November 23, 2009, 9:01AM

(Press-Register/Bill Starling)

 

Ronnie Gilley, seen here on Tuesday Nov. 17, 2009, has become a vocal opponent of Gov. Bob Riley and other anti-gambling Republicans in the state, questioning their ethics, motives and concern for the state's economic welfare.

 

DOTHAN, Ala. -- Ronnie Gilley is a business-minded, lifelong Republican who voted for Bob Riley in the last two gubernatorial elections. 

 

But over the past year, he has become one of the most vocal opponents of Riley and other anti-gambling Republicans in the state. In appearances on Fox News and YouTube.com, he's questioned their ethics, motives and concern for Alabama's economic welfare. 

 

The boisterous approach is typical of Gilley, the self-described "country boy" behind Country Crossing, an $87 million gambling and music venue that will open here Dec. 1. 

 

"I am the most politically incorrect individual you're going to ever find in your life," said Gilley, whose gravelly-voiced speech is peppered with four-letter words. 

 

A 44-year-old Enterprise native, Gilley has a shaved head and a running back's compact, muscular build. A childhood friend, Carlos Robinson, said he saw Gilley up at 6 a.m., lifting weights every morning this summer. 

 

Gilley went to Troy University to play football after graduating high school. But a sickness at age 19 forced him to leave the team, and he dropped out of school weeks later, Gilley said. 

 

"I think he always regretted that he didn't go to college," said Jim Weatherford, an Enterprise real estate attorney who works with Gilley and has known him since high school. "He's always, I guess, tried to overachieve to make up for not being educated." 

 

After leaving Troy, Gilley went to work for a furniture store and started his own lawn-care business. With the money he earned, Gilley bought his first house at age 19 for $40,000. Six months later, he sold it for $53,680 - a number Gilley can recite from memory - and Gilley's career as a real estate developer had begun. By 1988, Gilley had his own construction company. 

 

From age 19 through to the present day, Gilley said, his typical working day has lasted 12 to 14 hours. 

 

"I'm the only uneducated guy in my company," Gilley said. "Perseverance and hard work overcomes a lot of inadequacies."

 

While Gilley credits hard work for his success in real estate, his connection to Nashville's country music scene was born of coincidence. One of Gilley's construction workers was in a band, and when Gilley heard their music, he was so impressed that he went to Nashville to get the group a record deal. 

 

In Music City, Gilley found a business model that he liked, so he signed several more bands and made many contacts in the industry. These same country music contacts are now integral parts of Country Crossing. 

 

James Stroud, a Nashville record producer and owner of Stroudavarious Records, said he knows Gilley as a hard worker with lots of energy. But Gilley is also a religious man who gives money to schools and churches and always stops to say grace before meals, Stroud said. 

 

"He's going to make sure that his spiritual side is taken care of well before his business side," Stroud said. 

 

Last week, Gilley said grace before eating lunch with a reporter. About an hour later, he ran a red light on the way to the Country Crossing site. 

 

Country Crossing has led Gilley into the middle of a thunderous statewide gambling debate, centered on the question of whether slots-like electronic bingo machines are legal. 

 

Riley launched a task force aimed at shutting down gambling halls with the devices. Gilley pushed for legislation to protect such venues from prosecution and backed a statewide ad campaign attacking Riley. The ads accuse Riley of opposing gambling in Alabama because he took campaign money from gambling interests in neighboring Mississippi. 

 

Riley called the allegations lies in April. Last week, his press secretary, Todd Stacy, said Gilley is part of the same bunch of organized gambling backers that have been proven wrong on one point after another. 

 

"I'm not a gaming mogul," Gilley said. "I'm a simple, very simplistic country boy from Enterprise, Alabama, that believes in a hard day's work, doing what he says he's going to do." 

"I am very pleased to have Evelyn and Susan join the Ronnie Gilley Entertainment family," Ronnie Gilley said. "I have confidence that artistic integrity will remain at the forefront as they lead Country Crossing Records with their proven unique and creative approach to the business."

Shriver was a music publicist and first female president of a major label in the history of country music when she took the helm of Asylum Records. With Nadler as Executive VP/A&R, the duo's collaboration at Asylum resulted in two Grammy wins during their first year of business. The women were also partners in the operation of Bandit Records, which released George Jones albums.

"We've known Ronnie for several years and always have a good time working with him, which is important to us at this point in our lives and careers," Shriver says. "We're delighted to be reunited with Lorrie Morgan, whose voice we love and with whom we have a long relationship, and John Anderson, who is truly one of the most humble and unique stylists in country music. It's a different music world these days and it is exciting to play a role in Ronnie's extraordinary vision. 'Failure' is not part of his vocabulary so it is refreshing to work with someone who is still inspired by the challenges."

Current Country Crossing releases include Lorrie Morgan's "A Moment In Time," "We Are Enterprise: The Album To Benefit The Rebuilding Of Enterprise High School," Aaron Tippin's "In Overdrive," John Anderson's "Bigger Hands" and Lee Greenwood's "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas." An upcoming collection of standards from Louise Mandrell is planned for future release.'\

Gliley is also involved in Stroudavarious Records and BamaJam Records. The company also produces the annual Verizon Wireless BamaJam Music and Arts Festival, and is trying to launch the country themed Country Crossing destination resort near Dothan, Ala.