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and litigation between the two partners began. Cryer did not want to lose control of Gilley's and attempted to produce documentation showing the partnership was still valid. Gilley won the court case, and Cryer was ordered to pay Gilley $ 17 million. The dispute permanently closed Gilley's, ending an 18-year run that saw country music become mainstream in large part due to the club's widespread fame. On July 5, 1990, a fire quickly spread throughout the main building, destroying the club. Gilley and several others in
Pasadena suspected that Cryer had the club burned in retaliation over the court decision, but Cryer denied the allegation. Cryer filed for bankruptcy after the court battle with Gilley.
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commonly seen on cars throughout the
Houston area. Fans would steal tiles from the acoustical ceiling because they were stamped with the club's logo. With Gilley's indoor rodeo arena as an added attraction, the 48,000 square feet (4,500 m) club hosted a packed house of thousands every night. The space fielded oversized bars and dance floors to accommodate crowds, and the club was so big that visitors could not see from one end of the building to the other. With a capacity of 6,000, Gilley's was listed in the
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Cryer managed the club's operations until he and Gilley had a falling out in 1989. Gilley felt that Cryer was neither properly maintaining the facility nor booking the high-profile musicians the club was famous for, and wanted to disassociate with the club by removing his famous name. Gilley's closed
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After the movie's release, the club's popularity skyrocketed. Gilley's launched its own beer brand, radio show, recording studio, and hundreds of merchandise items from drinking glasses and stickers to panties and jeans emblazoned with the Gilley's logo. Gilley's white-and-red bumper stickers were
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was selected to play Sissy, Bud's romantic interest. The movie was filmed on-location in
Pasadena, with all of the club interiors and exteriors filmed at Gilley's, and regular patrons and locals featured as extras. It was a box office hit in 1980, grossing over $ 50 million. The film's soundtrack
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The bull became a huge nightly draw as cowboys from the area took turns testing their skill in front of large crowds. Cryer and Gilley expected lawsuits from patrons getting hurt on the bull but no one sought them. Rides were conducted with a sign posted nearby stating "Ride At Your Own Risk."
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Cryer settled in
Pasadena, where his large tent-style honky tonk concept developed into what became Gilley's in 1971, located on a sprawling parcel of land at 4500 Spencer Highway, Pasadena, Texas 77504. It was named after country music artist
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area. He wore overalls, collected old coins, and enjoyed listening to classic country music. Cryer married twice and had children. He was of French and German descent.
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Open seven nights a week from 10 am to 2 am, Gilley's regularly featured a myriad of activities, contests, and food. The club offered dozens of pool tables,
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became a frequent visitor of the club, and Cryer asked Latham to write about Gilley's. Latham captured the spirit of Gilley's in a cover story for
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titled "The Ballad of the Urban Cowboy: America's Search for 'True Grit'" for the
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81:(September 2, 1927 – August 13, 2009) was an American entrepreneur. After forming a partnership with
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Gator Conley, a frequent Gilley's customer, riding a mechanical bull invented by Cryer
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Gilley's fame spread in the early 1980s with the help of Cryer's patent-holding, the
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showcased a collection of country music's top artists and songs, including the hit "
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took notice and secured rights to the story for a movie. Latham and director
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for a few years after his service in the Air Force during
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It may need editing to conform to
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