Mickey Gilley Was a Consummate Musician Who Sparked 1980s ‘Urban Cowboy’ Craze (Appreciation)
variety.comChris Morris Music ReporterLooking back on the life of Mickey Gilley, who died May 7 in Branson, Mo., at the age of 86, one must consider the musician and the country music era that he helped to define.The singer-pianist was a versatile stylist, an outstanding instrumentalist and one of country music’s most prolific hitmakers.
He notched his first No. 1 country single, a version of George Morgan’s “Room Full of Roses,” in 1974 on Playboy Records. Another six Gilley chart-toppers followed on the label, and 10 more singles reached the pinnacle of the country chart during hia long stay at Epic Records.
He placed among the top 25 country singles acts of the 1980s, according to chart authority Joel Whitburn. But Gilley’s reach extended beyond vinyl and airwaves through his famous namesake club, Gilley’s, based in Pasadena, Texas, outside Houston.
The establishment, touted as one of the world’s largest honky tonks, would introduce a whole new audience to country music with the hit movie that was shot under its roof, the 1980 smash “Urban Cowboy.”Gilley became a partner in club in the early 1970s, before he was a major hitmaker and before he knew if he his career would last.
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