 Born in 1937 and raised in rural Ferriday, La., honky tonk piano superstar Mickey Gilley didn't begin playing music until the 1950s, when his cousin, Jerry Lee Lewis, became an early rock phenomena. Gilley struggled for years on independent labels, becoming a popular club performer in Texas but failing to break through to the mainstream. In 1970 he opened a honky tonk bar called Gilley's Club in Pasadena, Texas, though he continued to concentrate on music, scoring his first No. 1 country hit four years later with "Room Full of Roses." After that, the No. 1 hits kept coming: "I Overlooked an Orchid," "City Lights," "Window Up Above," "Don't the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time," "Bring It On Home To Me," "She's Pulling Me Back Again," "True Love Ways," "Stand By Me," "That's All That Matters" and "A Headache Tomorrow (Or a Heartache Tonight)." In all, Gilley scored 39 Top 10 country hits, including 17 No. 1 songs. In 1979 Gilley's fame grew even greater when his club became the inspiration for the hit movie Urban Cowboy, which also features some of his music. Gilley has owned a theatre in Branson, Mo. since 1990, making him one of the pioneers of the now-famous tourist town.
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