Rock’n’Roll Explosion | Gallagher, Jerry Lee and John Lennon at the Roxy

Rockapedia | Oct, 2025 theBeat.ie

Back in 1973, Rory Gallagher got a call from producer Steve Rowland. Rowland wanted him for another round of the London Sessions, this time with none other than the wild man of rock’n’roll himself, Jerry Lee Lewis.

This wasn’t your average jam session either. The lineup read like a who’s who of ‘70s rock royalty: Kenney Jones, Albert Lee, Alvin Lee, Peter Frampton, Gary Wright, and Klaus Voormann. The idea wasn’t new, legends like Chuck Berry, Howlin’ Wolf, and B.B. King had all done similar sessions, but when Jerry Lee Lewis was involved, you just knew things wouldn’t go quietly.

Jerry Lee was pure electricity, both on stage and off. They didn’t call him The Killer for nothing.

Rory once told Hot Press journalist Liam Fay what it was like to be around him:

There was a strange sense of violence and madness around whenever Jerry Lee Lewis was in the room. Whenever anyone annoyed him, he’d pull up his left trouser leg and go for his sock like he had a gun in it. I never actually saw one in the studio, but I’m sure if he’d had one, he’d have shot somebody. There was always that borderline of danger about him — which, I think, is necessary for real rock and roll.

Turns out, Rory wasn’t exaggerating.

Fast forward to 1974, a year after the release of The Jerry Lee Lewis London Sessions. Rory and a few pals found themselves at a special Jerry Lee showcase at The Roxy in Los Angeles. Also in the crowd that night? John Lennon, short-haired and deep in his wild Lost Weekend phase.

Rory recalled:

Everyone recognised Lennon as soon as he walked in. He took a seat up on the balcony, and of course, the crowd turned to stare. Jerry Lee noticed he was being upstaged — and that didn’t sit well. He started banging out the ‘Jerry Lee Rag,’ but the audience’s eyes were still on Lennon.

Next thing, Jerry Lee stops dead and starts ranting about how The Beatles were shit and that nobody could play real rock’n’roll like he could.

Lennon loved it — he starts egging him on, shouting, ‘Yeah, you’re right, man! The Beatles are shit!’ Everyone laughed, but Jerry Lee thought Lennon was heckling him. He completely lost it — shoved the piano across the stage and stormed off.

The atmosphere turned tense. People began filing out, worried that The Killer might return, possibly armed. But Rory, ever the peacemaker, wanted to check on him. His brother and manager Donal warned him not to go, You’d be risking your life walking in there.

Enter Tom O’Driscoll, Rory’s towering right-hand man, a gentle giant from Schull, County Cork, and a former fisherman turned unofficial bodyguard. Donal said Rory could only go backstage if Tom came along.

So, the two walked into Jerry Lee’s dressing room. It was empty except for The Killer himself. Rory used his trademark charm to lighten the mood, chatting about the sessions until the tension began to fade.

And then, the door opened and in walked John Lennon.

Rory said,

There was dead silence. Everyone froze. I looked at Jerry Lee, waiting to see what he’d do.

That’s when Tom — a massive Beatles fan — couldn’t resist the moment. He dropped to his knees, kissed Lennon’s hand, and said, “I’ve been waiting twenty years to get the autograph of the king of rock’n’roll.

Jerry Lee’s face went red. He reached for his sock again, the telltale sign. Lennon instantly realized what was happening.

Quick on his feet, Lennon grabbed Tom’s scrap of paper, signed it, and walked over to Jerry Lee. Then he dropped to his knees, kissed Jerry Lee’s hand, and said, I’ve been waiting twenty years to get the autograph of the real king of rock’n’roll.

Just like that, the tension melted. Jerry Lee beamed, signed the paper, and the two rock icons started talking like old friends.

Rock’n’roll chaos, near-misses, and unexpected grace, all in one night. Just another day in the life of Rory Gallagher.