The Experience of an Artist with Jerry Lee and Judith Lewis

The following is a piece of the email and standard mail conversation I had with artist Tom Heyburn. (I recommend checking out his site at http://tomheyburn.deviantart.com/ as he does wonderful work) I believe collectors will find valuable information and writing examples contained below. I left Mr. Heyburn’s email as I received but added all of the images to help the email make sense. Any commentary by me will be italicized.

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In the first instance, I sent the drawing No.233 asking for it to be signed, enclosing (as always) enough cash to cover return postage. A small drawing A4 size. As you can see, it was returned signed. (Number 233)

          As a “Thank You” I sent drawing No.243 (Mean Old Man) as a gift to show how much I appreciated the signature. I said no reply was required and enclosed no postage.(Number 243)

          Unexpectedly I got a letter from Jerry Lee’s wife ,Judith Ann thanking me from her and the killer. I was delighted but also disappointed to notice that her handwriting was the same as the signature on Drawing 233  !! End of story…or so I thought !

(First letter received from Judith, written completely in her hand (7-25-2013).)

          About a month later I got another letter from Judith Ann. She must have thought that The Mean Old Man drawing (Number 243) was for signing, but her letter said Jerry Lee wanted to keep it, and, if I sent another , she would see that he personally signed it.  !!!!!!!!!!!

(Second letter received from Judith and Jerry Lee Lewis. The letter was written by Judith and signed on the left by Jerry Lee (7-25-2013).)

          Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I took advantage of the situation and sent TWO drawings. I said one was for an autograph and one was for Jerry Lee and he could take his pick.

This time I enclosed postage costs.

          Well, Jerry Lee kept the drawing No.274 and sent me No. 275 along with a great J.L.L. tee-shirt. As you will see, this time the signature is not in Judith Ann’s handwriting and I am quite sure I have eventually got a genuine Jerry Lee Lewis autograph on No. 275.

(Number 274, now owned by Jerry Lee Lewis)

(Number 275, Authentically signed by JLL and returned to the artist)

          I apologise for this being long winded, but it is not a simple story, but I am very happy with the outcome , the very complimentary letters from Judith Ann and ,of  course the tee-shirt from Jerry Lee.

          Hope this sheds some light, (if you can follow it all). Thank you for your interest in my work,

                                                                  Regards,

                                                                               Tom.

Autograph Planet Jerry Lee Lewis Forum

A forum post was started by Grant on April 24, 2014 at http://autographplanet.com/forum/serious-accusations-against-the-jerry-lee-lewis-familyand is entitled “Jerry Lee Lewis: Authentic, Stamped & Unfounded Claims of Secretarial.” I intend to use my post here to highlight some of the most interesting points raised on the Autograph Planet post. I intend to focus on the visual evidence presented while trying to stay away from arguments, jokes and superfluous comments. As of 2/12/2016 there are 73 pages of content and as such my post will barely be able to touch the high points of the original posts. My hope is to condense the discussion to emphasize the strengths of the post while leaving out the redundant and unnecessary points.

 

 

The post begins with the above image and Grant mentioning his disappointment that substantial evidence was not put forward when accusations were made that Jerry Lee Lewis was not signing many of the items purported to be signed by him.

The above four items are shared as examples of PSA/DNA Certified and encapsulated Jerry Lee “cuts.”

The following two items were posted and compared. In my opinion, the example on the left is a 100% authentic example with a great inscription. The example on the right is an 11X14 I personally mailed to JLL for a paid signature. Grant is certain JLL signed it and purchased it from me.

Three samples showing a“God Bless You” inscription. It is obvious to me the word “from” is in the same hand in each example. I find it interesting too how varied the spacing is on the various signatures.

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Posted May 3, 2014 by Grant- “Take note of the “S” in “Standing” in the inscription on this item:

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Note from Chad: The man in the photo is Graham Knight. Graham knows Jerry Lee and more can be read on him here Graham Knight

Graham is a nice guy and told me the large image he is standing next to is a “big canvas print” made from a “scan of the smaller one” (not seen in the photo posted by Grant). Here is an image showing the original and blown up version

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Judith Lewis Writing Examples

This is a gift bag given to a fan before a Jerry Lee Lewis concert in 2015. I believe this writing to be in the hand of Mrs. Jerry Lee Lewis, aka Mrs. Killer.

Whitten Involoved Signatures

The two signed albums below were given to J.W. Whitten to be signed by Jerry Lee Lewis (according to the ebay seller echocreekprods). The ebay description stated “For sale is a JERRY LEE LEWIS autographed LP record album.  Jerry lee signed this album in BLACK SHARPIE when he was in Beaumont TX as part of his 80th Birthday Tour.  After the concert, at the hotel, his tour manager of 40 years, JW Whitten, took up my two albums to get them signed by Jerry Lee.  After talking with JW in the lobby for some time, he went back up stairs to bring down the signed albums.”                                                                                    The Original Golden Hits album sold for $100.00 on 12-17-2015 and the Duets was unsold as of 1-24-16.

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JW Whitten was kind enough to sign this for me through the mail. Thank you JW!

Jerry Lee Lewis Fakes, Forgeries, and Junk

I will post examples I believe are illegitimate, counterfeit, fake, phony, a scam, etc. If you see something you think is here that shouldn’t be, let me know.

1. Listed by signatureswithphotoproof on ebay with the following description–Signed Photo………………………….This is not a copy of print or a scan of a original……………….This is the REAL DEAL a Genuine signed item…………………….Size of 10 x 8 inchesSigned in London
   

   

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2. This one was listed, at $19.99, as signed in-person “years ago” by 19mvc90 on ebay. I say it was not signed by The Killer. —————–
3. This example was a one day ebay auction for $17.95 and received no bids. 2008torip was the seller 2-14-2016.
4. This is from the same seller as #2 above with the same description “This is an In Person Signed Original B&W 8×10″ photo of Jerry Lee Lewis from the Music of the 1950’s. The photo was signed in Black sharpie at the Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood where he performed in Concert years ago. We guarantee our photos authenticity 100%.” The buy it now price is $19.99 as of 2-14-2016.  This seller happened to, supposedly, get two of the same image signed by JLL with different color sharpies on the same day. I don’t think so.
5. fredmoshinsky listed the following item on ebay (ended 3-9-2016) for $39.95 and ended with no bids. It was listed with a “proof” photo that actually is a screen grab from a video of Jerry Lee signing a different album. The item and “proof” and shown below.
   

   

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Printed, Stamped, Autopen Examples

The most frequently seen, non-hand signed item related to Jerry Lee Lewis is the Beech-Nut Spearmint Gum Breathless album. An example follows with the relatively rare record sleeve. Most seasoned collectors recognize the signature is not original but occasionally you will see them for sale advertised as authentic.

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The following was posted on http://live.autographmagazine.com/forum/topics/jerry-lee-lewis in June of 2014. Steve Cyrkin made the following post and I agree with his conclusion.

Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Community Manager on June 16, 2014 at 9:57pm

Here’s what I meant when I said it has signs of being a stamp. The numbers below compare to numbers on the photo:

1. The solid line at the center of the signature is the actual impression from the stamp. The feathering on either side of it is from the surplus ink squeezed out from the impression.
2. The doubling is a sign of the stamp moving slightly during the impression.

These are both common signs of a stamped signature. Sorry…wish I had better news.

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The following are examples of stamped signatures with handwritten inscriptions.

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 The following is a mass produced, pre-printed advertising piece designed to look like a check. It was being sold as hand-signed on ebay. It was said by the seller “It was given to me by his nephew Boyce Terrell.” I think these were given out when people took a tour. It is a neat item and shows JLL’s writing, it is just not original.

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Another stamped example-

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About

I decided to put this site together after studying the signature of Jerry Lee Lewis and discussing it with fellow collectors on Autograph Live and Autograph Planet for the past several years. There are hundreds of pages of discussion on those sites, and others, related to this topic. My goal is to enrich the study of the Killer’s autograph by posting images, documents, facts and other information to help fans and collectors.

Signed Documents

The first contract dates from 1968 and the signature is, unfortunately, partially obscured by the typed or stamped name of Jerry Lee Lewis.

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The following two appeared at RR Auction with the following description– Two DSs, each one page, 8.5 x 11, both dated April 1966. Standard American Federation of Musicians contracts for performances at the M. C. O. Club in Texas and Diamond Club in Ohio. Each signed at the conclusion in ballpoint by Lewis. Expected document wear, slight staining, and signatures a shade or two light, otherwise overall fine condition. Pre-certified REAL. (Sold for $245.00)

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Contract from June of 1970 for Jerry Lee Lewis to play a Knoxville, Tennessee show.

Sold for $80.00 (plus 23% BP) in 2014, Echoes Auction Gallery, Seaford, NY.

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January 1966 signed contract JSA M57652.

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Three additional contract examples are seen below. I believe they all date from 1966.

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The following is from rrauction.com in November of 2013, selling for $145.20, described as–DS, one page, 8.5 x 14, June 26, 1984. Contract for the Jerry Lee Lewis Show featuring Kenny Lovelace and the All Star Band to perform at Cleveland’s Front Row Theatre on October 19, 1984. Signed at the conclusion in ballpoint by Lewis, and signed again on an attached rider related to finances. Also stapled to the document are multiple pages of correspondence regarding various plans and arrangements for the event. In fine condition, with expected document wear. Pre-certified Roger Epperson/REAL and RR Auction COA.

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1971 personal check signed by Jerry Lee.

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From rrauction.com, December 2015, Sold for $245.00

Two DSs, each one page, 8.5 x 11, dated January 1965 and February 1966. Standard American Federation of Musicians contracts for performances at the Flamingo Club in New York and Springlake Amusement Park in Oklahoma. Each signed at the conclusion in ballpoint by Lewis. In overall very good to fine condition, with expected document wear and several edge tears (most significantly to the later document). Pre-certified REAL.

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The following contract is listed as of 3-16-2016 on ebay with a buy it now of $200.00 by dylan-records

Jerry Lee Lewis

 Autographed Signed Contract 1965 Northern Illinois University Theta Chi Greek Organization

Certificate of Authenticity from JSA #M57615 – Contract contains a live signature from the “Killer”
JSA sticker is on the back of the contract

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Another listed by dylan-records described as

Autographed Signed Contract 1972

Culpepper VA

 

Certificate of Authenticity from JSA #M57681 – Contract contains a live signature from the “Killer”
JSA sticker is on the back of the contract

2007 Jazz Festival Poster

The following is being sold as signed by the artist Francis Pavy and Jerry Lee Lewis. It is shown as a numbered edition of 300, this being umber 125.

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Here is a small image I saved from a different poster from the same artist. I have no further information on the piece.

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PSA & JSA Approved Jerry Lee Lewis Signatures

The first item is/was listed on ebay by musicautographs91 for $650. The description stated “This is an authentic Jerry Lee Lewis signed telecaster pick guard with a complete new guitar. Jerry Lee Lewis signed this particular pick guard in Los Angeles, CA in November 2006. The signature is solid and was signed by Jerry Lee Lewis using a black permanent felt tip. This guitar signed by Jerry Lee Lewis is guaranteed authentic and comes with a proof photo and my (LOA) Letter of Authenticity, that states the date and place Jerry signed. This guitar is also authenticated by PSA DNA, a third party authentication service. The PSA DNA certification number is S02728 and can be verified on their website.” The proof picture does not show JLL signing the pick guard.

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Listed on ebay by allsportsprod with a BIN of $224.99and described as follows “The item you are buying is a Jerry Lee Lewis album cover (Drinkin’ Wine Spo-Dee-O’Dee) signed by Jerry Lee Lewis in black sharpie (record is included).Authenticated by PSA/DNA and comes with their certificate and matching hologram (Cert #H80134).

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Certed in 2000, sold on ebay in 2015.

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The following was shared by BallroomDays67 on http://live.autographmagazine.com

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JSA Certified 8X10 signed by Jerry Lee and Kerrie Lewis with Jerry adding “Thanks.”

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Listed as “Jerry Lee Lewis Signed The Golden Rock Hits Record Album Cover PSA/DNA” by ocsportscards  for $496.99 on 3-28-2016.

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