We turn down the guitars and pummel the pianos in this issue, as we look at three stages in the careers of three titans of rock’n’roll. Jerry Lee Lewis’ 50s tales have been well-documented, but Vintage Rock wanted to hear more from a man who was actually there at the start – so we’ve talked to bassist, manager and (in many ways) mentor, JW Brown. Read his fascinating memories starting on page 28.
We also revisit the latter days of a true maverick of music, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. The piano man’s life seemed to be half myth, half outright lies… and even after talking to his manager we’re still none the wiser. At the heart of this issue, is the bona fide legend Little Richard. His early records were monumental in their influence, but even trailblazers need somewhere to go so we’re throwing ourselves into to the second reign of ‘King’ Richard in the early 60s, when he came out of retirement (not for the last time!) and cut some of the most underrated music of his extraordinary career.