Country-western superstar Mickey Gilley opened Gilley's, a Texas-size honky tonk in Pasadena, Texas in 1971. At the time, it was certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest. Seven years later, Aaron Latham wrote an article for Esquire magazine titled, "The Ballad of the Urban Cowboy: America's Search for True Grit". This article launched the 1980 hit movie Urban Cowboy, starring John Travolta and Debra Winger, filmed on location at Gilley's. The films soundtrack featuring Mickey Gilley and Johnny Lee, was also a hit, generating sales over 3.4 million units - unheard of for a country music album in those days. Honky tonks sprang up all over the United States, and Gilley's became the most famous country nightclub in the world, launching country music into the mainstream and opening the doors for today's country stars. Sadly, the original Gilley's in Pasadena, Texas was lost to fire in 1989. However, its story remains one of the greatest chapters of American pop culture. Gilley's popularization of cowboy chic continues to influence American lifestyles, fashion, dance and music today.