Gilley’s, a renowned nightclub located in Pasadena, Texas, has a storied history that stretches from its opening in 1970 to its closure in 1990. Originally named Shelly’s, the club was reopened under the name Gilley’s by Sherwood Cryer, with country musician Mickey Gilley as a partner. Gilley wanted to name the club the “Den of Sin,” but Cryer preferred Gilley’s, as Mickey Gilley was to be the headlining act. The club quickly became a success, filling to capacity soon after opening. It featured various amenities like a shooting gallery, showers for truckers, a rodeo arena with mechanical bulls, and a dance floor large enough for thousands, earning a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest honky-tonk.
Gilley’s gained national fame with the release of the movie “Urban Cowboy” in 1980, which was filmed inside the club and starred John Travolta and Debra Winger. This movie, based on an article by Aaron Latham in Esquire Magazine titled “The Ballad of the Urban Cowboy,” significantly boosted Gilley’s popularity, making it a main tourist draw in Houston. Despite the club’s success, problems began to emerge in the late 1980s. Mickey Gilley and Sherwood Cryer had a falling out due to Cryer’s failure to maintain the club and to present quality acts. This led to Gilley suing Cryer in 1988 for control of the club, claiming Cryer had been keeping profits. Gilley won a $17 million lawsuit against Cryer, leading to the club’s closure in 1989 due to loss of profits.
Tragically, on July 5, 1990, Gilley’s was destroyed in a fire, believed to be arson, though no conclusive evidence was found against Cryer, who was a suspect. The remains of the club stood until 2006 when they were demolished by the Pasadena Independent School District, which owned the property at that time.
In the years following the closure of the original Gilley’s, Mickey Gilley opened other clubs under the same name, including one in Dallas and another in Las Vegas. He also continued his music career, with hits like “Room Full of Roses,” “City Lights,” and “Don’t the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time,” all reaching number one on the Billboard Country Charts. Gilley’s influence on country music and the popularization of the “urban cowboy” culture remains a significant part of American pop culture history.
