I met the author, J.D.Davis, at a pre-release book signing, that took place on Saturday, April 28, 2012, just prior to a Mickey Gilley, Linda Gail Lewis (Jerry Lee's youngest sister) concert, in Natchez, Mississippi. Natchez is about 10 miles & across the Mississippi River, from Ferriday, Louisiana, the birthplace & hometown of Jerry Lee Lewis, Mickey Gilley & Jimmy Lee Swaggart. This book is well documented, very well researched, and contains very reliable information. As the author pointed out, this is the first book that has ever addressed all three cousins collectively. The author spent countless hours, studying the history, ancestry, and life stories of these three famous Ferriday, cousins. He conducted numerous interviews with their family members, relatives, inlaws, "outlaws", friends & others, they grew up with in Ferriday, Louisiana. He also spent a lot of time collecting information from people involved in their adult lives and careers.
The author received a lot of information from numerous interviews, and discussions directly with Mickey Gilley. However, the author only received a very limited amount of information directly from Jerry Lee and Jimmy Swaggart, due to personal reasons of their own. However, Jerry Lee & Jimmy Lee were very friendly and cordial to the author.
All three of these cousins were born within a 12 month span, during the Great Depression, of the 1930's.
The book's title "Unconquered", comes from a game these 3 cousins played when they were growing up. One cousin would do a stunt, and challenge the other 2 cousins to match it. If you couldn't match the stunt, then you were "conquered". One day they rode their bicyles down the 10 mile strecth from Ferriday to the Vidalia-Natchez Bridge across the mighty Mississippi River. Jerry Lee mounted himself on the thin handrail, and began tight-walking across the bridge. After Jerry Lee accomplished this, Jimmy Lee & Mickey were "conquered" because they were afraid to try it. Jerry Lee won. However, in real life as these three cousins grew up, & became adults, each one "conquered" all the personal hardships that each one had to face in their lives and in their careers.
This book covers, a lot of family history, how they are related, their family tree, it covers some southern culture, southern music, & religion, including some history of the Assembly of God Church, especially down in Ferriday, Louisiana. Also it covers significant events that took place in their family histories, the three cousins lives/careers, southern culture, religion, & southern music, that were taking place before, during, & after their birth & during their careers, even up through 2010. It has a time line chart, from the year 1856 through the year 2010, that points out, some of these significant events. The book has an index, making it easy to "look-up" individual pieces of information. The book also contains some great photographs, summarized family tree diagrams, & a relavant area & regional map. The book also contains a chart of the author's favorite songs by each one of the three cousins.
It covers Sam Phillips, and Sun Records, in Memphis, and how Sam & Sun Records were extremely instrumental in the "Birth of Rock & Roll". Plus, Sam Phillips & Sun Records were extremely instrumental in the Rock & Roll career of Jerry Lee Lewis. On page 115, the author mentions the recording of The Ike Turner Band's "Rocket 88" at Sun Records in 1951, is generally accepted as the "first Rock & Roll record", although it is still debated. While this is generally true, only recently, a convincing challenge has been made, that Roy Brown's recording of "Good Rockin' Tonight" at J&M Studio (in New Orleans), in 1947 is the real "first Rock & Roll song", ever recorded. This is covered in detail in the recently released book, "Louisiana Rocks - The True Genesis of Rock & Roll", by Tom Aswell. Also even more recently, Cosimo Matassa of the J&M Recording Studio, has finally been recognized by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, for his role in the "Birth of Rock & Roll". In April, 2012, Louisiana's Cosimo Matassa was officially inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Many early Rock & Roll artists, such as Little Richard, recorded at J&M Recording Studio
This book covers each one of the cousins life stories and careers in detail, including stuggles between good & evil. It covers Jerry Lee's career in Rock & Roll & in Country Music. It covers Mickey Gilley's career in Country Music, the "Gilley's Clubs & Theatre" + "The Urban Cowboy Movie", + several TV show appearances by Mickey Gilley, such as the "Dukes of Hazzard", "Fantasy Island" and others. Also it covers Jimmy Swaggart's career in Gospel Music, The Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, and Evangelism.
Reading this book, is like reading a William Faulkner novel, except this is about real people, and real places.
On page 91, the book covers the story about Jerry Lee's and his friend Cecil Harrelson's, trip to New Orleans, back in 1952, and that while there, Jerry Lee made his first recording. He recorded the song "Please Don't Stay Away Too Long", and he gave the record to his friend Cecil Harrelson, who kept it for the next sixty years. However, there is more to the story than just that. Jerry Lee did in fact make his very first recordings down in New Orleans, and they were made at the J&M Recording Studio. Jerry Lee did in fact record the Lefty Frizell hit "Please Don't Stay Away Too Long", but he also recorded a "B side" to it, which was an improvised song, put together & written by Jerry Lee, called "The New Orleans Boogie". These recording were made by Jerry Lee back in 1952, when Jerry Lee was only 16 years old. Jerry Lee did in fact give the record to his friend Cecil Harrelson, who indeed kept it hid for around 54 years. Then in the year 2006, Cecil along with Jerry Lee's lawyer, traveled to the Country Music Hall of Fame, along with the original 1952 Jerry Lee Lewis record, and a recording & transfer specialist there, copied the record from the original acetate version, into a modern digital version. Then these first 2 recordings of Jerry Lee were included in Jerry Lee's Box Set "A Half Century of Hits", which was released during 2006. This information about Jerry Lee's first recordings come from notes included in the Jerry Lee Lewis Box Set, "A Half Century of Hits". Also, Jerry Lee's name is included on a historical maker at the site of J&M studio in New Orleans, along with Fats Domino, Little Richard & other Rock & Roll Pioneer artists who recorded there.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, Leon Russell, has a comment included on the back cover that states, this book, "...includes God the devil, and everything in between...". The back cover also includes some complimentary comments from the Secretary of State of Louisiana, and Neal McCoy, an acclaimed country music artist.
Overall, this is without a doubt, the most complete and comprehensive book ever written about Ferriday, Louisiana's three famous cousins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jimmy Swaggart, & Mickey Gilley. I highly recommend it.
