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The members of Jerry Lee’s five-piece band were beginning to arrive, and they checked in with Cecil Harrelson. HarrelsonistheformerhusbandofJerryLee’ssingingsister,LindaGail,who now lives in Ferriday, Louisiana. Anothergroupofpeoplecameinandoneyoungmanamongthemintroduced Jerry Lee to his fiancée. Jerry Lee rose, took her hand, and said, “Hello, honey. You’re sure a mighty pretty little lady!” JerryLee’sdrummer,MorrisTarrant,aslim,youngConfederatewithadrooping mustache, checked in. Tarrant,whohadjustreturnedtoJerryLee’sbandaftermakingonetourwith James Brown, had his wife and young daughter with him, and Jerry Lee rose and greeted them. Four musicians in road costume—double-breasted coats, ruffle-front shirts—entered, and one of them, a big, young man with red hair, introduced his fiancée to Jerry Lee, the fourth man that evening to do so. This time, Jerry Lee rose, took her hand, bent low, and kissed it, then said, “Hello, honey. You’re sure a mighty pretty little lady!” Jerry Lee and the red-haired young man were old friends and they talked a while, recalling past adventures. “You remember those three girls that were waiting for us that time outside that Greek place in Amarillo?” asked the young man. Jerry Lee scratched his head. “You’renotthinkingofthattimeinShreveport,areyou?”heasked.“Areyou stayin’ for the show?” “Can’tdoit,”saidtheyoungman.“WegotashowourselvesMondaynightin Miami, and we’re pulling out right now. We’ll run into you again on the road, someplace.” “Yeah,sure.Someplace,”saidJerryLee,ashefollowedthemtothedressingroom door and waved goodbye. Jerry Lee’s wife, Myra, and his six-year-old daughter, Phoebe, entered the dressing room. Myra Lewis, twenty-seven, had been married to Jerry Lee for fourteen years andwasapetiteyoungladywhoworeherhairlong,intheAssemblyofGodfashion .Shewasdressedconservatively,withoutatraceofshowbizinherappearance. Phoebe wore little white vinyl boots and jumped up in the lap of an older woman sitting in the room. “I just came back to be surewhatyou’re going toweartonight,”Myrasaidto Jerry Lee. “Honey, I might go out there in just what I got on right now,” he said. “Now you wear your leather suit, Jerry Lee Lewis, and I mean it!” 198 THE OXFORD AMERICAN 1SMIRNOFF_pages.qxd 8/27/08 10:43 AM Page 198 SomeonementionedJerryLee’shair.Intheearlydays,heworeitlongenough to fall down past his chin. Now it is short and combed straight back all over. “JerryLee’shairisjustbeautiful,”saidMyra,“andhedoesn’tputanythingon it but QED.” “That’s a pretty dress you got on, honey,” said Jerry Lee. Myra twirled around to show him the full skirt. “I’m going out front and do some clapping,” she said. “It makes me so mad! Therearepeoplesittingouttherewhodon’teverclap.Idon’tthinktheyoughtto be out there if they’re not going to clap!” Myra Lewis went back out front. Bynow,allthemembersofJerryLee’sbandhadcheckedinwithCecilHarrelson and were waiting in the dressing room across the hall. Harrelson, hair parted in the middle of his head with long, full sideburns, camein,pouredashotfromthebottleofCalvertExtra,andputalittleCokeinit. “I don’t care if it does make my ulcer hurt,” he said. The little man who had changed Jerry Lee’s tire appeared in the room again, swaying a little more. He stood in front of Jerry Lee and looked at him awhile. “They call me Pee Wee, and I don’t care,” he said. “I’m proud of it!” “If it was me, I’d be, too,” said Jerry Lee. The little man swayed, almost falling, and Jerry Lee put out his arms to catch him. “Be careful, Killer,” said Jerry Lee. “Jerry Lee, you sure you won’t have a drink? Lemme tell you what I got.” He leaned over and whispered in Jerry Lee’s ear. “Peach wine.” Pee Wee’s wife reappeared and led him back out the door. Onhiswayout,PeeWeeaddressedtheroom:“IchangedataronhisLincoln once. The one he set far to.” Dick West is Jerry Lee’s bodyguard, driver, general assistant, and friend. A former professional wrestler, he selects and sees to the fitting of Jerry Lee’s wardrobe. He was in and out of the dressing room, taking infrequent nips from a drink he kept on a shelf in the closet. West took me aside and showed me a .32 caliber revolver in a holster on his belt, hidden by the coat of his perfectly fitted suit. “I have to carry a gun,” he said. “We’re always leaving these strange towns withbigcashmoneyon us.Ijustgotthis.32.Igotalicensetocarryit.Ididhavea .45 automatic but it went off on me. “WewereinOklahomaCity,andIwentoutsidetothecarforsomething,bent over, and the .45 fell out of the holster, hit the pavement, and went off. BOOK OF GREAT MUSIC WRITING 199 1SMIRNOFF_pages.qxd 8/27/08 10:43 AM Page 199 [3.128.199.88] Project MUSE (2024-04-23 18:28 GMT...

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