"Why," asks The Guardian's Hadley Freeman, "do we turn a blind eye to [Chuck] Berry's convictions, but not Roman Polanski's?" It's an incredibly good question, especially considering the conviction that's being referenced is a two-year jail sentence for crossing state lines with a 14-year old girl, for what was ruled "immoral purposes."
Freeman blames (in part) the industry. Even though Berry was convicted of some downright terrible stuff, other artists continue to sing his praises as well as his songs. And when it comes to underage girls, he's definitely not the only one.
Elvis Presley, reported Vice, had a small entourage of 14-year-old girls who traveled with him when he was on tour, but they weren't the only ones the 22-year-old star liked to "pillow fight, tickle, wrestle, and kiss." His then-girlfriend was 15-year-old Dixie Locke. He didn't meet Priscilla until he was 24 ... and she was 14. After they split in 1972, Elvis rebounded with another 14-year-old.
Then, there's Jerry Lee Lewis. His first tour in England ended in flames when he introduced his wife, Myra — who also happened to be his 13-year-old second cousin, reports The Telegraph. Previously, it was only when Sun Records founder Sam Phillips intervened that Myra's father (and Jerry Lee's bassist), J.W. Brown, decided not to kill the singer. Myra had this to say about the whole thing — "Gee, it's fun being married. The girls at school were mighty envious ..."
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