1950

1956

Jerry Lee Lewis, hoping to audition for Sun Records, travels to Memphis with his father, Elmo. As owner Sam Phillips is out of town, Lewis plays for engineer Jack Clement, who advises him to learn some rock and roll.

Jerry Lee Lewis cuts his first record - “End of the Road” b/w “Crazy Arms” for Sun. It is credited to Jerry Lee Lewis and His Pumping Piano.

The “Million Dollar Quartet" - Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis - records old gospel, country and pop songs at an impromptu session. The recordings aren’t officially released until the mid-Eighties.

1957

Sun releases “Flyin’ Saucer Rock n’ Roll” by Billy Riley and His Little Green men. Featuring Roland Janes on guitar and Jerry Lee Lewis on piano, the song is a rockabilly classic. In September, Sun releases Riley’s “Red Hot.”

“Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” the second single by Jerry Lee Lewis, is released on Sun Records.

“Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” enters the Top Forty, remaining there for 20 weeks. The song gets a boost when Jerry Lee Lewis performs it on The Steve Allen Show on July 28. It peaks at #3 and tops the country and R&B charts.

Sun Records releases “Great Balls of Fire,” written by Otis Blackwell (who penned “Don’t Be Cruel” and others for Elvis Presley). By the second week in December, the single is ensconced in the Top Ten on the pop, country and R&B charts. It becomes the best-selling record in Sun’s history.

Also released in 1957 is "You Win Again".

Jerry Lee Lewis marries his second cousin, Myra Gale Brown, in Hernando, Mississippi. She’s the daughter of J.W. Brown, his bass player and cousin. Myra is 13 years old, though she claims in the marriage license to be 20.

1958

Jerry Lee Lewis hits Number One with “Breathless.” In April, he scores again, with “High School Confidential.” Also released in 1958 are "Down The Line", "Fools Like Me", "Break Up" and "I'll Make It All Up To You."

The 45rpm single High School Confidential (Sun 296) was the third gold disc for piano rocker Jerry Lee Lewis, released in 1958. A different take of the song featured on the soundtrack of the MGM movie of the same title. In the movie Jerry Lee played the title song in the beginning and end of the movie, standing on the open deck of a truck. Starring in that movie are Mamie Van Doren and Russ Tamblyn. The Sun recording was one of 12 tracks featured on Jerry Lee Lewis's first Long Play (LP) album (Sun LP 1230). In keeping with an occasional record industry practice of the time (1958) the album was also released in 45rpm format, the twelve songs being divided over a series of three 7" Extended Play (EP) records, Sun EPs 108,109 and 110 (pictured). Although widely regarded as the 'headline' track, the title "High School Confidential" was not applied to the album.

1959

Jerry Lee Lewis releases three singles: 1959 "I'll Sail My Ship Alone", "Lovin' Up a Storm" and "Let's Talk About Us".