The father of Liz Hurley's son DAMIAN is being credited with saving rock 'n' roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis' life after signing him up to record a new covers album with a number of rock greats.

Film producer Steve Bing, a long time fan of the fallen GREAT BALLS OF FIRE star, and pal JIMMY RIP have reportedly pumped $1 million (GBP526,000) into Lewis' comeback album, which features collaborations with Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, SIR Mick Jagger and Keith Richards among others.

And Lewis' manager/daughter PHOEBE insists the offer to record the much-anticipated album, which is due out later this year (05), gave her ailing father a spark of life.

She tells newspaper the LOS ANGELES TIMES, "I was so worried about him that I moved back in with him about five years ago. He was in bad shape, very depressed , very poor diet, problems with his marriage (to KERRIE LYNN McCARVER).

"We didn't know what to make when Steve and Jimmy showed up. They told us they wanted to help make his music come to life again... They've done just that."

Lewis himself admits recording the album with Rip and Bing has given him a new lease of life: "When you have people like this working with you and Keith Richards and George Jones wanting to record with you, it's wonderful."

The album features Lewis' version of Led Zeppelin's ROCK + ROLL and a new version of THE BEATLES' I SAW HER STANDING THERE with on-off touring partner Little Richard on backing vocals.

13/06/2005 02:37