Mickey Gilley | |
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 Gilley in 1970 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Mickey Leroy Gilley |
| Born | (1936-03-09)March 9, 1936 Natchez, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | May 7, 2022(2022-05-07) (aged 86) Branson, Missouri, U.S. |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1957–2022 |
| Labels | |
| Spouses | |
| Website | www |
Mickey Leroy Gilley (March 9, 1936[1] – May 7, 2022) was an Americancountry music singer and musician. Although he started out singing straight-upcountry and western material in the 1970s, Gilley moved towards a more pop-friendly sound in the 1980s, bringing him further success on not just the country charts, but the pop charts as well.
Among his biggest hits are "Room Full of Roses", "Don't the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time", and the remake of the Soul hit "Stand by Me". Gilley charted 42 singles in the top 40 on the US Country chart. He was a cousin ofJerry Lee Lewis,Carl McVoy, andJimmy Swaggart.
Gilley was born to Arthur Fillmore Gilley (November 27, 1897 – February 2, 1982) and Irene Gilley (née Lewis; September 11, 1900 – August 14, 1985)[2] inNatchez, Mississippi.[1][3]
For many years, Gilley lived in the shadow of his well-known cousin,Jerry Lee Lewis, a successfulrock and roll singer and musician in the 1950s and early 1960s. Gilley grew up in Louisiana, just across theMississippi River from where Lewis grew up. Gilley's family moved to the east side of Houston, Texas, in the 1940s, where he attendedGalena Park High School. He was primarily a guitarist at the time and took his guitar to school to entertain classmates.
They sang bothboogie-woogie andgospel music, but Gilley did not become a professional singer until Lewis hit the top of the charts in the 1950s. Gilley then cut a few singles and played sessions inNew Orleans with producerHuey P. Meaux. His record "Call Me Shorty" on theDot label sold well in 1958. In the 1960s, he played at many clubs and bars, gaining a following at the Nesadel Club inPasadena, Texas.Paula Records released Gilley's first album,Down the Line, in 1967. He had a minor hit from the album called "Now I Can Live Again".[1]
In 1970, Gilley joined in a partnership with Sherwood Cryer. Sherwood owned the club under the name Shelly's. His first nightclub in Pasadena, Texas, calledGilley's Club.[1] It later became known as the "world's biggesthonky-tonk". Gilley's Club and itsmechanical bull were portrayed in the 1980 film,Urban Cowboy.[1] He shared Gilley's Club withSherwood Cryer, who asked Gilley to re-open his former bar with him.[1] The club portion of Gilley's burned in 1990.[4]
In 1974, Gilley recorded a song that originally was only supposed to be recorded for fun, titled "Room Full of Roses", written byTim Spencer of theSons of the Pioneers, which was a one-time hit forGeorge Morgan.[1] The song was released by Astro Records that year, and thenPlayboy Records got a hold of the single and obtained national distribution for "Room Full of Roses".[1] From then on, Gilley was signed to Playboy Records, working with his long-time friendEddie Kilroy. "Room Full of Roses" became the song that put Gilley on national radar, hitting the very top of the Country charts that year, as well as making it to No. 50 on the pop music chart.[1]
He had a string of top tens and No. 1s throughout the 1970s. Some of these hits were cover versions of songs, including theBill Anderson song "City Lights",George Jones' "The Window Up Above", andSam Cooke's "Bring It On Home to Me".[1] He remained a popular country act for the rest of the 1970s. Other hits in the 1970s include "Chains of Love" (1977), "Honky Tonk Memories" (1977), "She's Pulling Me Back Again" (1977), and "Here Comes the Hurt Again" (1978).
In 1978, Gilley signed on withEpic Records, whenPlayboy Records was bought by Epic. By 1979, his success was fading slightly. Songs like "The Power of Positive Drinkin'", "Just Long Enough to Say Goodbye", and "My Silver Lining" just made the Top Ten.[5]
By 1980, Gilley decided to come up with a new sound, to bring him thecountrycrossover success that so many other country singers (includingEddie Rabbitt,Juice Newton,Kenny Rogers, andDolly Parton) were experiencing at the time. His career was given a second go-around when one of his recordings was featured in the box-office-selling filmUrban Cowboy.[1] The song was the country remake of the soul standard "Stand by Me".[1] As the movie was becoming successful, so was "Stand by Me". The song rose to the top of the country charts in 1980, and hit the Top 5 of theAdult Contemporary charts, and in addition made the Pop Top 40.[1]
"Room Full of Roses", "True Love Ways", and "You Don't Know Me" also hit the Billboard Hot 100; additionally, "Bring It On Home To Me", "That's All That Matters", and "Talk to Me" bubbled under (at 101, 101 and 106, respectively). A string of six number-ones on the country chart followed the success ofUrban Cowboy. Gilley's other country No. 1s include "True Love Ways", "A Headache Tomorrow (Or a Heartache Tonight)", "You Don't Know Me", and "Lonely Nights".[1] He never had any other pop hits though. In 1983, he had other country hits, like "Fool For Your Love"; "Paradise Tonight", a duet withCharly McClain; and "Talk to Me" (not to be confused with theStevie Nicks hit of the same name).[1] All of these songs from 1983 were No. 1 country hits for Gilley. In 1984, he had a single, which just missed topping the country chart called "You've Really Got a Hold on Me". Another hit followed in the form of a duet withCharly McClain, "Candy Man", and a solo hit with "Too Good To Stop Now", both of which made the Top 5 that year.
The year 1985 brought Top 10s with "I'm the One Mama Warned You About" and "You've Got Something on Your Mind", followed by a Top 5 with "Your Memory Ain't What It Used To Be", and a Top 10 with "Doo-Wah Days" in 1986. "Doo-Wah Days" was Gilley's last Top 10 hit on the country charts, as a new breed ofGeorge Strait-inspired Country singers called the "Traditionalists" were moving intoNashville, likeClint Black,Patty Loveless,Reba McEntire, andRandy Travis. Not only was his chart success fading, but Gilley had a series of financial problems that led to the closing of his club in Pasadena, Texas.[1]
In 1988, Gilley signed with Airborne Records and released an album,Chasin' Rainbows,[1] which resulted in his last Top 40 country hit in "She Reminded Me of You", which made No. 23 that year.[5]
In a career that included 15 years of chart success, Gilley had 17 No. 1 country hits.[5]
Gilley turned his attention toBranson, Missouri, where he built a theater, which was a soon-to-be boomtown for the country music industry.[6]
Gilley also appeared on "Urban Cowboys", episode 9 in the third season ofAmerican Pickers, which aired originally on September 5, 2011. In 2012, Gilley signed a Branson-based vocal group, Six, to a three-year lease to perform in his theater, with an option to buy it when the contract expired.[7]
Gilley returned to the studio in 2017 and releasedKickin' It Down the Road the same year. The CD contains several new recordings and several remakes of classic songs originally recorded by him.
In 2018, Gilley teamed up with longtime friend Troy Payne to record his last studio albumTwo Old Cats, a CD containing 13 classic country duets.
Gilley's first wife was Geraldine Garrett, whom he married in 1953 (when he was 17 years old); they divorced in 1961. She was the mother of three of his four children (Keith Ray, Michael, and Kathy). She died on March 6, 2010. Gilley's second wife, whom he married in 1962, was Vivian McDonald. Together they had a son, Gregory (1966–2022). She died in 2019.[2] Mickey and Cindy Loeb, his longtime friend and business associate, were married in June 2020.[citation needed] Gilley was double first cousins with bothJerry Lee Lewis and evangelistJimmy Swaggart ofBaton Rouge, Louisiana.[8]
In July 2009, Gilley was helping a neighbor move some furniture when he fell with thelove seat falling on top of him, crushing four vertebrae. The incident left him temporarily paralyzed from the neck down, but after intense physical therapy he was able to walk again and return to the stage a year later. However, he still lacked the hand-eye coordination necessary to play the piano.[9]
Gilley died on May 7, 2022, of complications from bone cancer.[10]
For his contribution to therecording industry, Mickey Gilley has a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame at 6930Hollywood Boulevard inLos Angeles, California.[11]
On March 2, 2002, Gilley, along with his two famous cousins Lewis and Swaggart, was inducted into the Delta Music Museum Hall of Fame inFerriday, Louisiana.[12]
In 2017, Gilley was awarded the Key to the City ofWinchester, Virginia, by the Hon. David Smith at the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music's Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre at Bonnie Blue's Roadhouse Classic Concert.[citation needed]
In 2020, a road in Pasadena, Texas, was renamed in his honor as Mickey Gilley Boulevard.[13]
Gilley's Dallas, an entertainment complex inDallas, Texas, is named for Gilley.[14]
Gilley was a licensed pilot, holding an instrument rating with commercial pilot privileges for multi-engine airplanes, as well as private pilot privileges for single engine aircraft.[15]
The "Gilley" was first organized in 2009 by a group of urban cowboys brought together by their love for golf, country music, and rhinestone shirts. After stints in Branson, Missouri (also known as "The Town that Mickey Built") and Northwest Arkansas (moved due to legal issues), in 2014 the Gilley settled at its current location at Old Kinderhook Resort,Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri.[citation needed]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Mickey Gilley | Most Promising Male Artist | Won |
| 1984 | Mickey Gilley andCharly McClain | Vocal Duo of the Year | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Mickey Gilley | Most Promising Male Vocalist | Won |
| 1976 | Top Male Vocalist of the Year | Nominated | |
| Entertainer of the Year | Nominated | ||
| "Overnight Sensation" | Single Record of the Year | Nominated | |
| 1977 | "Bring It On Home to Me" | Won | |
| Song of the Year | Nominated | ||
| "Don't the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time" | Won | ||
| Gilley's Smoking | Album of the Year | Won | |
| Mickey Gilley | Top Male Vocalist of the Year | Won | |
| Entertainer of the Year | Won | ||
| 1978 | Top Male Vocalist of the Year | Nominated | |
| 1984 | Mickey Gilley and Charly McClain | Top Vocal Duo of the Year | Nominated |
| 2006 | Mickey Gilley | Triple Crown Award | Awarded |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
