After suffering a minor stroke last month, Jerry Lee Lewis has been moved from a hospital to a rehabilitation facility to further his treatment. The 83-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member is expected to fully recover, according to a statement from Lewis neurologist in a press release.
The architect of early rock & roll, known for such piano romps as Great Balls of Fire and Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On, has had to cancel a string of concert appearances as he commits to rehab: performances in New Orleans, at the 50th Jazz Fest; in Knoxville, Tennessee; and in Alexandria, Virginia, have all been canceled.
Prior to the stroke, Lewis had been continuing to tour and was preparing to enter the studio to record his next project, a gospel album. According to his spokesperson, plans for the album are moving forward: He wants [fans] to know he cant wait to get back onstage and into the studio to make his gospel record.
Lewis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. Despite numerous country music hits, he has yet to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, which this week announced its new class of honorees.
I just thank God that Im breathing, and Im living, and I dont have any back problems as of...Im all right, he told Rolling Stone in 2014, weighing in on the idea of mortality. I want to make sure Im on the right track whenever I do check out.