Country Legend and Gilley's Club Owner Mickey Gilley Passed Away at Age 86
Published May 9 2022, 9:01 a.m. ET
The award-winning country singer and the creator of hit songs like "Room Full of Roses" and "True Love Ways," Mickey Gilley, passed away at age 86. He was the recipient of six ACM Awards, including the ACM Triple Crown Award.
Mickey was best known as an iconic musician and the owner of venues like Gilley's Club in Pasadena, Texas, and the Mickey Gilley Grand Shanghai Theatre in Branson, Mo. Unfortunately, he died on Saturday, May 7, 2022, at the age of 86. What was his cause of death?
"Room Full of Roses" singer Mickey Gilley died at age 86. What was his cause of death?
Mickey passed away on Saturday, May 7, 2022. He was surrounded by loved ones, a statement Jeff Wagner, the mayor of Pasadena, Texas, shared with Los Angeles Times. Mickey's cause of death has yet to be released.
Mickey announced his decision to cancel several tour dates on May 1, 2022, on Facebook, citing health complications.
"I am so sorry to have canceled the May dates at the theatre in Branson. The last couple of weeks, my energy level and some health issues kept me from being 100 percent at my shows. I’ve been seeking doctors to get me back on track," he wrote.
Mickey Gilley is best known for his work as a country musician and the owner of Gilley's Club.
Mickey first launched a career in the music industry in the 1950s, releasing popular tunes like "Call Me Shorty."
He opened what would become one of his most famous ventures, Gilley's Club in Pasadena, Texas, in the 1970s, after establishing himself as a sought-after singer.
For a while, Gilley's Club was hailed as the largest honky-tonk club in the world. The subject of an article published in the Sept. 12, 1978, issue of Esquire, the venue quickly obtained cult status. The club served as the source of inspiration for Urban Cowboy, James Bridges's Western drama starring John Travolta, Debra Winger, and, of course, Mickey.
"I thank John Travolta every night before bed for keeping my career alive," Mickey told AP in 2002, per OPB. "It’s impossible to tell you how grateful I am for my involvement with Urban Cowboy. That film had a huge impact on my career, and still does."
Mickey also founded the Mickey Gilley Grand Shanghai Theatre, a performing arts theater in his home city of Branson, Mo., circa 1990, the year that Gilley's Club shut down.
Mickey opened a more high-end branch of Gilley's Club, named Gilley's Dallas, in 2003.
A decorated musician, Mickey received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1984. He was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in Ferriday, La., in 2002. He was awarded a place in the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in 2011.
Mickey is survived by his wife, Cindy Loeb Gilley, and four children, Michael, Gregory, Keith Ray, and Kathy. Our hearts go out to his loved ones at this time.