Hell's Gate: Terror at Bobby Mackey's Music World

by Douglas Hensley

At 44 Licking Pike in Wilder, Kentucky, just across the river from Cincinnati, Ohio...lies, what has been called "the most haunted place in America." Bobby Mackey's Music World, a country/western bar and nightclub, is well known for its mechanical bull. It is better known for more violent encounters with spirits than anywhere else in the US. Visitors and staff members report everything from poltergeist-like phenomena, to disembodied voices and laughter, to actual physical attacks by unseen forces. There are, on record, 29 sworn affidavits of sightings, several from police and clergy. Paranormal Investigator Doug Hensley was called in to determine the causes for the strange occurrences. Mr. Hensley made some startling discoveries. This book has been the subject of National TV Shows such as Geraldo, Sightings, Encounters, Sally Jessee Rapheal, A Current Affair, Real Ghosts, The Other Side and many more. Read America's Most Documented Haunting, Hell's Gate.

Genres: Paranormal, Horror, Nonfiction, Supernatural, True Story

316 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good true paranormal read! I had seen Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures episodes on Bobby Mackey's Music World, but nothing compares to actually reading true accounts of the demonic and ghost activity that took place at this club. Very in depth material of what took place there. This is a definite read for anyone who likes true paranormal stories. It is called "Hell's Gate" for a reason. Not giving away spoilers here, so you will just have to read the book. Four star read.

[theghostwriter · Rating 2 out of 5]

ugh. where do i start? this is an "investigative" look at a haunting in a country music club in kentucky. its all hearsay, rewritten from interviews of the main players. and being as this is in pentecostal country... the "demons and satan" are exorcised in the end with all the fire and brimstone you could ask for. this book was so-so. it is what it is.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sorry, but Hensley is just not a good writer.
However, you do get a full picture of the history and tragedy of this place as he did do his research. The testimonials are compelling.

[Wanda Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved reading this great dispritions to make you feel you are there.

[Mattie Richards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really wish I had the brain power for some of the writing in this one. Bobby Mackey's ingrained in my childhood memory though I never went while it was open.

Perfectly fine book, just not my speed atm.

[Jen | Prairiebookgirl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard to believe any of this was actually real....

[Avalin H. Lance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting. I didn't first hear about the case from Ghost Adventures like most, but I instead heard of it from the show A Haunting. I saw the episode when I was younger than my age now (17), but I'm the type of person who says they'll do something but never gets around to doing something. "I will look up Pearl Bryan's murder, I will look up the Bobby Mackey's Music World haunting." I would tell myself. So it isn't a shock that I just recently got into my "research". I got a MacBook from the high school I attend, and I was bored at lunch and figured I could look into things for fun. What I found really perked my interest in general. Since then I've hunted the Internet universe for Pearl Bryan related articles and such. Then when I heard of the Ghost Adventures episode, a show I took interest in, too---I gladly watched it. My parents had seen it before me, my mom said it was creepy. That was before I'd even bothered to look into things personally. I only knew of the case from A Haunting, and what it showed. I was very surprised when I found out abortion and whatnot was involved.

On to the book: I think it is really interesting. I love paranormal books, especially ones based on true events, and this one was perfect. I don't know why people are so fond of giving it a 2 rating when there's only about three other actual reviews (besides my own) on here. Creepy book, but I loved it. I heard there was supposed to be a 2009 movie about Hell's Gate with a woman named Melissa Fox portraying Pearl Bryan---seeing that it isn't on the IMDB or any other site, I guess the project has either been delayed or dismissed. Shame. That would've been a film I would like to see.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I first learned of Bobby Mackey's from watching "Ghost Adventures" on Travel Channel - this book is a collection of stories about the haunting and "possession" that occurred there.

I read the kindle version, and there were a lot of distracting typos, and the story is peppered with a lot of religious overtones, which given that someone was supposedly possessed by demons, makes sense.

I found myself wanting to skip ahead and rish the story, as it seemed to drag in places, and then seemed to be a badly written horror movie screenplay. There are many affadavits attached at the end of the stories that claim that the stories are 100% true - I don't think these people are liars, but I just find so much of the story to be hard to believe. My gut says the author took some artistic license with the stories and perhaps enhanced them. I don't know. I wasn't there.

But if even half of these stories are true, that place is absolutely terrifying.

[Cheri Schaefer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelievable! Really scary!

It's definitely hard to believe some of the things
that happened there, but I'm sure these people
are being totally honest in the things that
happened to them. I honestly believe their
experiences. Demons are nothing to fill
around with!! I had a friend some years ago
who went to Bobby Mackey's and had an
experience with a ghost there, so I truly
believe the place is haunted.

[Bryan Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall in general I find Bobby Mackeys to be an interesting place. And the history matches the claims. This book was ok and that's it. No More than ok. It may have been true but it's so cheesy sounding I can't say for sure. So many things were ok with the book. I would just go there instead of reading this book. Of course I only live 30 minutes for there.

[Michelle N · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read!

I’d watched several ghost hunter-type shows investigating here and wanted to read the full history of the building. This book definitely delivers that and more. Very well written.

[Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very interesting. My family and I are going to Bobby Mackie's this summer for a private investigation. I'm very glad I read this book before hand.