Mickey Gilley Movies, TV Shows, and Filmography

Mickey Gilley

Mickey Gilley

Acting

Biography

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.

Filmography Movies

Acting

Jerry Lee Lewis: I Am What I Am movie poster
MOVIE

Jerry Lee Lewis: I Am What I Am

Not rated yet
Jerry Lee Lewis: I Am What I Am
Time-Life: Country Legends Live, Vol. 1 movie poster
MOVIE

Time-Life: Country Legends Live, Vol. 1

8.0(0.0K)
Time-Life: Country Legends Live, Vol. 1
himself
Urban Cowboy movie poster
MOVIE

Urban Cowboy

6.5(0.3K)
Urban Cowboy
Himself
It's Branson! movie poster
MOVIE

It's Branson!

Not rated yet
It's Branson!
Self
Night of 100 Stars III movie poster
MOVIE

Night of 100 Stars III

4.0(0.0K)
Night of 100 Stars III
Self
Mickey Gilley: In Concert movie poster
MOVIE

Mickey Gilley: In Concert

Not rated yet
Mickey Gilley: In Concert
Himself
Off the Wall movie poster
MOVIE

Off the Wall

3.5(0.0K)
Off the Wall
Buck Banner
Urban Cowboy: The Rise and Fall of Gilley's movie poster
MOVIE

Urban Cowboy: The Rise and Fall of Gilley's

7.8(0.0K)
Urban Cowboy: The Rise and Fall of Gilley's
Self
A Christmas Card from Branson movie poster
MOVIE

A Christmas Card from Branson

Not rated yet
A Christmas Card from Branson
Himself
Country Anthology Classics Volume 2 movie poster
MOVIE

Country Anthology Classics Volume 2

Not rated yet
Country Anthology Classics Volume 2
(archive footage)

Gallery

Mickey Gilley portrait