The Passing of my friend Mickey Gilley!

I would be remiss not to comment on the passing of my longtime friend Mickey Gilley. He was one of my first clients when I started my law practice in the small town of Ferriday in Northeast Louisiana. Mickey was a  country music star whose Texas nightclub served as the inspiration for the 1980 film Urban Cowboy, died in Branson, Mo. He was 86 and had just come off of the road, his favorite place, having played ten shows in April,” according to Farnum’s statement. “He passed peacefully with his family and close friends by his side.”

When I began my career in Louisiana politics, Nickie performed at several fundraisers in my behalf. We stayed in touch over many years, and I considered him a special friend.  Across his career as a singer, Mickey garnered 17 No. 1 singles between the late 1960s and 1980s, including his 1974 cover of “Room Full of Roses.” His soulful renditions of early rock and roll hits and soul songs cemented him as a country artist who was able to cross genres. Mickey’s family included artist Jerry Lee Lewis and televangelist Jimmy Swaggart as cousins.  God Bless Mickey Gilley.