Mickey Gilley’s Wife Vivian Has Died
Vivian Gilley, the wife of country singer Mickey Gilley for 50-plus years, has died. She was 80 years old at the time of her death on Friday (Dec. 13).
The former Vivian McDonald was born on Aug. 10, 1939. She and Mickey Gilley have been married for nearly 58 years, since Dec. 27, 1962, before his rise to country music stardom in the 1970s. Vivian Gilley helped manage her husband's career, and when the couple opened the honky-tonk Gilley's -- which is featured in the 1980 movie Urban Cowboy -- in their new hometown of Pasadena, Texas, Vivian helped manage the club as well.
In recent years, Vivian Gilley -- a founding member of the New Life Community Church -- was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. In 2018, she was moved to an assisted living home to be cared for as the disease progressed.
Vivian Gilley is survived by her husband and their son, Gregory, as well as three stepchildren: Keith (and wife Joyce), Kathy and Michael (and wife Susan). She also leaves behind a brother, Larry, and his wife, Brenda; four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; and a number of nieces and nephews.
Services for Vivian Gilley will be announced at a later date, and will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in her memory to one of the many non-profit organizations that focus on Alzheimer's disease research and care.
Country Music's Greatest Love Stories