Mickey Gilley

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Mickey Gilley.png

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 US Country 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
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 US Country 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
gold
US
Country14 (49 weeks)
Country
1982 Biggest hits US-
gold
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 US Country 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
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 US Country 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

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

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. Mickey Gilley Paralyzed
  4. a b c d Chart sources: US
  5. Music Sales Awards: US