On This Day in 2022, We Said Goodbye to the 70s Country Star and Nightclub Owner Who Inspired a John Travolta Classic

On this day (May 7) in 2022, Mickey Gilley died of complications from bone cancer in Springfield, Missouri, at the age of 86. He had a long string of hits in the 1970s. Then, his nightclub inspired and appeared in the 1980 film Urban Cowboy, starring John Travolta. The movie and the song he recorded for the soundtrack helped maintain his momentum through the end of the decade.

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Gilley released his first single, “Call Me Shorty,” in 1958, and it failed to chart. He released a single every few years until the end of the 1960s. “Now I can Live Again” was the only one to reach the country chart, where it peaked at No. 68.

[RELATED: Top 10 Songs by Mickey Gilley]

Mickey Gilley Built His Career from the Ground Up

His recording career hadn’t taken off yet. However, he was already cultivating a following. According to his biography, he settled in Pasadena, Texas, and started performing at the Nesadel Club. Before long, he became one of the most popular acts in Pasadena. His fortune changed in 1971 when he and his business partner, Sherwood Cryer, opened a nightclub called Gilley’s. Over the years, it grew in popularity and size. Eventually, it earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest honky-tonk.

Two years after opening the club, Gilley released “Room Full of Roses,” which topped the country chart. He followed that with three consecutive chart-toppers–“I Overlooked the Orchid,” “City Lights,” and “Window Up Above.” The rest of the decade saw him regularly scoring hits with songs like “Here Comes the Hurt Again,” “She’s Pulling My Back Again,” “Bring It on Home to Me,” and “Honky Tonk Memories,” among others.

The Ballad of the Urban Cowboy

Gilley’s, with its large dance floor and mechanical bull, quickly became the place to be. Droves of fans dressed in their finest western wear flocked to the club to hear some of the hottest names in country music.

In 1978, Aaron Latham, a writer for Esquire Magazine, caught wind of the club and wrote an article about it. More specifically, according to Texas Monthly, he wrote the story about Dew Westbrook, a Gilley’s regular. Latham later wrote the screenplay for Urban Cowboy, which starred John Travolta and Debra Winger. Gilley’s appeared so prominently in the film that it may as well have been a character.

Mickey Gilley recorded a cover of the soul standard “Stand by Me” for the Urban Cowboy soundtrack. It sailed to the top of the country chart and reached No. 22 on the Hot 100. The Gilley’s house band recorded a rendition of the fiddle tune “Orange Blossom Special,” which won the Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance.

Gilley continued to see chart success throughout much of the 1980s, notching seven more No. 1 singles. As the decade drew to a close, his songs started slipping down the chart. Then, he relocated from Texas to Branson, Missouri, which had become a magnet for country music fans and legacy acts like Gilley and Roy Clark. He performed there until the 2010s.

Mickey Gilley may not be a household name today, but he was a master of the country charts in his heyday. More than that, he created a space that became a cultural touchstone for country music fans the world over.

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