response of his fans.
Mickey’s first musical influence as a boy growing up in
Ferriday, La., was his piano-pounding cousin, Jerry Lee Lewis.
He grew up close to Jerry Lee and another famous cousin,
Jimmy Swaggart, even as he snuck up to the windows of clubs
to absorb the haunting sound of Louisiana rhythm-and-blues.
Jerry Lee was the inspiration for Mickey’s decision to
scored his first big hit, the youngster moved to Houston to work
in construction. Mickey went to see Jerry Lee in concert in
Houston and took him to the airport after the show. “He pulled
out a big wad of hundred-dollar bills, and it made me decide
right then that I was in the wrong business,” Mickey says with
a laugh. “The problem was, I was trying to be a Jerry Lee
clone. Then a guy named Jim Ed Norman now the president
of Warner Bros./Nashville came into my life. Jim Ed got me out
of the shadow of Jerry Lee by giving me songs that appealed
to a bigger audience. He helped me find my musical identity.”
Mickey began by performing in the Houston nightclubs.
He recorded his first song in Memphis for Dot Records and
later performed as a singer and pianist in cities throughout the
South. Eventually, his trek returned him to the Pasadena area,
where he took up residence at the Nesadel Club and quickly
developed into one of the city’s most popular acts. He opened
with a bang in the mid-seventies.
The entertainer continues to maintain a residence in
Pasadena, Texas. His hobbies include golf, walking and flying
his own airplane.
“I enjoy performing and singing as much these days as I
ever have,” Mickey says. “I joke that I’m semi-retired. Of course,
I work just as hard as always. The thing about experience is, it
helps you keep your priorities straight. I’m interested in quality
now, not quantity. I make sure my business and my life are set
up so I can get the most enjoyment out of the things I love. And
the thing I love the most is getting on stage and performing a
good show for people.”