,but he's way
too versatile an artist to easily pigeon-hole to a single
category.

GENE VINCENT:Regarded by many as an exact clone of Elvis
or some kind of a poor man's Elvis.This certainly is not
true.There are big differences between Gene & Elvis &
Gene has loads of advantages over Elvis - for starters
Gene didn't waste large chunks of his career.He may not
have had the looks of Elvis,but his music is often vastly
superior.

Patrick Wall,November 1997.

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