Goodness, Gracious: Jerry Lee Lewis Writing Memoir

It Books, an imprint of HarperCollins, announced the book Tuesday. The currently untitled memoir is due in 2012.

Lewis, in a statement from the publisher, says he is ready to say “a whole lot” about his life. He says, “People can read it, burn it, or never give it another thought. Either way the truth is about to be told, and I’m the only man still standing who can touch it.”

The rock ‘n’ roll great is known for such piano-driven smashes as “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.” He is equally well-known for a private life as wild as his stage act, from getting thrown out of Bible school to his marriage to a 13-year-old cousin that nearly destroyed his career.