Mickey Gilley, Country Music Legend, Dead at 86

Country singer Mickey Gilley, owner of the world's largest honky tonk in Pasadena, Texas, and a vital part of the Urban Cowboy film, who reignited the country music revival in the late 1970s, has died. The mayor of Pasadena, Texas, the club's location, announced his death. He was 86 years old. Gilley died at home Saturday after just ending a ten-show tour in April. The cause of death has not been revealed."He passed peacefully with his family and close friends by his side," according to a statement from Mickey Gilley Associates.

In the early 1970s, Gillet, a cousin of rock and roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis opened the world's largest honky tonk, Gilley's, in Pasadena, Texas. Midway through the decade, he established himself as a successful club owner and enjoyed his first commercial success with "Room Full of Roses." He continued to release country hits, including "Window Up Above," "She's Pulling Me Back Again," and the honky-tonk anthem "Don't the Girls Get Prettier at Closing Time." Known as the pioneer of the "urban cowboy" style, Gilley had 39 Top 10 country hits and 17 No. 1 hits. Besides receiving six Academy of Country Music Awards, he also appeared in Murder She Wrote, The Fall Guy, Fantasy Island, and The Dukes of Hazzard.

In 1980, Gilley's career was rejuvenated with the film Urban Cowboy, featuring John Travolta and set at his honky tonk club in Pasadena, Texas. Country-western culture, including mechanical bull riding, the film's crux, became prevalent in urban environments because of the movie. This film is based on an Esquire article written by Aaron Latham about a relationship between two regulars at a club. Mickey Gilley received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1984 for his recording industry contributions. 

As a child, Gilley learned to play boogie-woogie piano with Lewis and Jimmy Swaggart, a future evangelist. Gilley and Lewis would sneak into Louisiana clubs to listen to rhythm and blues. After moving to Houston, Gilley played the local club scene at night and worked construction during the day. He recorded and toured for years before he broke through in the '70s.

His health was compromised in recent years. He underwent brain surgery in August 2008 after being diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition characterized by an increase in fluid in the brain. He suffered from short-term memory loss but credited the surgery with slowing down the onset of dementia. Gilley underwent more surgery in 2009 after he fell off a step, preventing him from performing in Branson. In 2018, he fractured both an ankle and shoulder in an automobile accident.

In March 2001, Gilley told The Associated Press, "If I had one wish in life, I would wish for more time," on his 65th birthday. The singer said he wouldn't change anything about his life. "I am doing exactly what I want to do. I play golf, fly my airplane and perform at my theater in Branson, Missouri," he said. "I love doing my show for the people."