Great Balls of Fire!

Jerry Lee Lewis was in his prime in the '50s, which is what the Buddy Holly Days at the Surf every February is all about. Here you see him performing this spring, barely able to walk to the piano but all about performance once he got there.

You'll recall his classic hits like "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and "Great Balls of Fire", the latter being chosen in 2005 to be selected for permanent preservation in the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress. Remember the hair that fell down to cover his face, his inability to sit still on the piano, the way he slammed his hands across the keyboard - and you remember Jerry Lee Lewis.

You will also recall he married a 13-year-old cousin once removed, leading to his downfall as a performer, at least for a period, until he came back in the 60s as a country singer. And later, of course, he became a "historic rendition" at the Surf, for lack of a better term.

He was a maverick - and I can visualize Mike Lien doing an "air piano" and singing the words, can't you?