Jerry Lee Lewis, the fiery pianist who was the last living early rock 'n' roll pioneer, died Friday at his home in DeSoto County, Miss., south of Memphis. One of the first artists inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, he was 87.

According to his publicist, he suffered the last years of his life from various illnesses and injuries that, his physicians had often said, should have taken him decades ago.

The hard-living rocker best known for “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” emerged in the 1950s alongside Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Carl Perkins, Fats Domino and Buddy Holly.

Like many of them, he was a Southerner raised on gospel, country and the blues who fused those styles to create something wholly new and vibrant. More than many of his peers, Lewis added an element of danger with his venomous onstage personality; long before he ran into trouble with the law for his misuse of firearms, he was dubbed The Killer.

Lewis started at Memphis' Sun Records, as did Presley and Cash, arriving at Sam Phillips' studio just months after The King had moved to RCA. He had an immediate regional hit with his first release, a 1956 cover of Ray Price's “Crazy Arms.” The following year, “Shakin'" went to #3 in the late spring and “Great Balls of Fire” soared to #2 in the fall; follow-ups “Breathless” and “High School Confidential” went Top 30.

Lewis' career came crashing down, however, after it was revealed that the then-22-year-old had married his 13-year-old cousin. His subsequent releases stalled near the bottom of the pop and country charts as he spent his days touring the U.S. and Europe playing any hall he could. The album Live at the Star Club, recorded in 1964 in Hamburg, Germany, revealed just how extraordinary he could be on a good night.

Having been dropped by Sun in 1963, Lewis moved to Smash, where chart success continued to elude him.

Things changed, though, after a move to Nashville in 1968: Lewis’ “Another Place, Another Time” went to #4 on the country chart, the first of 11 consecutive Top 10 country singles over the succeeding three years. The Killer would score 38 Top 40 country singles between 1968 and 1981, and 17 of his 1970s albums for Mercury went Top 40 country.

His output slowed in the '80s and '90s as decades of alcohol and drug abuse turned his life into a series of battles—with the police, the IRS, family members and his health. He returned with a trio of star-studded duet sets: 2006’s Last Man Standing, 2010's Mean Old Man and 2014’s Rock & Roll Time. His final album was a gospel record with his cousin, televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, who'd preached against Lewis' music when they were younger.

He received his lone Grammy Award, in the spoken-word category, for the 1986 album Class of '55. The Recording Academy gave him its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.

Lewis was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s first class, in 1986; this past week, he was finally inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Photo: Sean Gowdy

“Jerry Lee Lewis’s indelible mark as a rock & roller in no way obscures his impact as one of the greatest country singers of all time. He was the ultimate stylist—as his friend Kris Kristofferson put it, ‘a table-thumpin’ smash.’”
—Kyle Young, CEO

More: https://t.co/uynKZQVyCm pic.twitter.com/U86JFNts0H
— Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (@countrymusichof) October 28, 2022

God bless Jerry lee Lewis peace and love to all his family Ringo. ðŸ˜ŽâœŒï¸ðŸŒŸâ¤ï¸ðŸŽµðŸ’•â˜®ï¸ pic.twitter.com/5tG54Der07
— #RingoStarr (@ringostarrmusic) October 28, 2022

Now it is true. He will always be a ball of fire. He’s influenced every rock ‘n’ roll piano player that ever attempted to rock. The last Man standing will stand forever in our hearts and minds and soul. Dangerous and magical.Jerry Lee Lewis remains the real thing. Rip it up. RIP. pic.twitter.com/ZXk8Wvhu1o
— Michael Des Barres (@MDesbarres) October 28, 2022

The Academy mourns the loss of the legendary Rock & Roll icon Jerry Lee Lewis. He scored multiple #1 Country songs in the 1960s and won an ACM Award in 1975 for Piano, alongside many nominations. Today, we remember his impact on not only Country Music, but also across all genres. pic.twitter.com/J5GoRHs62L
— ACM Awards (@ACMawards) October 28, 2022

Without Jerry Lee Lewis, I wouldn’t have become who I am today. He was groundbreaking and exciting, and he pulverized the piano. A brilliant singer too. Thank you for your trailblazing inspiration and all the rock ‘n’ roll memories. #RIP pic.twitter.com/HytKkIV5Qo
— Elton John (@eltonofficial) October 28, 2022

God bless you Jerry Lee
Your songs lit up my life ! pic.twitter.com/2SyXge86a6
— Mick Jagger (@MickJagger) October 28, 2022

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has lost its last inaugural inductee. Jerry Lee Lewis sang and played the piano with wild abandon, setting the world on fire with his electrifying performances and rebellious persona. pic.twitter.com/DzcX0AVa6Y
— Rock Hall (@rockhall) October 28, 2022

Sad to hear of the passing of Jerry Lee Lewis. Love his music and I was hugely influenced by his records and live performances which were always full of fire and inspiration! No one could touch him!
God Bless you, Jerry Lee â¤ï¸ðŸ‘¼ðŸ¼ pic.twitter.com/yp9DQr7z7D
— John Fogerty (@John_Fogerty) October 28, 2022

“Goodbye to the Killer” RIP
Keith
From the 1983 Salute to Jerry Lee Lewis @jerryleelewis pic.twitter.com/SRAkPPH8qR
— Keith Richards (@officialKeef) October 28, 2022

AKA THE KILLER: RIP JERRY LEE LEWIS. The last and wildest of the pioneers is gone. Jerry Lee did all one could possibly do with a piano. His religion tortured his soul with guilt but he did what he had to do in spite of knowing he was going to Hell for RnR. Now that’s commitment!
— ðŸ•‰ðŸ‡ºðŸ‡¦Stevie Van Zandtâ˜®ï¸ðŸ’™ (@StevieVanZandt) October 28, 2022