Throwback: Happy 89th Birthday, Jerry Lee Lewis!

September is a busy month in music history. 

• The Bee Gees‘ Barry Gibb celebrated his 77th birthday on September 1 
• Gloria Estefan celebrated her 66th birthday on September 1
• Soundgarden‘s Kim Thayil celebrated his 64th birthday on September 4
• Freddie Mercury, one of the greatest vocalists and entertainers in rock history was born 78 years ago on September 5
• Pink Floyd‘s co-founder and creative force Roger Waters celebrated his 81st birthday on September 6
• The legendary, King of Soul, Otis Redding was born 83 years ago on September 9
• Dave Stewart celebrated his 72nd birthday on September 9
• Big Daddy Kane, one of the most entertaining and talented emcees in hip-hop history celebrated his 56th birthday on September 10
• The legendary Roy Ayers celebrated his 84th birthday on September 10 
• Aerosmith‘s Joe Perry celebrated his 74th birthday on September 10
• The Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft celebrated his 52nd birthday on September 10
• Ludacris celebrated his 47th birthday on September 10
• The legendary Barry White, the Original King of Quiet Storm Soul was born 80 years ago on September 12
• Rush‘s Neal Peart, one the greatest rock drummers ever was born 72 years ago on September 12
• The Church frontman Steve Kilbey celebrated his 70th birthday on September 13
• Keith Murray, one of the most entertaining emcees I’ve ever seen live, celebrated his 50th birthday on September 13
• The great and supremely talented Amy Winehouse was born 41 years ago on September 14
• Nas, one of the greatest living emcees to ever hold a mic celebrated his 51st birthday on September 14
• The legendary B.B. King was born 99 years ago on September 15
• The Prodigy‘s Keith Flint was born 54 years ago on September 17
• The legendary and iconic Nile Rodgers celebrated his 72nd birthday on September 19
• De La Soul‘s Dave Jolicouer, a.k.a. Trugoy the Dove, a.k.a. Plug Two was born 56 years ago on September 21
• Montréal’s beloved balladeer Leonard Cohen was 90 years ago on September 21 
• The legendary and incomparable Joan Jett celebrated her 66th birthday on September 22
• John William Coltrane, one of the most influential, important and beloved musicians of the 20th century was born 98 years ago on September 23
• The legendary Ray Charles was born 94 years ago on September 23
• T.I., one of my favorite Dirty South rappers and one of the godfathers of trap, celebrated his 44th birthday on September 25  
• Boyz II Men‘s Shawn Stockman celebrates his 52nd birthday today
• Olivia Newton John was born 76 years ago on September 26
• Roxy Music‘s legendarily dapper frontman Bryan Ferry celebrated his 79th birthday on September 26

The legendary and controversial Jerry Lee Lewis was born 89 years ago today. Lewis is considered a pioneer of both rock and rockabilly — and is long known as rock’s first “wild man.” He’s also one of the first artists who was successful first in rock — and then later as a country and gospel artist. How many artists can say that?

Happy birthday, Mr. Lewis. Happy birthday, wherever you are!