Mickey Gilley, a renowned country western star, was born on March 9, 1936, in Natchez, Mississippi, to a family with a rich musical heritage. As a child, Gilley, along with his cousin Jerry Lee Lewis, who would later become a rockabilly legend, and Jerry's cousin Jimmy Swaggart, who would go on to become a Pentecostal televangelist, would gather together to play the piano and sing gospel and boogie-woogie songs.
As Lewis rose to fame in the 1950s, Gilley turned professional himself, releasing several singles and eventually becoming a session player in New Orleans. His early life was marked by a first marriage at the tender age of 17, and he had a minor hit with the song "Call Me Shorty" in 1958.
However, it would take several years for Gilley to emerge from under Lewis's shadow and establish himself as a star. He didn't release his first album, "Down the Line", until 1967, which yielded a minor hit with the song "Now I Can Live Again". Three years later, Gilley opened Gilley's Club in Pasadena, Texas, which would become famous as the setting for the 1980 film Urban Cowboy, significantly boosting his national exposure.
By the 1980s, Gilley had achieved crossover success by mellowing his country sound with a more pop-oriented approach. He managed to put songs on the charts for 15 consecutive years, enjoying an impressive 17 number one country hits.
Despite his success, Gilley's partnership with his business partner, Sherwood Cryer, eventually came to an end due to disagreements over changes made to the club. The two partners had a "50-50" deal, but Gilley argued that it favored Cryer much more heavily. The dispute led to a lawsuit, with Gilley ultimately winning $17 million from Cryer. However, the lawsuit also led to a complete breakdown in their relationship and the eventual closure of the club in 1989.
Gilley later opened another club in Dallas under the same name in 2006, and there are currently Gilley's locations in Las Vegas and LaPorte, Texas, not far from the original club.
