A Storm Erupted When the True Facts About This Marriage Came Out
Soon enough, Myra’s true age was discovered. The backlash was fierce and immediate. The British press in particular went after Jerry Lee Lewis hard for his controversial marriage. They labeled him a “baby snatcher” and “cradle robber”, urged a boycott of his concerts, and called for his deportation as a pervert and child molester. Tour dates were cancelled, and Jerry and his child bride fled back to the US. Things back home were not better. Scandal awaited Jerry when his plane landed in New York, and the American press was no gentler than the British had been.
Jerry Lee Lewis had experienced a meteoric rise, and at the peak of his career, he was a legitimate rival to Elvis Pressley. Now, seemingly overnight, that great career was snuffed out. His personal appearance fees took a nosedive from the then princely sum of $10,000 a night, to $250. His career revived a bit a decade later, when he reinvented himself as a country singer, and performed for audiences less offended by child brides who also happened to be blood relatives. But his days as a rock and roll star were over and done with for good.