Rockabilly artist Linda Gail Lewis pays tribute to her late brother, rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis, on a poignant new song titled “I Knew That You Were Leaving.” The tune is the lead single from Linda’s forthcoming studio album, Rockabilly Queen, which will be released on July 26.
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Rockabilly Queen features a mix of original songs and select covers of classic tunes. Lewis is accompanied on the album by veteran rockabilly guitarist Danny B. Harvey and Stray Cats drummer Slim Jim Phantom. The record was produced by Harvey, who’s married to Linda’s daughter Anne Marie.
[RELATED: Remember When: Jerry Lee Lewis’ Electrifying TV Debut]
“I Knew That You Were Leaving” is available now as a digital download and via streaming services. A companion lyric video is viewable now at Cleopatra Records’ YouTube channel. The clip features a variety of archival photos and footage of Linda and Jerry Lee, including many instances of the siblings performing together.
Linda Discusses Writing “I Knew That You Were Leaving”
Linda says she wrote “I Knew That You Were Leaving” after she woke up one morning and sadly reflected on the loss of her brother, who died in October 2022 at age 87.
“It had been about a year since he’d passed away and as I was thinking about how I wished I could just go see him one more time and this song came to me from out of nowhere,” she explained. “I immediately went to my piano to document it but every time I tried to sing it aloud I would start sobbing. It took many attempts to get the demo recorded. Even months later when I recorded this final version in the studio I’d have to stop singing at times because I’d start crying uncontrollably when thinking of all the good times we had together over the years.”
The 76-year-old artist continued, “There are many people who miss my brother Jerry Lee, and also many folks that miss their own departed family members as much as I miss my brother. I hope they all find comfort from my new single and video … and realize we’re not alone.”
Linda added, “This song accurately expresses how I feel about losing my brother and also how I felt when I first realized he was leaving us. This is my heartfelt personal tribute and my eternal memorial to the greatest big brother a girl could have, and one of the greatest talents to have ever lived.”
More About Rockabilly Queen
Rockabilly Queen can be pre-ordered now. It’s available on CD, via digital formats, and as a pink-vinyl LP.
Among the noteworthy covers on the album are “Baby, Please Don’t Go,” “Train Kept A-Rollin’,” “See You Later Alligator,” and “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”
More About Linda Gail Lewis
Linda’s music career stretches back to the early 1960s. She’s released many solo albums and also has recorded with her brother, with whom she toured frequently. In 1969, she and Jerry Lee had a country hit with a cover of “Don’t Let Me Cross Over,” a song that was a country chart-topper for the husband-and-wife duo Carl Butler and Pearl in 1962. Linda and Jerry Lee’s version reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.
In 2000, Linda released a duets album with Van Morrison titled You Win Again.
Rockabilly Queen Track List:
- “Funnel of Love”
- “Baby, Please Don’t Go”
- “Friday’s Child”
- “Train Kept A-Rollin’”
- “Flipsville”
- “I Knew That You Were Leaving”
- “Diggin’ My Way Out of Hell”
- “Eeny-Meeny-Miney-Moe”
- “Bang Bang”
- “Seven Long Years”
- “Don’t Give Me No Lip”
- “Boogie Woogie Throwdown”
- “See You Later Alligator”
- “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”
- “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas”
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