It’s been quite the day for “Great Balls of Fire” singer Jerry Lee Lewis, following the announcement of his death by TMZ. The only problem is that he’s still very much alive.
TMZ reported Lewis’ passing earlier today, stating that an anonymous source revealed that the 87-year-old had passed. This rumor was later debunked by, you guessed it, TMZ, later revealing that a direct rep for Lewis confirmed that he is still alive and breathing.
“Earlier today we were told by someone claiming to be Lewis’ rep that he had passed. That turned out not to be the case.”
Page Six also had Lewis’ status of ‘alive’ confirmed by a rep from Lewis, who said, “He’s alive. TMZ reported erroneously off of a bulls*** anonymous tip.”
There were concerns by fans around Lewis’ health when an image of the music icon was shared on his official Facebook page, showing him in bed with the flu.
Earlier this month, he was set to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, but was too ill to attend the ceremony so he accepted his award from bed, and had Kris Kristofferson attend the induction ceremony on his behalf.
In a lengthy Facebook post, Lewis expressed his disappointment about not being able to accept the honor in person.
“It is with heartfelt sadness and disappointment that I write to you today from my sick bed, rather than be able to share my thoughts in person. I tried everything I could to build up the strength to come today – I’ve looked so forward to it since I found out about it earlier this year. My sincerest apologies to all of you for missing this fine event, but I hope to see you all soon.”