GRAMMY Museum Mississippi Celebrates Grand Opening of New Exhibit The Killer, The Preacher And The Cowboy

GRAMMY MUSEUM MISSISSIPPI HOSTS INDUSTRY, MEMBERS, AND GUESTS FOR GRAND OPENING OF THE KILLER, THE PREACHER AND THE COWBOY: THE FAMILY LEGACY OF JERRY LEE LEWIS, JIMMY SWAGGART, AND MICKEY GILLEY

 

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CLEVELAND, Miss. (Jan. 22, 2026) – GRAMMY Museum Mississippi celebrated the opening of their newest exhibit, The Killer, The Preacher and The Cowboy: The Family Legacy of Jerry Lee Lewis, Jimmy Swaggart, and Mickey Gilley, yesterday evening with an exclusive first look for family, industry professionals, sponsors, donors, and museum members. These famous cousins who grew up together in Ferriday, Louisiana and Natchez, Mississippi reached individual pinnacles of success in music, each with wildly different journeys.

The families of each of the men were well represented with remarks made by Lewis’s widow, Judith Lewis, Gilley’s widow, Cindy Gilley, and Swaggart’s widow, Frances Swaggart — who was married to Swaggart for 72-years and largely credited as the force behind Swaggart’s massive Christian ministry. Additionally, exhibit co-curator Zach Farnum hosted a panel discussion on legacy with Lewis’s youngest son, Jerry Lee Lewis III and Swaggart’s grandson, Matthew Swaggart. 

Seasoned musicians Jacob Tolliver, James Dupré and Danica Hart took the stage to mark the momentous occasion, each singing songs made famous by one of the three men. Dupré is a Louisiana-born singer who is currently the lead vocalist on the Randy Travis’ More Life Tour. Tolliver is a Ohio-native singer/songwriter and pianist who opened on tour for Jerry Lee Lewis from 2017 to 2019 and portrayed the icon in Million Dollar Quartet in Las Vegas early in his career. Hart is a Mississippi-native who grew up on the sounds of Gospel music and was heavily influenced by the church.

“This exhibit has been 90 years in the making. We wanted to highlight these awe-inspiring three cousins, all from the same region, all growing up playing the same piano, attending the same church, learning the same schooling, yet forging wildly different paths to the top. Each has a unique story, and what better place to recount those stories than in the heartland of American music, right up the road from where they were born, at the GRAMMY Museum Mississippi,” said exhibit co-curator and board member Zach Farnum.

“It is a privilege to be part of such an important event, honoring these three giants of American music and their everlasting impact in the industry. I had the pleasure of knowing Jerry Lee, Jimmy, and Mickey personally, and will continue sharing their legacy with today’s generation of musicians and audiences across the globe,” said Jacob Tolliver.

The exhibit is open now to the public. The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. The Museum is closed on Mondays. Tickets are available for purchase at grammymuseumms.org.

About Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis was born on September 29, 1935, in Ferriday, Louisiana. With his innovative and flamboyant piano playing style, Lewis emerged as one of rock’s early showmen in the 1950s. He signed with Sun Records in 1956 and quickly became a star, releasing his first single — a cover of Ray Price’s “Crazy Arms” — that same year. The following year, Lewis’ “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” became a hit on the pop, country and R&B charts. By this time, Lewis had also developed some of his famous stage antics, such as playing standing up and even lighting the occasional piano on fire. He had such energy and enthusiasm in his performances that he earned the nickname “The Killer” for the way he knocked out his audiences. Lewis was on a roll with his next single, “Great Balls of Fire,” which was another big hit in December 1957. The following March, Lewis struck again with “Breathless,” which made the Top 10 on the pop charts. He was among the first artists inducted into the inaugural Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class in 1986. Lewis earned three career GRAMMY nominations, winning Best Spoken Word Or Non-Musical Recording for Interviews From The Class Of ’55 Recording Sessions at the 29th Annual GRAMMY Awards® in 1987. In 2005, the Recording Academy honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Jerry Lee Lewis died on Oct. 28, 2022, at age 87.

About Jimmy Swaggart
The Reverend Jimmy Swaggart, born in 1935 in Ferriday, Louisiana, preached the gospel of Jesus Christ on television longer than any other American evangelist. Launching his full-time ministry in 1955, Swaggart combined his passionate preaching with a deep musical gift, becoming one of gospel music’s best-selling artists with more than 17 million recordings sold and multiple Dove Award nominations and a GRAMMY nomination. His ministry grew from local revivals to a global platform through radio, television, and eventually the SonLife Broadcasting Network, which today reaches audiences around the world. Beyond his media presence, Swaggart’s crusades, publications, and Bible distribution programs have influenced millions, cementing his legacy as one of the most recognized religious figures of the 20th century. Jimmy Swaggart died on July 1, 2025 at age 90.

About Mickey Gilley
Mickey Gilley was born in Natchez, Mississippi, and raised in Ferriday, Louisiana alongside his cousins Jerry Lee Lewis and Jimmy Swaggart. Inspired by the rhythm and blues he heard growing up, Gilley began recording in the late 1950s. Between 1968 and 1989, Gilley charted 46 singles on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, including 34 that reached the Top 10 and 17 that went to No. 1. During the same period, he placed 27 albums on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, with 10 landing in the Top 10. Two of those albums — Room Full of Roses (1974) and City Lights (1975) — hit No. 1. In 1971, he co-founded the world-famous Gilley’s nightclub in Pasadena, Texas, which became the largest honky-tonk in the world and a launchpad for the urban cowboy craze following the 1979 Esquire article and 1980 film starring John Travolta and Debra Winger. The Urban Cowboy soundtrack, featuring Gilley’s platinum version of “Stand By Me,” cemented his place as a household name. Over his career, Gilley earned a GRAMMY Award, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and performed for several U.S. presidents. Later, he built his own theater in Branson, Missouri, where he continued to entertain fans for decades despite setbacks, including a serious injury in 2009. Beloved by country fans worldwide, Mickey Gilley remained a resilient performer and cultural icon until his passing in 2022 at age 86.

About GRAMMY Museum Mississippi
Developed by the Cleveland Music Foundation—a nonprofit organization founded in 2011—the 28,000-square-foot GRAMMY Museum Mississippi is housed near the campus of Delta State University, home of the Delta Music Institute’s Entertainment Industry Studies program, which features the most unique audio recording facilities in the South. Affiliated with the GRAMMY Museum Foundation™, GRAMMY Museum Mississippi is dedicated to exploring the past, present, and future of music, and the cultural context from which it emerges, while casting a focused spotlight on the deep musical roots of Mississippi. The Museum features a dynamic combination of public events, educational programming, engaging multimedia presentations, and interactive permanent and traveling exhibits, including a Mississippi-centric area that introduces visitors to the impact of Mississippi’s songwriters, producers, and musicians on the traditional and modern music landscape. For more information, visit grammymuseumms.org.
 

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