1. A Fierce Backlash
Once the press on both sides of the Atlantic discovered Myra’s true age, the backlash was fierce. The British press was particularly vicious, labeling Lewis a “baby snatcher” and “cradle robber”, urging a boycott of his concerts, and calling for his deportation as a child molester. Tour dates were canceled, and Lewis and Myra were forced to flee back to the US.
When their plane landed in New York, the US press was no kinder than the British. Lewis had experienced a meteoric rise, and at the peak of his career, he rivaled Elvis. His career crashed and burned spectacularly, and his personal appearance fees dropped from the then princely sum of $10,000 a night to $250. He reinvented himself a decade later as a country singer, performing before audiences less offended by performers’ wedding child brides who also happened to be blood relatives.
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Where Did We Find This Stuff? Some Sources and Further Reading
All That is Interesting – Andrew Robinson Stoney May Have Been England’s Worst Husband, Ever
British Heritage Travel – Did Mary Queen of Scots Kill Her Husband Lord Darnley?
Encyclopedia Britannica – Margaret of Valois, Queen Consort of Navarre
General History – An Infamous Trio: Darnley, Bothwell, and Rizzio
History Ireland – Camila O’Gorman, a Rose Among the Thorns
History Today – The Murder of Darnley
Live About – Jerry Lee Lewis and the Myra Brown Scandal
Live Science – The 6 Most Tragic Love Stories in History
New York Times, February 13th, 2005 – Heloise & Abelard: Love Hurts
Ranker – The 10 Cruelest, Most Unfair Weddings in the History of Western Culture
Tatler, February 14th, 2017 – The 7 Worst Weddings in History and Literature
Tudor Society – Murder of David Rizzio
Unofficial Royalty – Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, Princess of Wales
Vintage News – Betrayal Upon Betrayal: The Sordid Plot to Overthrow Mary Queen of Scots