Mickey Gilley | |
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 Gilley in 1970 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Mickey Leroy Gilley (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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| Years active | 1957–2022 |
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Spouses | |
| Website | www |
Mickey Leroy Gilley (March 9, 1936 – May 7, 2022) was an Americancountry music singer, businessman, actor, and musician.
Among his hits are "Room Full of Roses", "Don't the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time", and “Lonely Nights”. Gilley charted 42 singles in the top 40 on the US Country chart. His cover of "Stand by Me" was used in the movieUrban Cowboy and his nightclub inPasadena, Texas appeared in the movie. He was a cousin ofJerry Lee Lewis,Carl McVoy, andJimmy Swaggart.
Gilley was born March 9, 1936,[1] 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 successful 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.[citation needed]
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, just for fun, Gilley recorded a cover of "Room Full of Roses", written byTim Spencer of theSons of the Pioneers, which was a hit forGeorge Morgan.[1] Gilley's version was released by Astro Records, butPlayboy Records obtained national distribution on it and Gilley was signed to Playboy Records, working with his long-time friendEddie Kilroy. "Room Full of Roses" made Gilley a star, hitting the very top of the Country charts that year, as well as making it to No. 50 on the pop chart.[1]
He had a string of top 10 hits through the rest of the 1970s, including his signature hit, "Don't the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time", in 1976. Some of his hits were covers, including theBill Anderson song "City Lights",George Jones' "The Window Up Above", andSam Cooke's "Bring It On Home to Me".[1] Other hits from the 1970s were "Chains of Love", "Honky Tonk Memories", "She's Pulling Me Back Again" (all 1977), and "Here Comes the Hurt Again" from 1978. WhenPlayboy Records was bought byEpic Records in 1978, Gilley went with Epic, and "The Power of Positive Drinkin'", "Just Long Enough to Say Goodbye", and "My Silver Lining" all made the Top 10.[5]
By 1980, Gilley sought thecrossover success that many country stars (includingEddie Rabbitt,Juice Newton,Kenny Rogers,The Oak Ridge Boys, andDolly Parton) were experiencing. His career got new life when his cover of the soul standard "Stand by Me" was used inUrban Cowboy.[1] As the movie became successful, so did "Stand by Me". It topped the country charts, hit the Top 5 on theAdult Contemporary charts, and made the Pop Top 40.[1] He also tried his hand at acting, taking a dramatic role in an episode ofThe Fall Guy in 1982 ("The Silent Partner"); he later returned to the series in a cameo as himself.
His country hits "Room Full of Roses", "True Love Ways", and "You Don't Know Me" also made the Pop chart, and "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 country number-ones followed the success ofUrban Cowboy, including "True Love Ways", "A Headache Tomorrow (Or a Heartache Tonight)", "You Don't Know Me", and "Lonely Nights".[1] "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] were all No. 1 country hits for Gilley during 1983. In 1984, he just missed topping the country chart with "You've Really Got a Hold on Me", and another hit followed in the form of another duet withCharly McClain, "Candy Man", and a solo hit, "Too Good To Stop Now", both of which made the Top 5.
The year 1985 brought Top 10 hits with "I'm the One Mama Warned You About" and "You've Got Something on Your Mind", followed by the Top 5 "Your Memory Ain't What It Used To Be", and another Top 10 with "Doo-Wah Days" in 1986, his last Top 10 hit, as a new breed of "Traditionalists" moved intoNashville, includingClint 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.[1]
In 1988, Gilley signed with Airborne and released an album,Chasin' Rainbows,[1] which resulted in his last Top 40 country hit, "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] 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 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]
| 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 |
| 2005 | Mickey Gilley | Triple Crown Award | Awarded |
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