Who Is Jerry Lee Lewis’ Wife, Judith Brown? More About His 7 Marriages
Jerry Lee Lewis was known as a great rock ‘n’ roll leader. Unfortunately, he died on Oct. 28, 2022, at age 87, and his wife, Judith Brown, survives him. So, who is Jerry Lee Lewis’ seventh wife? Here’s what to know, plus more about the six wives who preceded Brown.
Jerry Lee Lewis was married 7 times during his lifetime
Jerry Lee Lewis’ wife, Judith Brown, was his last. Before Brown, he married six other times, and a few of his marriages proved quite controversial, as they affected his career as a musician.
According to The Sun, the “Great Balls of Fire” musician’s first marriage was to Dorothy Barton. He was just 16 years old at the time. Of course, this marriage didn’t last. They divorced after 20 months together. Within days of his first divorce finalization, Lewis moved on to marrying Jane Mitchum in 1953. This marriage lasted until 1957.
His third marriage was to his 13-year-old cousin, Myra Gale Brown, which lasted from 1958 to 1970. Lewis married once more to Jaren Elizabeth Gunn Pate the following year. Pate died in 1982 due to drowning in a friend’s pool. Lewis’ next wife, Shawn Stephens, also died. Their marriage only lasted a few months as a result.
His sixth marriage was to Kerrie McCarver, and this marriage lasted from 1984 to 2005. Finally, he married his seventh wife, Judith Brown, in 2012.
Who is Jerry Lee Lewis’ wife, Judith Brown?
So, who is Jerry Lee Lewis’ seventh wife, Judith Brown?
Brown had connections to the Lewis family before the couple married. The Sun reports she tied the knot with Lewis’ cousin, Rusty, and she divorced him shortly before she and Lewis got engaged. She reportedly met Lewis at a concert she was attending with Rusty in Los Angeles. Brown was 14 years younger than Lewis, which trends similarly to his other relationships.
According to The Natchez Democrat, Brown worked as a caregiver before any romantic involvement with Lewis. Rusty asked Brown to care for Lewis when he needed health assistance. “At that time, Jerry hadn’t been to the hospital in years and he needed someone to take care of him because he was very sick,” she explained. “It wasn’t romantic or anything like that at first, but after about six months, Jerry and I knew something was happening between us, but we weren’t really sure what was going on.”
In 2010, Brown filed for divorce from Rusty and received a gift from Lewis for Christmas. “He gave me a ring for Christmas, but didn’t tell me it was an engagement ring until a few months later,” she added. “He just said, ‘I just want to let you know that the ring I gave you for Christmas was a promise that I will marry you.’”
Judith Brown didn’t feel bothered by her husband’s past marriages
Jerry Lee Lewis’ wife spoke to The Guardian about their relationship. When the interviewer asked her how she felt about his six past marriages, she didn’t appear bothered.
“No, no, I love these women who loved him. But those wives were much younger than him, most of them, and past is past,” she noted.
During the same interview, Brown and Lewis mentioned whether Lewis would go to heaven or hell when he died. “I was always worried whether I was going to heaven or hell,” Lewis stated. “I still am. I worry about it before I go to bed; it’s a very serious situation. I mean you worry, when you breathe your last breath, where are you going to go?”
“That’s all forgiven,” she noted. “He’s going to heaven. We’re going to change the subject. … I know you are, baby. If the lifestyle’s got anything to do with it, that’s over.”
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