Mickey Gilley

{{Short description|American singer-musician (1936–2022)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| name            = Mickey Gilley
| image           = Mickey Gilley.png
| caption         = Gilley in 1970
| background      = solo_singer
| birth_name      = Mickey Leroy Gilley
| alias           =
| birth_date      = {{birth date|1936|03|09|mf=yes}}
| birth_place     = [[Natchez, Mississippi]], U.S.
| death_date      = {{death date and age|2022|05|07|1936|03|09|mf=yes}}
| death_place     = [[Branson, Missouri]], U.S.
| genre           = [[Country music|Country]], pop, [[Nashville sound|countrypolitan]], [[Country pop|urban cowboy]]
| occupation      = Singer-musician
| instrument      = Vocals, piano
| years_active    = 1957–2022
| label           = {{Flatlist|
* [[Astro Records|Astro]]
* [[Dot Records|Dot]]
* [[Jewel Records (Shreveport record label)|Paula]]
* [[Playboy Records|Playboy]]
* [[Epic Records|Epic]]
* Branson
* [[Varèse Sarabande]]
* TAP Music
}}
| associated_acts = [[Jerry Lee Lewis]], [[Carl McVoy]], [[Charly McClain]]
| website         = {{URL|www.gilleys.com}}
}}

'''Mickey Leroy Gilley''' (March 9, 1936<ref name="LarkinCountry">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Who's Who of Country Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1993|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-726-6|page=160/1}}</ref> – May 7, 2022) was an American [[country music]] singer and musician. Although he started out singing straight-up [[country and western]] material in the 1970s, he 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 (Ben E. King song)|Stand by Me]]". Gilley charted 42 singles in the top 40 on the US Country chart. He was a cousin of [[Jerry Lee Lewis]], [[Carl McVoy]], and [[Jimmy Swaggart]].

==Biography==
===Early life and the rise to fame===
Gilley was born to Arthur Fillmore Gilley (November 27, 1897 – February 2, 1982) and Irene Gilley ({{nee}} Lewis; September 11, 1900 – August 14, 1985)<ref name=Unconquered>{{Citation | last = Davis | first = J. D. | title = Unconquered: The Saga of Cousins Jerry Lee Lewis, Jimmy Swaggart, and Mickey Gilley | publisher = Brown Books Publishing Group | place = Dallas, Texas | isbn = 978-1-61254-041-2 | edition = 1st | year = 2012}}</ref> in [[Natchez, Mississippi]].<ref name="LarkinCountry"/><ref>From Mickey Gilley show in Branson, Missouri, "His Story, His Life, His Music", June 19, 2013.</ref>

For many years, Gilley lived in the shadow of his well-known cousin, [[Jerry Lee Lewis]], a successful [[rock and roll]] singer and musician in the 1950s and early 1960s. Gilley grew up in Louisiana, just across the [[Mississippi River]] from where Lewis grew up. Gilley's family moved to the east side of Houston, Texas, in the 1940s, where he attended [[Galena Park High School]].  He was primarily a guitarist at the time and took his guitar to school to entertain classmates.

Gilley, Lewis, and their cousin, [[Jimmy Swaggart]], played together as children. Lewis taught them his piano style.{{Citation needed|date=March 2020}}

They sang both [[boogie-woogie]] and [[gospel 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 in [[New Orleans]] with producer [[Huey P. Meaux]]. His record "Call Me Shorty" on the [[Dot Records|Dot]] label sold well in 1958. In the 1960s, he played at many clubs and bars, gaining a following at the Nesadel Club in [[Pasadena, Texas]]. [[Jewel Records (Shreveport record label)|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".<ref name="LarkinCountry"/>

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, called [[Gilley's Club]].<ref name="LarkinCountry"/> It later became known as the "world's biggest [[honky-tonk]]". Gilley's Club and its [[mechanical bull]] were portrayed in the 1980 film, ''[[Urban Cowboy]]''.<ref name="LarkinCountry"/> He shared Gilley's Club with [[Sherwood Cryer]], who asked Gilley to re-open his former bar with him.<ref name="LarkinCountry"/> The club portion of Gilley's burned in 1990,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1990/07/05/Fire-at-defunct-honky-tonk-of-Urban-Cowboy-fame/2075647150400/|title=Fire at defunct honky-tonk of 'Urban Cowboy' fame|publisher=UPI|date=July 5, 1990|access-date=August 17, 2021}}</ref> and the [[rodeo]] arena portion was razed in 2005 to make way for a school.{{Citation needed|date=March 2020}}

===Recording career in the 1970s before ''Urban Cowboy''===
In 1974, Gilley recorded a song that originally was only supposed to be recorded for fun, titled "Room Full of Roses", written by [[Tim Spencer (singer)|Tim Spencer]] of the [[Sons of the Pioneers]], which was a one-time hit for [[George Morgan (singer)|George Morgan]].<ref name="LarkinCountry"/> The song was released by Astro Records that year, and then [[Playboy Records]] got a hold of the single and obtained national distribution for "Room Full of Roses".<ref name="LarkinCountry"/> From then on, Gilley was signed to Playboy Records, working with his long-time friend [[Eddie 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.&nbsp;50 on the pop music chart.<ref name="LarkinCountry"/>

He had a string of top tens and No.&nbsp;1s throughout the 1970s. Some of these hits were cover versions of songs, including the [[Bill Anderson (singer)|Bill Anderson]] song "[[City Lights (Bill Anderson song)|City Lights]]", [[George Jones]]' "[[The Window Up Above]]", and [[Sam Cooke]]'s "[[Bring It On Home to Me]]".<ref name="LarkinCountry"/> 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). These songs were a mix of [[Honky-tonk#Music|honky-tonk]] and [[countrypolitan]] that brought Gilley to the top of the charts in the 1970s.{{Citation needed|date=March 2020}}

However, a new breed of singer was entering [[country music]]. These singers were country-crossover artists that brought country success with them onto the pop charts. These singers include [[Glen Campbell]], [[Crystal Gayle]], [[Anne Murray]], [[Olivia Newton-John]], [[Barbara Mandrell]], and [[Kenny Rogers]]. To compete with this new breed of Country singer, Gilley had to sound like them and have that kind of country-pop success that these singers were having.{{Citation needed|date=March 2020}}

In 1978, Gilley signed on with [[Epic Records]], when [[Playboy 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.<ref name="Country Songs">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/mickey-gilley/chart-history/csi/|title=Mickey Gilley - Chart History (Hot Country Songs)|magazine=Billboard|access-date=May 12, 2022}}</ref>

===Recording career in the 1980s with the success of ''Urban Cowboy''===
By 1980, Gilley decided to come up with a new sound, to bring him the [[Country music|country]] [[Crossover (music)|crossover]] success that so many other country singers (including [[Eddie Rabbitt]], [[Juice Newton]], [[Kenny Rogers]], and [[Dolly 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 film ''[[Urban Cowboy]]''.<ref name="LarkinCountry"/> The song was the country remake of the soul standard "[[Stand by Me (Ben E. King song)|Stand by Me]]".<ref name="LarkinCountry"/> 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 the [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|Adult Contemporary]] charts, and in addition made the Pop Top 40.<ref name="LarkinCountry"/>

"Room Full of Roses", "[[True Love Ways]]", and "[[You Don't Know Me (Cindy Walker song)|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 (Joe Seneca song)|Talk to Me]]" bubbled under (at 101, 101 and 106, respectively). A string of six number-ones on the country chart followed the success of ''Urban Cowboy''. Gilley's other country No.&nbsp;1s include "[[True Love Ways]]", "[[A Headache Tomorrow (Or a Heartache Tonight)]]", "You Don't Know Me", and "[[Lonely Nights (song)|Lonely Nights]]".<ref name="LarkinCountry"/> He never had any other pop hits though. In 1983, he had other country hits, like "[[Fool For Your Love (Mickey Gilley song)|Fool For Your Love]]"; "[[Paradise Tonight]]", a duet with [[Charly McClain]]; and "Talk to Me" (not to be confused with the [[Stevie Nicks]] hit of the same name).<ref name="LarkinCountry"/> All of these songs from 1983 were No.&nbsp;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 with [[Charly McClain]], "[[Candy Man (Roy Orbison song)|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 of [[George Strait]]-inspired Country singers called the "Traditionalists" were moving into [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]], like [[Clint Black]], [[Patty Loveless]], [[Reba McEntire]], and [[Randy 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.<ref name="LarkinCountry"/>

In 1988, Gilley signed with Airborne Records and released an album, ''Chasin' Rainbows,''<ref name="LarkinCountry"/> which resulted in his last Top 40 country hit in "She Reminded Me of You", which made No.&nbsp;23 that year.<ref name="Country Songs"/>

In a career that included 15 years of chart success, Gilley had 17 No.&nbsp;1 country hits.<ref name="Country Songs"/>

===Later career===
Gilley turned his attention to [[Branson, Missouri]], where he built a theater, which was a soon-to-be boomtown for the country music industry.<ref>{{cite web|title=Country Music Boomtown In The Ozarks |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/12/travel/country-music-boom-town-in-the-ozarks.html |work=New York Times |date=July 12, 1992}}</ref>

Gilley also appeared on "Urban Cowboys", episode 9 in the third season of ''[[American 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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gilley's recovery continues|url=http://bransontrilakesnews.com/entertainment/article_908cf62a-4eae-11e1-b8c7-0019bb2963f4.html|work=Branson Tri-Lakes News|access-date=April 22, 2012}}</ref>

Gilley returned to the studio in 2017 and released ''Kickin' 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 album ''Two Old Cats'', a CD containing 13 classic country duets.

===Personal life===
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.<ref name=Unconquered/> Mickey and Cindy Loeb, his longtime friend and business associate, were married in June 2020. Gilley was double first cousins with both [[Jerry Lee Lewis]] and evangelist [[Jimmy Swaggart]] of [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana]].

In July 2009, Gilley was helping a neighbor move some furniture when he fell with the [[love 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.<ref>{{cite web|last=Smith|first=William Michael|title=The Comeback Cowboy|url=http://www.houstonpress.com/2012-02-02/music/mickey-gilley-returns-to-stage/|work=Houston Press|access-date=September 19, 2012}}</ref>

Gilley died on May 7, 2022, of complications from bone cancer.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ky3.com/2022/05/09/branson-mourns-passing-country-legend-mickey-gilley-more-details-what-led-his-death/ | title=Branson mourns passing of country legend Mickey Gilley; more details on what led to his death | date=May 9, 2022 }}</ref>

==Honors==
For his contribution to the [[recording industry]], Mickey Gilley has a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] at 6930 [[Hollywood Boulevard]] in [[Los Angeles, California]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Mickey Gilley|url=https://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/mickey-gilley/index.html|work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>

On March 2, 2002, Gilley, along with his two famous cousins Lewis and Swaggart, was inducted into the Delta Music Museum Hall of Fame in [[Ferriday, Louisiana]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}

In 2017, Gilley was awarded the Key to the City of [[Winchester, 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|date=March 2020}}

In 2020, a road in Pasadena, Texas, was renamed in his honor as Mickey Gilley Boulevard.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abc13.com/pasadena-honors-mickey-gilley-country-star-urban-cowboy-gilleys-club-in/7815521/|title=City of Pasadena honors country singer Mickey Gilley|date=November 10, 2020 }}</ref>

Gilley's Dallas, an entertainment complex in [[Dallas, Texas]], is named for Gilley.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.irvingtexas.com/listings/gilleys-dallas/795/|title=Gilley's Dallas|website=www.irvingtexas.com}}</ref>

==Other==
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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://amsrvs.registry.faa.gov/airmeninquiry/Main.aspx|title=FAA Registry – Airmen|publisher=Amsrvs.registry.faa.gov|date=March 21, 2012|access-date=March 31, 2012}}</ref>

==The Mickey Gilley Golf Classic==
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|date=March 2020}}

==Discography==
{{Main|Mickey Gilley discography}}

==Awards and nominations==
=== Music City News Country Awards ===

{{awards table}}
|-
|1976
|Mickey Gilley
|Most Promising Male Artist
|{{won}}
|-
|[[18th Music City News Country Awards|1984]]
|Mickey Gilley and [[Charly McClain]]
|Vocal Duo of the Year
|{{nom}}
|}

=== Academy of Country Music Awards ===

{{awards table}}
|-
|[[10th Academy of Country Music Awards|1975]]
|Mickey Gilley
|[[Academy of Country Music Award for New Male Artist of the Year|Most Promising Male Vocalist]]
|{{won}}
|-
|rowspan=3| 1976
|"[[Overnight Sensation (song)|Overnight Sensation]]"
|Single Record of the Year
|{{nom}}
|-
|rowspan=2| Mickey Gilley
|[[Academy of Country Music Award for Male Artist of the Year|Top Male Vocalist of the Year]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Academy of Country Music Award for Entertainer of the Year|Entertainer of the Year]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|rowspan=6| [[12th Academy of Country Music Awards|1977]]
|rowspan=2| "[[Bring It On Home to Me]]"
|Single Record of the Year
|{{won}}
|-
|rowspan=2| Song of the Year
|{{nom}}
|-
|"[[Don't the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time]]"
|{{won}}
|-
|''Gilley's Smoking''
|[[Academy of Country Music Award for Album of the Year|Album of the Year]]
|{{won}}
|-
|rowspan=2| Mickey Gilley
|Top Male Vocalist of the Year
|{{won}}
|-
|Entertainer of the Year
|{{won}}
|-
|[[13th Academy of Country Music Awards|1978]]
|Mickey Gilley
|Top Male Vocalist of the Year
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[19th Academy of Country Music Awards|1984]]
|Mickey Gilley and Charly McClain
|Top Vocal Duo of the Year
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[41st Academy of Country Music Awards|2006]]
|Mickey Gilley
|Triple Crown Award
|{{included|Awarded}}
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* Rhodes, Don (1998). "Mickey Gilley". In ''The Encyclopedia of Country Music''. Paul Kingsbury, Ed. New York: Oxford University Press. p.&nbsp;202.

==External links==
* [http://www.gilleys.com Official Website]
* [https://thirdcoasttalent.com/artists Mickey Gilley] at Third Coast Talent
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060621073618/http://www.sec.state.la.us/museums/delta/delta-mickey.htm at the Delta Music Museum Hall of Fame]
* [https://archive.today/20130201201710/http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/g/gill6200.htm Gilley's Early Rock and Roll Recordings]
* {{discogs artist|Mickey Gilley}}
* {{IMDb name|0319076}}

{{Mickey Gilley}}
{{Jerry Lee Lewis}}
{{Academy of Country Music Award for Entertainer of the Year}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilley, Mickey}}
[[Category:1936 births]]
[[Category:2022 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American male singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American pianists]]
[[Category:20th-century American singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:21st-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:21st-century American pianists]]
[[Category:American country pianists]]
[[Category:American country singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:American male pianists]]
[[Category:American male singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:Assemblies of God people]]
[[Category:Charly Records artists]]
[[Category:Epic Records artists]]
[[Category:Playboy Records artists]]
[[Category:Country musicians from Louisiana]]
[[Category:Country musicians from Mississippi]]
[[Category:Country musicians from Missouri]]
[[Category:Countrypolitan musicians]]
[[Category:Drinking establishment owners]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
[[Category:Musicians from Natchez, Mississippi]]
[[Category:People from Branson, Missouri]]
[[Category:People from Ferriday, Louisiana]]
[[Category:Singer-songwriters from Louisiana]]
[[Category:Singer-songwriters from Mississippi]]
[[Category:Singer-songwriters from Missouri]]