Mickey Gilley
Mickey Gilley (born March 9, 1936 in Natchez , Mississippi ) is an American country singer and pianist.
Life
Beginnings
As a child, Mickey played with his cousins Jerry Lee Lewis and Jimmy Swaggart . Gospel music was played at church performances and boogie woogie at school festivals. He married early, dropped out of school, and took simple jobs. After Jerry Lee Lewis became one of the biggest stars in rock 'n' roll , Mickey decided to give it a try as a professional musician as well. Modeled on his famous cousin, Gilley played piano-dominated rock 'n' roll.
In 1957 Gilley's debut single Tell My Why / Ooh Wee Baby was released on Minor Records , but it only sold well locally. In the next few years he recorded a large number of singles for smaller labels, which, however, could not place themselves in the charts. A session for Sun Records in 1958 also brought no results, so that Gilley turned towards country from the mid-1960s. He achieved a certain degree of notoriety in the Texas and Louisiana club scene, but never managed to step out of the shadow of his famous cousin. His first minor success came in 1968 with Now I Can Live Again .
Career
In 1970 he opened in Pasadena together with a partner "Gilley's", a club of huge proportions ("The World's Biggest Honky Tonk"). Allegedly in order to place their own single in the jukebox there, the cover version of an old George Morgan hit, Room Full of Roses , was recorded in 1974 on their own Astro label . Hugh Hefner's Playboy label took over distribution. To everyone's surprise, the song moved up to number one on the country charts and even made it onto the pop charts.
A long line of other top hits followed. In 1978 the Playboy label gave up the record business and Gilley switched to Epic. In 1979 the film Urban Cowboy (with John Travolta ) was made, which overnight brought the hitherto isolated country scene into the focus of public interest. The key scenes of the film were shot at Gilley's Club, Mickey himself got the opportunity to appear. For a short time he achieved superstar status. His single Stand By Me made it to the top of the country charts that same year, as did True Love Ways and That's All That Matters To Me . He got his own radio show, "Live From Gilley's" and received numerous awards.
His successful streak lasted until the late 1980s. Then Gilley ran into financial difficulties and had to give up his club (which burned down a little later). In Branson , Missouri , he ran a theater and later a café. In addition, he campaigned for various disadvantaged and marginalized groups, including Hank Snow 's "Child Abuse Fund". In the summer of 2009, Gilley fell from a staircase and was partially paralyzed by the fall, so that he was temporarily dependent on a wheelchair.
Discography
Albums
year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US | Country | |||
1974 | Room full of roses | - |
Country1 (30 weeks) Country |
|
1975 | City lights | - |
Country1 (26 weeks) Country |
|
Mickey's Movin 'On | - |
Country9 (20 weeks) Country |
||
Overnight sensation | - |
Country4 (18 weeks) Country |
||
1976 | Gilley's Smokin ' | - |
Country4 (30 weeks) Country |
|
1977 | First class | - |
Country5 (15 weeks) Country |
|
1978 | Flying high | - |
Country44 (4 weeks) Country |
|
1979 | The Songs We Made Love To | - |
Country49 (3 weeks) Country |
|
1980 | That's All That Matters to Me |
US177 (3 weeks) US |
Country8 (72 weeks) Country |
|
1981 | You don't know me |
US170 (6 weeks) US |
Country19 (54 weeks) Country |
|
Christmas at Gilley's | - |
Country34 (5 weeks) Country |
||
1982 | Put Your Dreams Away | - |
Country10 (27 weeks) Country |
|
1983 | Fool for Your Love | - |
Country20 (28 weeks) Country |
|
You've Really Got a Hold on Me | - |
Country24 (26 weeks) Country |
||
1984 | It takes believers | - |
Country7 (34 weeks) Country |
with Charly McClain
|
Too Good to Stop Now | - |
Country34 (28 weeks) Country |
||
1985 | Live at Gilley's | - |
Country53 (5 weeks) Country |
|
I feel good about loving you | - |
Country40 (31 weeks) Country |
||
1986 | One and only | - |
Country40 (10 weeks) Country |
|
1989 | Chasing rainbows | - |
Country52 (27 weeks) Country |
More albums
- 1964: Lonely Wine
- 1967: Down the Line
- 1978: Why Me, Lord
- 1979: Mickey Gilley
- 2003: Invitation Only
- 2016: Kickin 'It Down The Road
- 2018: Two Old Cats (with Troy Payne)
Compilations
year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US | Country | |||
1974 | At his best | - |
Country49 (2 weeks) Country |
|
1976 | Greatest hits | - |
Country5 (26 weeks) Country |
|
1978 | Greatest Hits 2 | - |
Country30 (7 weeks) Country |
|
1980 | Encore |
US-
gold
US
|
Country14 (49 weeks) Country |
|
1982 | Biggest hits |
US-
gold
US
|
Country39 (13 weeks) Country |
|
1984 | Ten Years of Hits | - |
Country56 (11 weeks) Country |
|
1987 | Back to basics | - |
Country48 (11 weeks) Country |
More compilations
- 1978: At His Best 2
- 1981: Suburban Cowboy (Early Recordings)
- 1982: All My Best
- 2003: 16 biggest hits
- 2015: The Essential Mickey Gilley
Singles
year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US | Country | |||
1968 | Now I Can Live Again |
- |
Country68 (6 weeks) Country |
|
1974 | Room Full of Roses Room Full of Roses |
US50 (11 weeks) US |
Country1 (16 weeks) Country |
|
I Overlooked an Orchid Room Full of Roses |
- |
Country1 (18 weeks) Country |
||
City Lights City Lights |
- |
Country1 (12 weeks) Country |
||
1975 | Window Up Above Mickey’s Movin 'On |
- |
Country1 (15 weeks) Country |
|
Bouquet of Roses Overnight Sensation |
- |
Country11 (13 weeks) Country |
||
Overnight sensation Overnight sensation |
- |
Country7 (13 weeks) Country |
||
Roll You Like a Wheel |
- |
Country32 (9 weeks) Country |
with Barbi Benton
|
|
1976 | Don't the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time Gilley's Smokin ' |
- |
Country1 (16 weeks) Country |
|
Bring It On Home to Me Gilley's Smokin ' |
- |
Country1 (14 weeks) Country |
||
Lawdy Miss Clawdy Gilley's Smokin ' |
- |
Country3 (14 weeks) Country |
||
1977 | She's Pulling Me Back Again First Class |
- |
Country1 (17 weeks) Country |
|
Honky Tonk Memories First Class |
- |
Country4 (14 weeks) Country |
||
Chains of Love First Class |
- |
Country9 (14 weeks) Country |
||
1978 | The Power of Positive Drinkin ' Flyin' High |
- |
Country8 (13 weeks) Country |
|
Here Comes the Hurt Again Flyin 'High |
- |
Country9 (14 weeks) Country |
||
The Song We Made Love To The Song We Made Love To |
- |
Country13 (15 weeks) Country |
||
1979 | Just Long Enough to Say Goodbye The Song We Made Love To |
- |
Country10 (13 weeks) Country |
|
My Silver Lining Mickey Gilley |
- |
Country8 (14 weeks) Country |
||
A Little Gettin 'Used To Mickey Gilley |
- |
Country17 (14 weeks) Country |
||
1980 | True Love Ways That’s All That Matters to Me |
US66 (7 weeks) US |
Country1 (16 weeks) Country |
|
Stand by Me Urban Cowboy OST |
US22 (18 weeks) US |
Country1 (17 weeks) Country |
||
That's All That Matters to Me That’s All That Matters to Me |
- |
Country1 (16 weeks) Country |
||
1981 | A Headache Tomorrow (Or a Heartache Tonight) That's All That Matters to Me |
- |
Country1 (15 weeks) Country |
|
You don't know me, you don't know me |
US55 (12 weeks) US |
Country1 (16 weeks) Country |
||
Lonely Nights You Don't Know Me |
- |
Country1 (18 weeks) Country |
||
1982 | Tears of the Lonely You Don't Know Me |
- |
Country3 (18 weeks) Country |
|
Put Your Dreams Away Put Your Dreams Away |
- |
Country1 (16 weeks) Country |
||
Talk to Me Put Your Dreams Away |
- |
Country1 (18 weeks) Country |
||
1983 | Fool for Your Love Fool for Your Love |
- |
Country1 (18 weeks) Country |
|
Your Love Shines Through Fool for Your Love |
- |
Country5 (21 weeks) Country |
||
1984 | You've Really Got a Hold on Me You've Really Got a Hold on Me |
- |
Country2 (20 weeks) Country |
|
Candy Man It Takes Believers |
- |
Country4 (18 weeks) Country |
with Charly McClain
|
|
The Right Stuff It Takes Believers |
- |
Country14 (17 weeks) Country |
with Charly McClain
|
|
Too Good to Stop Now Too Good to Stop Now |
- |
Country5 (22 weeks) Country |
||
1985 | I'm the One Mama Warned You About Too Good to Stop Now |
- |
Country10 (17 weeks) Country |
|
You've Got Something on Your Mind I Feel Good About Lovin 'You |
- |
Country10 (22 weeks) Country |
||
Your Memory Ain't What It Used to Be I Feel Good About Lovin 'You |
- |
Country5 (21 weeks) Country |
||
1986 | Doo-Wah Days One and Only |
- |
Country6 (19 weeks) Country |
|
1987 | Full Grown Fool Back to Basics |
- |
Country16 (14 weeks) Country |
|
1988 | I'm Your Puppet Chasing Rainbows |
- |
Country49 (8 weeks) Country |
|
She Reminded Me of You Chasing Rainbows |
- |
Country23 (19 weeks) Country |
||
1989 | You've Still Got a Way with My Heart Chasing Rainbows |
- |
Country62 (5 weeks) Country |
|
There I've Said It Again Chasing Rainbows |
- |
Country53 (8 weeks) Country |
More singles
Guest Posts
year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US | Country | |||
1983 | Paradise Tonight Paradise |
- |
Country1 (22 weeks) Country |
with Charly McClain
|
1985 | It Ain't Gonna Worry My Mind Friendship |
- |
Country12 (17 weeks) Country |
with Ray Charles
|
literature
- Erlewine, Michael u. a. (Ed.): All Music Guide to Country Music. The experts guide to the best recordings in country music . San Francisco, Cal .: Miller Freeman Books, 1997, p. 175f (biography and annotated discography)
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ The title reached number 50 on the Billboard charts. For Gilley's positions in the pop charts, see Whitburn, Joel: Top Pop Singles 1955-1993. Record Research: Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, 1994, p. 243
- ↑ For the singles placed in the country charts, see Whitburn, Joel: The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits. 7th revised and expanded edition, New York City, New York: Billboard Books, 2005, pp. 136f
- ↑ Mickey Gilley Paralyzed
- ↑ a b c d Chart sources: US
- ↑ Music Sales Awards: US
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Gilley, Mickey |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American country singer and pianist |
DATE OF BIRTH | March 9, 1936 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Natchez , Mississippi |