Esquire magazine caught wind of the excitement being
created by the Pasadena nightclub and featured it in an article
piece, Paramount Pictures contracted to use Gilley’s as the
centerpiece of a motion picture with Saturday Night Fever star
John Travolta.
“I never really believed that Paramount was going to do
a film based on that article and shoot it at Gilley’s,” Mickey
shares. “I still didn’t believe it after we signed the contracts.
Then one day I was in the recording studio that we had on the
grounds, and the Paramount trucks started rolling in. I thought,
‘Wow, they’re really going to do it.’”
Mickey’s visionary business ability. Just as he was a pioneer
in the area of country dance clubs, Mickey was among the
first entertainers to recognize the potential of the Ozark music
(deja vu!), Mickey rebuilt on the same spot, updating the venue
and the restaurant he had opened next door in 1992. He
Gilley’s Restaurant in his hometown of Pasadena, Texas.
“Branson works because it provides the best conditions for
both the fans and the entertainers,” Mickey notes. “The fans
get to see us under the best setting possible as far as seeing
a singer. The theaters have good seats, and we have set up
the best stage with state-of-the-art sound and lights. We don’t
have to break down and set it back up day after day while we
travel night after night, so everyone on stage is rested and
ready to entertain. It’s a quality situation for everyone.”
Several of the songs on the album are now featured in his
show. Sony Music also put out Mickey Gilley-16 Biggest Hits
recordings in the chronological order that they were released.
Mickey has become successful in Branson in the same
way that he was successful as a recording artist: by giving his
audiences what they want. His is a timeless talent keyed to the