Jerry Lee Lewis was an explosive rock and roll performer whose unbounded stage energy made him nearly unrivaled, and he brought that rousing show to northeast Arkansas several times, including a Walnut Ridge performance at Fireman's Hall that cost 50 cents to attend. Raised in Ferriday, Louisiana, he grew up playing and singing with his cousins Mickey Gilley and Jimmy Swaggart and as a young man hoped to become a minister, but his animated style of music was judged unsuitable for church. He signed with Sun Records, where Sam Phillips captured his reckless studio energy by letting him perform freely, producing songs including "Whole Lot of Shakin' Goin' On," which was banned in many cities as too suggestive but became a smash after his 1957 appearance on the Steve Allen Show. His signature hit, "Great Balls of Fire," released later in 1957, became a phenomenal and enduring success, and "Breathless" climbed the charts in 1958. Later that year his career stalled when it became known that his new wife, Myra, was his cousin and only 13 years old, nine years younger than he was. He later regained popularity as a country singer in the 1960s and 1970s with hits including "What's Made Milwaukee Famous," "One Minute Past Eternity," and "Middle Age Crazy." On December 4, 1956, at Sun Records in Memphis, he joined Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash in the impromptu jam session later known as the Million Dollar Quartet, and all four performed at various times along Rock 'n' Roll Highway 67.