On This Day in 1958, Jerry Lee Lewis Was at No. 1 With a Legendary Song He Almost Refused to Record

On this day (January 6) in 1958, Jerry Lee Lewis reached the top of the Billboard Country Best Sellers chart with “Great Balls of Fire.” Its placement in a popular film introduced it to a wide audience and helped boost its sales. As a result, it went on to move millions of copies. Additionally, it became Lewis’ signature song. However, he nearly didn’t record the song due to its lyrical content.

Videos by American Songwriter

Written by Otis Blackwell and Jack Hammer, Lewis released “Great Balls of Fire” in November 1957. It hit shelves, jukeboxes, and airwaves the day before the movie Jamboree premiered in theaters. Lewis performed the song in the movie. He appeared alongside other popular musicians, including Carl Perkins, Frankie Avalon, and Fats Domino. Due to the exposure, it sold a million copies in its first ten days.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1958, a Simple Introduction Destroys Jerry Lee Lewis’ Career]

“Great Balls of Fire” wasn’t just a success on the country chart. It also reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 and No. 3 on the R&B chart. The song also went to No. 1 in the United Kingdom, where Lewis was incredibly popular before a scandal ruined his reputation in the country.

Jerry Lee Lewis Didn’t Want to Record This Legendary Song

Today, Jerry Lee Lewis is remembered for many things. This song, setting fire to pianos, marrying his underage cousin, showing up to Graceland armed and allegedly planning to shoot Elvis, and a few other things immediately come to mind. However, many forget that he was raised in a religious home. Early in his career, his religious beliefs conflicted with the material he recorded.

“Great Balls of Fire” is packed with enough sexual innuendo to make Lewis think it was salacious. According to Songfacts, he initially refused to record the song, believing it was too “worldly” and calling it the Devil’s music. Sun Records head Sam Phillips had to talk Lewis into recording the song that would help make him a superstar.

“I thought it was funny,” said drummer JM van Eaton. “I could see both of them. Sam’s as serious as he could be, and Jerry’s as heated as he could be,” he recalled. Fortunately, the tape was rolling while they were having the argument. It can still be heard on several Sun Records collections, and in the video below.

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