Jerry Lee Lewis was not genuinely surprised by the backlash to his marriage with his underage cousin, Myra Lewis Williams, though the intensity and reach of that backlash likely caught him off guard. He understood that the public, especially outside his own community, would react negatively, but his attitude was defiant rather than shocked.
Before the scandal broke publicly, Lewis had been advised to keep the marriage secret. When confronted, he insisted there was nothing wrong with marrying Myra. He reportedly told Sun Records owner Sam Phillips’s brother Judd Phillips, “She’s my wife… There ain’t nothin’ wrong about that.” Judd warned him the reaction would be harsh, but Lewis dismissed the concern: “People want me, they’re gonna take me no matter what.”
When questioned by British reporters after the scandal erupted, Lewis maintained a cocky tone rather than contrition. He claimed, “She’s a woman,” in response to criticism about Myra’s age. His remarks reflected a belief in cultural difference, asserting the English public reacted differently than Americans, whom he felt were more judgmental about rock and roll and related issues.
Within his family, the marriage sparked anger and threats, especially from Myra’s father. Lewis had concealed the marriage for a week before telling Myra’s parents, who reportedly threatened severe consequences and annulment, though none came to pass.
The core of Lewis’s surprise was likely in the strength and breadth of the backlash. He expected some disapproval locally but was caught up in a highly public and moralistic scandal that transcended regional norms.
Regarding the normalization of such marriages in rural mid-20th century Louisiana and Mississippi, first-cousin marriages were legally permitted. Mississippi, where the marriage took place, did not outlaw first-cousin marriage until 2010; cousin-once-removed unions remain legal today. Furthermore, minimum age laws were either absent or flexible. Mississippi required parental consent for girls as young as 15, with judges able to grant exceptions for younger girls. Boys had a higher minimum age but could also marry younger with approval. Lewis, aged 22, did not require permission himself—only Myra’s parental consent was necessary.
Louisiana, similarly, did not set a legal marriage age until 2019 and also allows cousin-once-removed marriages.
Socially, Myra’s own statement “Age doesn’t matter back at home. You can marry at ten if you can find a husband,” reflects the cultural context where early marriages happened, especially in rural, traditional communities. Marriages to close relatives or underage partners had historical precedent and were occasionally treated as normal within these communities. Shotgun weddings or rapid marriages after pregnancy emerged from social pressures to preserve family honor and social norms.
Statistics support this context: in the mid-20th century, a noticeable percentage of women married under 18. Census data from 1935-1969 show that 15.4% of women wed before adulthood, with notable spikes in teen marriages following World War II. This rise aligned with widespread conservative views emphasizing marriage as a solution to premarital sex and pregnancy.
The major driver of child marriage acceptance in such communities linked to a fear of unmarried sex and preserving female ‘purity’ rather than concerns for the psychological welfare of minors.
Cousin marriages, including closer kin than the once-removed relationship Lewis and Myra shared, have long been tolerated and even common. Presidents and historical figures married cousins. Bans on cousin marriage, especially for once-removed relatives, are more recent and geographically restricted in the U.S., rare globally.
The scandal involving Lewis’s marriage was therefore not primarily about legality or kinship norms. It was the convergence of child marriage with the rebellious, sexually charged world of early rock’n’roll that caused outrage. Lewis became a symbol in the generational, cultural, and moral conflicts of late 1950s America.
The backlash intensified when the scandal hit London in 1958. England had a strict minimum marriage age of 16, and marrying a 13-year-old was unequivocally unacceptable there. The police interviewed Myra, and the British public’s condemnation was sharper and more uniform. The transatlantic uproar amplified the scandal’s impact back in the U.S. In America, until the British reaction, the press and public were ambivalent or confused.
The outrage was heavily performative, driven by moral indignation and cultural anxieties rather than child welfare or legal precedent. The scandal exploited the culture wars around rock’n’roll and youth sexuality, marking the first major rock’n’roll scandal in U.S. history. The child’s welfare was peripheral to the spectacle and backlash.
Key points:
- Jerry Lee Lewis understood his marriage to a 13-year-old cousin would provoke controversy but underestimated the backlash’s scope and international intensity.
- First-cousin marriages were legal and socially accepted in rural Mississippi/Louisiana during the 1950s; marriage ages were flexible with parental or judicial consent.
- Child marriage was normalized in many rural and conservative areas, often linked to fears of unmarried sex rather than child protection.
- The scandal was rooted less in legality and more in cultural conflicts—rock’n’roll’s emergence, generational divides, and puritanical attitudes toward sex.
- The British response, stricter and more uniform, amplified the scandal globally, influencing American reactions.
Was Jerry Lee Lewis Really Surprised by the Backlash Over His Marriage to His Underage Cousin? Let’s Clear the Static.
Jerry Lee Lewis’s reaction to the uproar about marrying his 13-year-old cousin wasn’t pure shock, but more of a “you mean *this* is a big deal?” moment. The backlash outside his Southern bubble rattled him more than locals might guess, and understanding this requires unraveling the knotty threads of mid-20th century rural Southern norms, legal quirks, and the charged atmosphere of early rock’n’roll rebellion.
Put simply: Jerry *was* aware that people disapproved, but he underestimated how fierce and widespread that disapproval would become—especially from the British press and audiences who saw the marriage as downright scandalous.
Let’s Start with Jerry Lee Lewis Himself: Not Exactly Baffled, Just Bold
When Jerry stopped in New York before his big British tour in 1958, he had a little chat with Sam Phillips, the Sun Records honcho, and Sam’s brother Judd. The latter urged Jerry to think strategically about how to address the marriage publicly. Jerry’s answer? “She’s my wife, there ain’t nothin’ wrong about that.”
Judd warned him: “Right an’ wrong don’t have anything to do with it, those people ain’t gonna like it.”
Jerry replied: “People want me, they’re gonna take me no matter what.”
In other words, Jerry knew the backlash was coming but told everyone, including himself, that he didn’t care much. His attitude was cocky, not confused.
Once in Britain, when reporters grilled him on marrying a 13-year-old, he coolly said, “You can put this down. She’s a woman.” And when asked if this scandal would ruin his career, his answer was classic Jerry Lee: “Back in America, I got two lovely homes, three Cadillacs, and a farm. What else could anyone want?”
He seemed more like a cowboy daring the storm than a man blindsided by outrage. The English, he claimed, didn’t react to rock’n’roll like Americans, and he grew homesick.
Inside His Family: The Real Shockwave
While Jerry’s public demeanor was tough as nails, the reaction closer to home was sharp and personal. When he finally told J.W., Myra’s father, and Lois, J.W.’s wife, they were furious—so angry that J.W. threatened to “skin Jerry alive” and had intentions to annul the marriage.
Despite that, the marriage stayed. The family drama clarifies that Jerry underestimated the emotional backlash, even from those closest to Myra.
Was His Surprise Genuine or Performance Art?
Modern takes might paint Jerry as either disingenuous or naïve. But the reality is nuanced. The magnitude of the backlash—particularly internationally—was unprecedented. In the insular world of rural Louisiana and Mississippi, his choices were less controversial, making the severe vitriol an eye-opener.
How Normal Were Such Marriages in Jerry Lee’s Time & Place? More Than You’d Expect.
To grasp why Jerry thought it was no big deal to marry Myra Lewis Williams at 13, you must understand the legal and social fabric of mid-century rural South.
Legal Landscape: A Patchwork Quilt
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| First Cousin Marriages | Legal in Mississippi (where Jerry and Myra married). This law stood until 2010, and even then, first-cousin-once-removed marriages remain legal.Louisiana, where Jerry hailed from, had no minimum marriage age until 2019, and also allowed cousin marriages. |
| Minimum Age for Marriage | Mississippi had no official minimum; but since 1972, rules required parental consent if under 15, judges’ approval if younger. Boys couldn’t marry under 17 without judge’s okay.Jerry was 22, so no permission needed; only Myra’s consent was relevant culturally. |
This legal permissiveness helps explain Jerry’s nonchalance. His marriage was entirely within law.
Social Norms: Traditions That Made Age ‘Just a Number’
Myra herself remarked to the press with startling frankness: “Age doesn’t matter back at home. You can marry at ten if you can find a husband.” Rural communities often valued early marriage — especially for girls deemed ready for adult roles.
There’s an evocative story about the shotgun style wedding: Jerry took Myra to see his film Jamboree. Instead of popcorn and a show, he asked her to marry him. She agreed. They married that same night.
The efficiency of that event shows how normalized early, even impulsive, rural marriages could be.
Statistical Backdrop
- Nearly half the U.S. states (44/50 as of 2021) still permit underage marriages with parental consent.
- In 1950, all states but North Carolina set minimum female marriage age at 18 or higher. NC allowed girls as young as 14 to marry.
- Census data from 1935-1969: 3.5% of women married under 16; 4.5% at 16; 7.4% at 17. In total, 15.4% of women were under 18 at marriage—a significant minority.
- After WWII, the average age of marriage dropped to historic lows; teen marriages rose until the early ’60s before falling.
American rural, conservative attitudes originally saw child marriage as a protective strategy against premarital sex or unplanned pregnancy. Preserving “purity” trumped concerns about the deeper psychological impact on children.
Cousin Marriages: Not the Outrage Many Assume
Though society often fixates on cousin relationships, marriages between cousins were and are far from rare, especially in Southern states. Famous Americans and even presidents had closer kinship ties than Jerry’s “once removed” cousin marriage.
Only 14 states today ban cousin or cousin-once-removed marriages. Compared globally, most countries don’t prohibit these unions.
Why the Marriage Sparked Scandal—More Than Just Law or Local Norms
Despite legal and cultural context down South, Jerry Lee Lewis’s union with a 13-year-old wasn’t your typical affair. It became a lightning rod because it clashed with the emerging youth culture and broader societal changes.
Rock’n’Roll and Moral Panic
Lewis wasn’t a small-town insurance agent; he was a rock’n’roll wild man, representing rebellion and moral chaos to many adults. So marrying a child wasn’t seen just as a legal or familial oddity, but as an emblem of the cultural decay feared by conservative America.
Generational and Puritanical Culture Wars
The scandal was less about the legality or cousin relationship and more about deeper generational conflicts. Rock’n’roll pitted youth against tradition. Lewis’s marriage became a symbol, not just a fact.
Performance of Outrage
Interestingly, the moral outrage often had less to do with protecting Myra and more with signaling broader cultural values. The child at the center was often peripheral to the public fury—like a pawn in a much larger chess game of cultural battle.
British vs. American Responses
The toughest blow came across the Atlantic. England’s minimum marriage age was 16 since 1929. When Lewis brought Myra, a 13-year-old, to London, police briefly intervened, interviewing Myra about her wellbeing. The news exploded.
This foreign outrage echoed back home. Before London, American reporters barely thought it would hurt Lewis’s career. But after the British furore, the career damage deepened.
Ironically, it wasn’t the cousin relationship or American legal standards that sank Jerry’s career for years. It was the fact that he scandalized Britain’s stricter, more prudish society—turning an internal Southern law issue into a global moral debate.
Summing Up Jerry Lee Lewis’s Surprise—and What It Really Reveals
Was Jerry Lee Lewis caught flat-footed by the backlash? Sort of. He was convinced that in America, particularly in his rural Southern world, his marriage wasn’t a scandal. But he failed to grasp how quickly the global media would amplify the outrage.
He miscalculated the depth of generational and cultural divides. In today’s terms, he’s like someone confidently posting a hot take on social media, then gasping at the tsunami of replies—except this was mass media and international legal scrutiny.
The shock Jerry experienced was genuine if we factor in his local environment. The early rock’n’roll era was a wild, raw cultural frontier, and his attitude reflected the norms he knew—but the world was already changing fast.
Ultimately, Jerry Lee Lewis’s marriage became a cultural warning sign: even legally permissible acts within one community can ignite furious backlash when exposed to broader, divergent societal values.
So next time you hear the tale of the “Killer” and his teenage bride, remember: the surprise wasn’t about the act alone; it was about the collision of worlds—the rebellious beat of rock’n’roll meeting the stone-cold eyes of mid-century moral watchdogs.
What Can We Learn?
- Legal permissibility ≠ social acceptance. Laws vary drastically, but culture and media shape perception.
- Generational and cultural context heavily influence what shocks society.
- Even iconic rebels like Jerry Lee Lewis couldn’t dodge the powerful wave of public morality and international scrutiny.
- Understanding history means listening to all voices—including those speaking from within smaller communities, however unpalatable their norms may seem today.
In the end, Jerry Lee Lewis’s shock offers a potent reminder that what’s “normal” in one place can rapidly be judged “scandalous” elsewhere—and that rock’n’roll’s real legacy is stirring up more than just the music charts.
