Jerry Lee Lewis’ Children: How Many Kids Did He Have?
Jerry Lee Lewis is known as one of the greatest musicians ever to play rock ‘n’ roll, and he’ll certainly be missed after his death. He died on Oct. 28, 2022, at 87 years old, and he’s survived by his seventh wife, Judith Brown. So, did Jerry Lee Lewis have children? Here’s what to know about his kids.
Jerry Lee Lewis married 7 times and had children with multiple women
Like many rockstars, Jerry Lee Lewis had several wives throughout his lifetime. He married Dorothy Barton when he was just 16 years old, and they didn’t even make it to two years of marriage before filing for divorce.
Lewis’ second marriage was to Jane Mitchum. The two tied the knot in 1953 and stayed together for four years. They divorced in 1957.
His third marriage was the most infamous of them all. He married his 13-year-old cousin, Myra Gale Brown, in 1958. Lewis was 21 years old at the time, and the public condemned him for marrying a girl so young. They stayed together until 1970.
Lewis’ fourth marriage was to Jaren Elizabeth Gunn Pate. Sadly, Pate died in 1982 due to drowning. His fifth wife, Shawn Stephens, also died. Lewis tied the knot with his sixth wife, Kerrie McCarver, in 1984, and they divorced in 2005.
Finally, Lewis married his seventh and final wife, Judith Brown. They got married in 2012 and were together until Lewis’ death in 2022.
How many children did Jerry Lee Lewis have?
With so many wives, did Jerry Lee Lewis have many children?
In total, the “Great Balls of Fire” musician had six kids. Jerry Lee Lewis Jr. (born in 1954) and Ronnie Guy Lewis (born in 1956) were both from his second marriage to Jane Mitchum. He had Steve Allen Lewis (1959) and Phoebe Allen Lewis (1963) with his third wife, Myra Gale Brown. Lori Lee Lewis (1972) was from his fourth marriage to Jaren Elizabeth Gunn Pate. Finally, he had his sixth child, Jerry Lee Lewis III (1987), with his sixth wife, Kerrie McCarver.
Several of Lewis’ kids died at young ages. NPR reports Steve Allen drowned at age 3 in a swimming pool, and Jerry Lee Lewis Jr. died in a car accident at 19. This added to Lewis’ grief as he also had to deal with the deaths of his fourth and fifth wives. A grand jury ultimately cleared Lewis of Stephen’s death, as many people grew concerned there was foul play.
He talked about how he deals with the grief of his dead children and ex-wives
Jerry Lee Lewis talked about the effect of losing several children and wives throughout his lifetime.
“Well, I don’t know if it made me stronger or not, sir, but it got my attention real good, I know,” he told The Guardian in regard to the deaths. “That was a very hard time, a very sad time for me. But I pulled through it. I buried my own. I took care of everything.”
“I get down sometimes,” the rock star added. “A little bit down. I pull myself out of it. I pray, and I think about the things I have now.”
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