Nashville, Tenn.–Hank Williams Jr. of Paris and Kris Kristofferson inducted the legendary Jerry Lee Lewis into the Country Music Hall of Fame this week. Jerry Lee was too ill to attend so Kris and Lisa Kristofferson drove to his house after the ceremony to present the medallion personally.
The ceremony was held Sunday night.
Lewis posted his thanks to Kristofferson and Williams on his Facebook page and apologized for not being able to be there in person:
“Dear friends and fans in Nashville,
It is with heartfelt sadness and disappointment that I write to you today from my sick bed, rather than be able to share my thoughts in person. I tried everything I could to build up the strength to come today – I’ve looked so forward to it since I found out about it earlier this year. My sincerest apologies to all of you for missing this fine event, but I hope to see you all soon.
To be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame is the highest honor in Country music. Through over 60 years singing music professionally, country has always been the genre where I felt the most at home – between my fellow artists, the radio and the industry players — some of them anyway. I am honored to be going into that Hall of Fame rotunda with some of my heroes – Hank Williams Sr., Jimmie Rodgers and the like – not to mention so many amazing friends who have been so good to me through the years.
Thank you all for your support and love and for electing me into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and most of all, thanks to God for allowing me to experience this honor while I am still here. Since I could not be in-person with you today, I have asked one of my closest and dearest friends to accept this great honor for me – and he’s no stranger to this process: the legendary, Kris Kristofferson.”
The Country Music Hall of Fame describes Jerry Lee Lewis this way:
“Lewis, a singer and dazzling piano player, is a pillar of rock & roll, but he also embraced country music from the very beginning as an essential part of his distinctive, dynamic style. The Ferriday, Louisiana, native scored two massive country, pop, and R&B hits with “Whole Lot of Shakin’ Going On” and “Great Balls of Fire” within months of signing with Sun Records in late 1956. He also became known for his rollicking and rowdy live performances.
Lewis earned thirty-four Top Twenty country hits between 1968 and 1981, cementing his reputation as an exceptional country entertainer.”
Lewis was inducted along with Joe Galante and Keith Whitley.
Photo by Country Music Hall of Fame.