Image of Mickey Gilley

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.


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Born:
Mar 9, 1936 In Natchez, Mississippi, USA
Movie/TV Credits:
18
First Appeared:
In the series CHiPs 1977-09-15
Latest Project:
Movie Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind 2022-05-22
Known For
Poster of Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind
Poster of Urban Cowboy: The Rise and Fall of Gilley's
Poster of It's Branson!
Poster of Jerry Lee Lewis: I Am What I Am
Filmography
Movie Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind Self (archive footage) 2022-05-22
Movie Urban Cowboy: The Rise and Fall of Gilley's Self 2015-06-13
Movie Time-Life: Country Legends Live, Vol. 1 himself 2005-01-01
Movie Mickey Gilley: In Concert Himself 2005-07-12
Movie It's Branson! Self 1999-01-01
Series Where Are They Now? Self 1999-06-07
Series Vicki! Self 1992-08-31
Series Hot Country Nights Himself 1991-11-24
Movie Night of 100 Stars III Self 1990-05-21
Movie Jerry Lee Lewis: I Am What I Am 1987-01-02
Series Murder, She Wrote Conrad Booker 1984-09-30
Movie Off the Wall Buck Banner 1983-07-01
Series The Nashville Palace Himself 1981-10-24
Movie Urban Cowboy Himself 1980-06-06
Series Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters Self 1980-11-18
Series Solid Gold Self - Co-Host 1980-09-13
Series Fantasy Island Billy Jo Prine 1978-01-28
Series CHiPs Himself 1977-09-15