Jerry Lee Lewis weds for 7th time in Mississippi

[March 31, 2012]  JACKSON, Miss. (AP) -- Rock `n' roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis has married for a seventh time in Mississippi, and the new bride is his cousin's ex-wife.

Judith Ann Coghlan Lewis, 62, worked several years as Lewis' caretaker at his home in Nesbit, Miss., just south of Memphis -- a job she said she was sent to do by her then-husband and one of Lewis' ex-wives, who were brother and sister.

She said she and the 76-year-old Lewis, also known as "The Killer," never intended to fall in love. It just happened.

She said she married for love, not for money.

"To the people that think there's never going to be someone out there for them to love, just wait until they're in their 60s and 70s," the new Mrs. Lewis told The Associated Press on Friday. "It's better than ever."

The Adams County circuit clerk's office said the marriage license shows the couple was married March 9 in Natchez, Miss. Lewis is famous for top hits like "Great Balls of Fire" and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On."

The bride was previously married to one of Lewis' cousins, Rusty Brown. They divorced in 2010.

Rusty's older sister, Myra Gale Brown, married Lewis in 1957 when she was 13 and was his third wife. That marriage caused shockwaves for Lewis' career.

Lewis' sixth marriage ended in 2004 when he divorced Kerrie McCarver after 20 years together.

Judith Lewis said the wedding was small. The only guests were her sister and husband, and Lewis' sister and husband.

Jerry Lee Lewis and his new wife both grew up with parents who were sharecroppers and moved often, she said. He's from the small Louisiana town of Ferriday, which is just across the Mississippi River from Natchez; she's from the rural Mississippi town of Benoit.

The new Mrs. Lewis, who previously worked as a model and flight attendant, said she and her husband plan to record a gospel album together.

In 2010, Lewis announced a book deal with It Books, an imprint of HarperCollins.

Alberto Rojas, director of publicity for It Books, said Friday that the book deal is still on and that the memoir will be released in 2013.

[Associated Press; By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS]

Associated Press writers Jack Elliott Jr. in Jackson and Stacey Plaisance in New Orleans contributed to this report.

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