Pioneering rocker, Jerry Lee Lewis

Jerry Lee Lewis, a scandal-generating kingpin of 1950s American rock and roll who played a pivotal role in shaping the genre's sound, died on Oct. 28. He was 87 years old.

Famous for his flowing blond locks, rowdy piano beats and outrageous stage presence, the star best known for his classic "Great Balls of Fire" died of natural causes, his publicist told AFP.

"He is ready to leave," an accompanying statement quoted the artist's wife Judith as saying.

The statement said Lewis suffered years of illnesses and injuries: "He had abused his body so thoroughly as a young man he was given little chance of lasting through middle age, let alone old age," it read.

A friend and rival of Elvis Presley, Lewis's career spanned more than half a century and produced a wealth of eyebrow-raising stories about his numerous wives, including a teenage cousin, drunken rampages and run-ins with the government over back taxes.

It also produced a string of indelible hits.

Born in 1935, in Ferriday, Louisiana, Lewis took to the keys at age nine. The following year, his parents Elmo and Mamie mortgaged the family farm to buy him an upright piano.

In 1956, he struck out for Memphis, Tennessee to link up with the producer Sam Phillips at Sun Records, who was instrumental in Presley's astronomical rise.

Lewis, Presley and Johnny Cash got together with Carl Perkins at the studio for the "Million Dollar Quartet" jam session that year, which was released much later to acclaim.

Lewis soared to fame the next year with his breakout hit "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," whose provocative lyrics shocked some radio stations that at first refused to play it.

His follow up, "Great Balls of Fire," remains one of the best-selling singles...