Mickey Gilley, a Louisiana native, is Jerry Lee Lewis's cousin, and grew up with music. As he got his career underway in the 1960s and 1970s, he tried to get out from under Lewis's enormous shadow, but it was perhaps not until he added elements of pop to his country music that he came into his own.
Gilley's breakthrough came in 1980, when his club, “Gilley's,” was used as the setting of the film “Urban Cowboy,” in which he appeared along with his band. Gilley had earlier recorded a cover of “Stand By Me,” the soul classic by Ben E. King. Gilley's version was featured on the soundtrack of the film, and went on to become a major hit for the singer.
In addition, the early 1980s saw a number of singers, such as Kenny Rogers, Olivia Newton-John, and Glen Campbell, successfully crossing over between pop and country. Gilley joined the trend, moving away from a straight-ahead country sound, with great success.
A review says:
“Without a lot of fanfare, the show was fantastic. . . . Mickey . . . gave us our money’s worth."
Mickey Gilley will be at the River City Casino on September 17, at 7:30 pm. Brochure printing can be used to create programs for this type of event.