Jerry Lewis (1960s publicity photo) (Wikipedia)
Jerry Lewis (born either Jerome Levitch or Joseph Levitch, depending on the source; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, producer, director, screenwriter, and humanitarian. He was known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. From 1946 to 1956, he and Dean Martin were partners as the hit popular comedy duo of Martin and Lewis. Following that success, he was a solo star in motion pictures, nightclubs, television shows, concerts, album recordings, and musicals.
Lewis served as national chairman of the Muscular Dystrophy Association and hosted the live Labor Day weekend broadcast of the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon for 44 years. He received several awards for lifetime achievement from the American Comedy Awards, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Venice Film Festival and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and was honored with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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Going solo
After his partnership with Martin ended, Lewis and his wife Patty took a vacation in Las Vegas to consider the direction of his career. He felt his life was in a crisis state: “I was unable to put one foot in front of the other with any confidence. I was completely unnerved to be alone”. While there, he received an urgent request from his friend Sid Luft, who was Judy Garland’s husband and manager, saying that she couldn’t perform that night in Las Vegas because of strep throat, and asking Lewis to fill in. Lewis had not sung on a stage since he was five years old, twenty-five years before, but he appeared before the audience of a thousand nonetheless, delivering jokes and clowning with the audience while Garland sat off-stage, watching. He then sang a rendition of a song he’d learned as a child, “Rock-A-Bye Baby”, along with “Come Rain or Come Shine.” Lewis recalled, “When I was done, the place exploded. I walked off the stage knowing I could make it on my own”. At his wife’s pleading, Lewis used his own money to record the songs on a single.
Capitol Records heard it and insisted he record an album. The album, Jerry Lewis Just Sings, went to number 3 on the Billboard charts, staying near the top for four months and selling a million and a half copies. Having now proven he could sing and do live shows, he began performing regularly at the Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, beginning in late 1956, which marked a turning point in his life and career. The Sands signed him for five years, to perform six weeks each year, and paid him the same amount they had paid Martin and Lewis as a team. The critics gave him positive reviews: “Jerry was wonderful. He has proved that he can be a success by himself,” wrote one. He appeared on his first solo television show for NBC in January 1957, followed by performances for clubs in Miami, New York, Chicago and Washington. In February he followed Judy Garland at the Palace Theater in New York; ex-partner Martin called during this period to wish him the best of luck. “I’ve never been happier,” said Lewis. “I have peace of mind for the first time.”
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Jerry passed away August 20, 2017, from cariomyopathy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Lewis
Website: http://www.jerrylewiscomedy.com