Photo Credit: Silvio Tanaka / CC by 2.0
Rock ‘n Roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis is very much alive, despite a report from TMZ that he had died.
The report that Jerry Lee Lewis had passed away set off a wave of mourning before TMZ retracted the statement on Wednesday. Lewis had been known to be battling the flu earlier this month and could not attend his induction ceremony for the Country Music Hall of Fame on October 16, where his wife accepted the honor in his place. But TMZ acknowledged they had received an incorrect tip on his supposed passing, leading to the false report.
“Earlier today, we were told by someone claiming to be Lewis’ rep that he had passed,” TMZ says in its revision of the initial report.
“He’s alive. TMZ reported erroneously off of a bullshit anonymous tip,” a representative for Lewis told Variety.
Shortly after the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, a photo was posted of Kris Kristofferson visiting Lewis in his home to present him with his medallion personally. Before that, Lewis was well enough to travel from Memphis to Nashville in May when the Country Hall of Fame recipients were announced. There he posed for photos and took part in a news conference.
Lewis’ falsely reported death is the second time a prominent music figure has incorrectly been reported dead in recent weeks. People Magazine published a story that Joni Mitchell had died. Readers could quickly spot the report as an error due to the story and headline containing “TKs,” marking the piece as a pre-write with spots meant to be filled in before publication, as typical of any obituary.
Jerry Lee Lewis will be celebrated beyond his recent Hall of Fame honor with the upcoming Ethan Coen documentary about the rocker, “Trouble in Mind.” The documentary is yet to receive a release date, but it was given much praise upon its premiere at the Cannes film festival in May.