Myra Gale Brown

Myra Gale Lewis Williams ( Brown; born July 11, 1944) is an American author, best known for her controversial marriage at the age of 13 to rock and roll musician Jerry Lee Lewis, who was her first cousin once removed and was 22 at the time. She co-wrote the book Great Balls of Fire: The Uncensored Story of Jerry Lee Lewis, which was adapted into the film Great Balls of Fire! (1989). In 2016, she published her memoir, The Spark That Survived.

Life and career Myra Gale Brown was born on July 11, 1944, in Vicksburg, Mississippi, the daughter of Lois (née Neal) and J. W. "Jay" Brown. The Browns later had a son, Rusty Brown (b. 1954).

On December 12, 1957, at the age of 13, Williams married Jerry Lee Lewis, then 22, in Hernando, Mississippi. Lewis asserted that Williams was 15 years old and was his wife of two months. However, it was discovered that she was only 13, and that they had been married for five months. This caused an uproar and, after a few dates, the tour was cancelled. though his 1986 naming to the first group of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members recognized Lewis' early influence on the genre. Lewis would also find success in country music.

By 1970, Lewis' drug addiction, alcoholism, and infidelity had taken a toll on their marriage. Williams filed for divorce on the grounds of adultery and abuse,

Shortly after her divorce, Williams married Pete Malito, the detective she had hired to trail Lewis and document his infidelities, and moved to Atlanta, Georgia. The marriage lasted a year and a half. After they divorced, Williams worked as a receptionist. Williams was paid $100,000 for her story, but was resentful that she was not consulted for the script or casting of the film, despite it being promised. so she published her memoir, The Spark That Survived, in 2016.

From 1980 onwards, Williams worked as a real estate agent in Atlanta. She married her third husband, Richard Williams, in 1984. The couple live in Duluth, Georgia.

Books 1982: Great Balls of Fire: The Uncensored Story of Jerry Lee Lewis 2016: The Spark That Survived