As the cousin of rock & roll legend
Jerry Lee Lewis and the Reverend Jimmy Swaggart, it was only natural that Mickey Gilley would follow in their footsteps and bring his honky-tonk piano pounding music to the people. While the "
Killer" may have gotten there first, Mickey was creating a loyal following with his own style of boogie woogie hits and explosive live shows while honing his craft in the
Texas / Louisiana markets. His popularity was so strong in the Houston, Texas area that a local club owner asked him to become a partner in a night club venture and to be t
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he leading act in the showroom. "Gilleys" nightclub and recording studio opened in 1971 in Pasadena and had a capacity of750 and most nights it was sold out. Gilley performed six nights a week and became a local hero, also starring in his own weekly TV show "Gilleys Place". His fortune would change in 1974 when his country hits started to get national airplay and the first of his seventeen number one single's "
Room Full Of Roses" hit the charts. No longer able to support the demands of his growing fans, Mickey and his partner expanded the club to 48,000 square feet and a capacity of 6000. Everything about Gilley's was Texas, the bar, the dance floor, the pool tables, pinball machines and riding mechanical bulls, all Texas sized entertainment. If you knew anything about Texas and wanted to see top notch entertainment and have a good time, Gilley's was the place to be. Before long stories were written about the club and the lifestyle that it brought and Hollywood came a calling. When
John Travolta starred in the movie "Urban Cowboy" in 1980, the entire movie was filmed on location at Gilley's and the nation and the world were all awash in the cowboy lifestyle. It was suddenly cool to like country music and wear cowboy boots and a Stetson hat. And Mickey Gilley was right in the middle of it all, already an emerging star in country music with seven number one chart toppers and an in demand touring schedule away from the club. He and house band leader
Johnny Lee were featured in the film and their songs from the soundtrack found the # 1 spot on the country charts and success on the pop chart as well. From the release of the movie in 80', Mickey Gilley would rack up ten number ones over the next three years and become a superstar in country music. Everyone making a country record wanted to play the club and then unknowns like
George Strait and
Randy Travis were among the hundreds who did. After the hoopla of "Urban Cowboy" died down by the late 1980s, Mickey sold his interest in the club to his partner and the club continued under the name "Gilleys" until it was destroyed in a tragic fire in 1989. Mickey Gilley continued to find chart success well into the late 1980s but as the tastes of country music fans and the boardrooms of Nashville record labels began to look for newer younger talent, the opportunities for older established acts like Mickey Gilley began to fade. Radio was now playing only the new acts like
Alan Jackson,
Garth Brooks,
Shania Twain and the likes and stars like Mickey turned to another venue that was showing signs of promise. Branson, Missouri was now becoming the home to a growing number of theatre shows like
Andy Williams, Mel Tillis,
Ray Stevens, Box Car Willie,
The Oak Ridge Boys,
Roy Clark and many more country and easy listening artists. Acts that appealed to the "older" demographic were they could enjoy a show, a great meal and a variety of artists to appease there tastes. In 1990 Mickey Gilley opened his own theatre and restaurant in Branson and has been appearing there in his two hour show ever since. With over three decades of hit songs there is no shortage of great material to choose from and add in the comedy and talent of his eight piece band and backup singers, Mickey Gilley is one of the great shows of Branson for all. This DVD and CD captures the excitement and beauty of it all. Sit back and relax and enjoy the sight and sounds of the fabulous Mickey Gilley.
