Mickey Gilley
Country western star Mickey Gilley was born on March 9, 1936 in Natchez, Mississippi, the cousin of future rockabilly legend Jerry Lee Lewis and disgraced televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, and raised in Ferriday, Louisiana. In their childhood, all three would play the piano when they got together and sing gospel and boogie-woogie songs. After Lewis became a chart-topper in the 1950s, Mickey turned professional himself and cut some singles before becoming a session player in the Big Easy.
First married at age 17, Gilley had a minor hit, "Call Me Shorty", in 1958, but it would be years before he came out from under Jerry lee's shadow and established himself as a star. He didn't release his first album, "Down the Line", until 1967. The album yielded a minor hit, "Now I Can Live Again". Three years later, he became a nightclub owner when he opened Gilley's Club in Pasadena, Texas in 1971. The club, billed as the "world's biggest honky tonk", became famous when it was used as the setting for Urban Cowboy (1980), which boosted Gilley's national exposure. By the 1980s, Gilley was experiencing crossover success when he mellowed his C+W with a more pop orientation. He managed to put songs on the charts in each of 15 years, enjoying 17 #1 country hits.
Gilley and partner Sherwood Cryer had a falling out after Cryer became increasingly hostile about changes made to the club. Gilley eventually had to sue Cryer over their "50-50" deal, which Gilley argued favored Cryer much more heavily. Gilley won $17 million from Cryer, but it completely shattered their relationship and forced the closing of the club in 1989. Gilley opened another club in Dallas under the same name in 2006. There's a Gilley's in Las Vegas, and the town of LaPorte, Texas, approved a new Gilley's, not far from the original.
Known For | Acting |
---|---|
Most Rating | 2.768 |
Birthday | 1936-03-09 |
Place of Birth | Natchez, Mississippi, USA |
Also Known As | Mickey Leroy Gilley, |
1987
Jerry Lee Lewis: I Am What I Am
0/0
This unique rockumentary features classic performances and Jerry Lee's biggest hits.
Watch Now
Jerry Lee Lewis: I Am What I Am
2005
Time-Life: Country Legends Live, Vol. 1
8/1
Music City News was founded in 1963, by country music singer Faron Young. In 1967, the publication began to confer annual awards; in 1978, it began te...
Watch Now
Time-Life: Country Legends Live, Vol. 1
1980
Urban Cowboy
6.5/251
After moving to Pasadena, Texas, country boy Bud Davis starts hanging around a bar called Gilley's, where he falls in love with Sissy, a cowgirl who b...
Watch Now
Urban Cowboy
1999
It's Branson!
0/0
Nestled in the beautiful hills of the Ozark Mountains, far away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities, lies a place of great beauty and splendo...
Watch Now
It's Branson!
1990
Night of 100 Stars III
4/2
A celebrity benefit for The Actors' Fund of America, featuring music, songs, dance and comedy.
Watch Now
Night of 100 Stars III
2022
Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind
7.6/5
An electrifying glimpse into the complex life and thrilling, unparalleled performances of rock and roll's first and wildest practitioner: Jerry Lee Le...
Watch Now
Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind
2005
Mickey Gilley: In Concert
0/0
An intimate evening with country legend Mickey Gilley recorded in 2004 at The Mickey Gilley Theater in Branson MO. The concert was professionally shot...
Watch Now
Mickey Gilley: In Concert
1983
Off the Wall
3/1
Two young hitchhikers are picked up a speed-crazed young woman, who tears around the countryside. She leaves them to take the blame for her activities...
Watch Now
Off the Wall
2015
Urban Cowboy: The Rise and Fall of Gilley's
7.8/5
A chronicle of the cultural phenomenon sparked by the 1980 film Urban Cowboy and its inspiration, Gilley's.
Watch Now