Rev. Donnie Swaggart, son of
the late televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, who was
Lewis' cousin, officiated on Tuesday. The couple
held hands in the living room of Lewis Ranch, a
tourist attraction where they live part time in
Nesbit, Mississippi.
"Killer, you may kiss your bride," Swaggart
said, referring to the musician by his nickname.
About 100 guests were required to test negative
for COVID-19 to attend the private party at the
house, which is located less than 20 minutes'
drive from Graceland, the home of fellow rock
pioneer Elvis Presley.
The couple had been quarantined for months.
Lewis, who usually throws a party for his
birthday on Sept. 28, skipped celebrating his
85th because of the pandemic.
"2nd Covid Shot Over!!!!" Judith Coghlan Lewis
said in a Feb. 22 Facebook post that included a
photo of her smiling husband in a car.
Jerry Lee Lewis, who raised hell with 1950s hits
such as "Great Balls of Fire," chatted briefly
with guests before retiring to a private area in
the house.
The menu featured a three-tiered white wedding
cake topped with figures of an embracing couple.
White flowers cascaded from their feet over
layers circled with white beads.
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Lewis' string of marriages
began when he was 16, with Dorothy Barton, a
preacher's daughter. His third marriage, to his
13-year-old cousin Myra Gale Brown, caused a
scandal that abruptly ended his British tour
after her age was revealed.
Lewis is the only surviving member of the
dazzling Sun Records talent pool in Memphis,
Tennessee, that included Presley, Johnny Cash,
Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison. He was one of the
first performers inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll
Hall of Fame in 1986.
Lewis suffered a minor stroke in February 2019,
but less than a year later recorded an album of
gospel classics.
(Reporting by Karen Pulfer Focht; Writing by
Richard Chang; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
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