To shouts of "Go, Killer" and "Jerry forever,", rock 'n' roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis opened his show at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Biloxi on Friday night.
Lewis, an original inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, showed no signs of slowing down at 73, tearing up the piano with his classic hits and renditions of early rock standards. Age was no barrier in the crowd as couples, old and young alike, swing-danced and swayed happily during the performance.
Though Lewis no longer sets his piano ablaze or plays with his feet, his trademark irreverence and signature style remained through the hour-long concert. He smiled wide at the crowd and performed his own versions of "Roll Over Beethoven," "You Belong To Me" and his own classic "Don't Put No Headstone On My Grave," among others.
Josh Vanlandingham, a 20-something college student from Pensacola, didn't dare pass up the opportunity to see "The Killer."
"My dad grew up listening to (Lewis) and he plays piano, too," Vanlandingham said. "If my dad heard I gave up on two Jerry Lee Lewis tickets, he'd probably disown me."
Lewis performed with his longtime band Ken Lovelace and the Memphis Beats. In 2005, Lewis and his band were the final act to ever perform in the showroom at Grand Casino Gulfport. They played to a packed house a mere two days before Hurricane Katrina. Martha and Mike Lochner, of Dallas, almost made that show.
"We've been waiting for years to see him," Martha said. "We did see him when we were young in Dallas, and we loved it. He was still setting pianos on fire then."
True to form, Lewis wrapped his show with rousing performances of his eternal hits "Great Balls of Fire" and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On." The crowd sang along with every word and erupted in applause at the end of the songs, including one exuberant fan up front who stuck two crutches high in the air. Though Lewis may not be as wild as he once was, "The Killer" gave a memorable show for all in attendance.