Mickey Gilley

“I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I do know how to count.”

“A lost of people recognize me and maybe will ask for an autograph, but it's nothing like if Elvis would've done something like that, 'cause he's so popular, or maybe The Beatles 'cause they stirred up a lot of action.”

“I've grown up with my audience; they're my age or older. Not a lot of kids are coming to see me.”

“I'm set to have my best year ever: I'm hiring some acts and there will be a show in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening. I'm going to use my theater to its fullest potential.”

“It's like Branson. When I went to Branson there was only 4 acts in there. Now, you can't count 'em. There's so many theatres now, that only the strong will survive.”

“I had seventeen No. 1 songs and I didn't see anything like that kind of money.”

“When a record co. finds a guy now, they want to own everything. They want to own the rights to market that person's particular name. They want a piece of the action all the way through.”

“If you have good food, people will come to your restaurant.”

“I have the restaurant, too. I serve Southwest, barbecue.”

“If I cut an album now and sell it for ten bucks, I can put seven dollars and fifty cents in my pocket.”

“'Cause I can make more money going in and doing my recordings and selling them through my entities that I have, rather than going to a record co. and them release a record and pay me 5 percent of what they make off it.”

“I guess the nicest thing about being, I won't say famous but being popular is a more proper word for me to use would be that if you've got a recognizable name, a lot of times you can get people to do things for you ordinarily that you wouldn't get done.”

“Back then I thought if you cut a record, you were automatically a star.”

“I don't own everything, I do have a partner.”

“I try to stay ahead of things, if you know what I mean. I take the money I make and reinvest it.”

“Well, I got people that help me with the restaurant. I don't have to be at the restaurant 24 hours a day.”

“All I have to concentrate on is my performing.”

“It's the same with the ballplayers. Babe Ruth spent a lot, too and the ballplayers make a lot more money now.”

“There used to be a lot of acts, which was good, because people don't want to see the same act every night. But, you don't want too many acts, you don't want to over-saturate it.”

“So I'm trying to spread myself to the point to where I can do the night shows and not have to worry about the matinees, and do one or two matinees down through the year.”