From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Thu Jul 18, 2002  1:12 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Linda Gail Lewis
 
LINDA GAIL LEWIS (By Shaun Mather)

Born 18 July 1947, Ferriday, Louisiana

With a g-string that's seen more action than Warren Beatty's finger, Linda
Gail Lewis, it's safe to say, is one hell of a girl. Since the age of 12
she's lived the full rock 'n' roll lifestyle, originally in the shadow of her
brother Jerry Lee, and now in more recent times, courtesy of her own
trail-blazing live shows and tours supporting Shakin' Stevens and Van
Morrison.

Her early childhood was unbelievable and she managed to grasp its
eccentricities in her recent autobiography, The Devil, Me and Jerry Lee,
a fabulous read for anyone. She found it hard to focus on life's normal
activities once Jerry Lee hit the big time and so the youngster soon
followed him to Memphis to cut some duets at Sun. It's fair to say that she
was still finding her feet at this stage - she wasn't as flat as Miss Audrey
but she was shrill and seemed to be trying too hard to make an impact.
Further duets followed on Smash and Mercury, culminating in a top 10
country single in 1969 with Don't Let Me Cross Over. It was a far better
affair than her earlier work and the resultant album, Together, has some
really nice moments.

The 60s and 70s were a haze of one-nighters opening for Jerry Lee,
constantly marrying and improving her craft. In the 80s she began to take
the piano seriously and has since become a proficient 88er with a more
mature voice. She has recorded solo albums like International Affair and
I'll Take Memphis (well she's working her way through it!). She now tours
Britain regularly and as well as her home in Big Sandy, Tennessee she has
an apartment in Cardiff Bay, Wales. If you get a chance to see her, go, she
puts on a great show and is no longer just cashing in on her brother's name.

Book: Linda Gail Lewis and Les Pendleton, The devil, me and Jerry Lee.
Atlanta, GA : Longstreet Press, 1998.
Her official website http://www.lindagail.com/ has not much to offer,
http://www.rockabillyhall.com/LindaGailLewis.html gives much more info.
CD : Linda Gail Lewis (Sire, 1999). A new CD, "Out Of The Shadows",
has just been released on the Ten 35 label.