Conway Twitty facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Conway Twitty |
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1974 promotional photo
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Harold Lloyd Jenkins |
| Also known as | "The High Priest of Country Music" |
| Born | September 1, 1933 Friars Point, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Origin | Helena, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Died | June 5, 1993 (aged 59) Springfield, Missouri, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1955–1993 |
| Labels | MCA, Elektra, MGM, Decca, Sun Records, Warner Bros. Records |
| Associated acts | Loretta Lynn, Sam Moore, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Twitty Bird Band, Joni Lee, Owen Bradley, John Hughey, Billy "Crash" Craddock, Jimmy Van Eaton, Don Bowman, Ronnie McDowell |
Harold Lloyd Jenkins (born September 1, 1933 – died June 5, 1993), known by his stage name Conway Twitty, was a famous American singer and songwriter. He started his career in the 1950s with rockabilly music, but he became best known as a country music star. From 1971 to 1976, Twitty won many awards for his duet songs with Loretta Lynn. He was honored by being added to both the Country Music and Rockabilly Halls of Fame.
Twitty was famous for singing romantic and emotional songs. A comedian named Jerry Clower called him "The High Priest of Country Music" because his fans were so devoted. This nickname even became the title of one of his albums. Twitty had many hit songs, including "Hello Darlin'", "You've Never Been This Far Before", and "Linda on My Mind". He had 40 songs reach number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, which was a record for 20 years. He also had one song, "It's Only Make Believe," reach number one on the main Billboard Hot 100 chart. He wrote 11 of his own top country hits.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Harold Lloyd Jenkins was born on September 1, 1933, in Friars Point, Mississippi. His family moved to Helena, Arkansas, when he was 10 years old. In Helena, Harold started his first singing group, called the Phillips County Ramblers.
He even had his own radio show on Saturday mornings. Harold also loved playing baseball. He joined the U.S. Army and served in the Far East. While in the Army, he formed a group called the Cimmerons to entertain other soldiers.
After hearing Elvis Presley's song "Mystery Train", Harold decided to write rock-and-roll songs. He went to Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, and worked with the owner, Sam Phillips. Harold wanted to find the perfect sound for his music. Although his own recordings at Sun weren't released then, another singer, Roy Orbison, recorded one of Harold's songs called "Rockhouse."
Conway Twitty's Music Career
Choosing a Stage Name
In 1957, Harold Jenkins decided his real name wasn't catchy enough for show business. He looked at a road map and saw the towns Conway, Arkansas, and Twitty, Texas. He liked those names and decided to call himself Conway Twitty. That same year, he recorded a few songs under his new name, but they didn't become hits.
Rock and Roll Success
In 1958, Conway Twitty's luck changed. A radio station in Ohio played the B-side of one of his records, a song called "It's Only Make Believe." Conway and his drummer, Jack Nance, wrote this song. It took almost a year, but the song finally reached number one on the Billboard pop music charts in the U.S. and in 21 other countries! It sold over four million copies.
When "It's Only Make Believe" first came out, many people thought it was Elvis Presley singing because their voices sounded similar. Conway Twitty had more rock-and-roll hits, including "Danny Boy" and "Lonely Blue Boy." He even named his band the Lonely Blue Boys, which later became the Twitty Birds. Over time, Conway's music changed from rockabilly to rock and roll, and he also recorded some R&B and blues songs.
Becoming a Country Music Star
Conway Twitty always wanted to sing country music. In 1965, he started doing just that. At first, some country radio stations didn't want to play his songs because they knew him as a rock and roll singer. But in 1968, he had his first top five country hit, "The Image of Me." Later that year, his song "Next in Line" became his first number one country song. After 1968, most of his songs reached the top five on the country charts.
In 1970, Conway released his biggest country hit, "Hello Darlin'", which stayed at number one for four weeks. It's still one of his most famous songs. In 1971, he started singing duets with Loretta Lynn. Their first hit together was "After the Fire Is Gone." They had many more successful duets, like "Lead Me On" (1971) and "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man" (1973). Conway and Loretta, as they were called, won four awards in a row for best vocal duo from the Country Music Association from 1972 to 1975.
In 1973, Twitty released "You've Never Been This Far Before," which was number one in country music for three weeks. It also reached number 22 on the pop charts.
In 1978, Conway released a song called "The Grandest Lady of Them All," which honored the famous Grand Ole Opry show. This song didn't do as well as expected because some radio stations didn't want to play a song that honored a competitor's show.
Conway changed his look around this time, getting a new hairstyle. His music also changed to a country pop style. His next 23 songs in a row all made it into the top 10, and 13 of them reached number one. These hits included "Don't Take It Away", "I May Never Get to Heaven", "Happy Birthday Darlin'", and his versions of popular songs like "The Rose" and "Slow Hand". In 1985, his song "Don't Call Him a Cowboy" became his 50th number one hit! He had five more number one songs after that, bringing his total to 55. George Strait later broke his record for most number one hits.
Conway Twitty recorded for different music labels throughout his career, including Decca Records (later MCA), Elektra/Asylum, and Warner Bros. He returned to MCA near the end of his career. In 1993, just before he passed away, he recorded his last album, Final Touches.
Beyond Music
Love for Baseball
Besides music, Conway Twitty's other big passion was baseball. After high school, he was offered a chance to play for the Philadelphia Phillies. However, he was drafted into the U.S. Army before he could sign the contract.
In 1977, Twitty joined other country musicians to invest in the Nashville Sounds, a Minor League Baseball team. The team started playing in 1978. Conway threw out the first pitch at their very first home game. He also often hosted celebrity softball games to raise money for charity.
Twitty City
Conway Twitty lived for many years in Hendersonville, Tennessee, near Nashville. There, he built a huge country music entertainment complex called Twitty City. It cost over $3.5 million to build. Twitty City opened in 1982 and was a popular place for tourists to visit throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. It closed in 1994 and was later bought by the Trinity Broadcasting Network.
Personal Life
Conway Twitty was married four times to three different women. His first marriage was to Ellen Matthews, and they had a son named Michael. His second and longest marriage was to Temple "Mickey" Medley. They were married in 1956 and had three children: Kathy, Joni Lee, and Jimmy. They divorced in 1970 but remarried later that year. They divorced again in 1984. In 1987, Conway married Delores "Dee" Henry, who was his secretary. She was with him until he passed away.
For many years, Conway Twitty lived in Oklahoma City and Norman, Oklahoma. He even opened one of his "Twitty Burger" restaurants there.
In 1981, Conway had an accident where he fell and hit his head while getting off his tour bus. Some people close to him felt his personality changed a bit after this accident.
Death and Legacy
On June 4, 1993, Conway Twitty became ill while performing in Branson, Missouri. He collapsed after his show and was taken to the hospital. He had surgery but sadly passed away early the next morning, on June 5, 1993, at the age of 59. His last album, Final Touches, was released two months later.
Conway Twitty was buried in Gallatin, Tennessee, under his birth name, Harold L. Jenkins.
After his death, there were some legal issues regarding his estate and family members. The court found that Conway often made promises without writing them down, which led to some disagreements.
Music After His Death
Conway Twitty's son Michael and grandson Tre have continued his musical legacy. In 2004, Conway appeared on the country charts again in a duet with Anita Cochran called "(I Want to Hear) A Cheating Song." This was made possible by using parts of Conway's voice from old recordings and interviews. His voice was put together digitally with new music and Anita's singing. This is similar to how other artists have created duets with singers who have passed away.
Today, you can find collections of Conway Twitty's music, including his early rock-and-roll songs.
Awards and Honors
Academy of Country Music
- 1971 Top Vocal Duo, with Loretta Lynn
- 1974 Top Vocal Duo, with Loretta Lynn
- 1975 Album of the Year, Feelins', with Loretta Lynn
- 1975 Top Male Vocalist
- 1975 Top Vocal Duo, with Loretta Lynn
- 1976 Top Vocal Duo, with Loretta Lynn
- 2008 Pioneer Award
- 1972 Vocal Duo of the Year, with Loretta Lynn
- 1973 Vocal Duo of the Year, with Loretta Lynn
- 1974 Vocal Duo of the Year, with Loretta Lynn
- 1975 Vocal Duo of the Year, with Loretta Lynn
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Delta Music Museum Hall of Fame
- Honored after his death
- 1971 Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, "After the Fire Is Gone", with Loretta Lynn
- 1999 Hall of Fame Award, "Hello Darlin'"
Rockabilly Hall of Fame
- Honored after his death
Covers of His Songs
Conway Twitty recorded his own versions of many popular songs, like "Slow Hand" (a hit for the Pointer Sisters) and "The Rose" (a hit for Bette Midler).
Many other artists have also sung Conway Twitty's songs. For example, George Jones covered "Hello Darlin'," and Blake Shelton sang "Goodbye Time." Elvis Presley also recorded a version of "There's a Honky Tonk Angel (Who'll Take Me Back In)".
Some artists even had hits with songs that Conway Twitty recorded but never released as singles. These include "I Wish You Could Have Turned My Head (And Left My Heart Alone)" by the Oak Ridge Boys and "I'm Already Taken" by Steve Wariner.
Images for kids
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1974 promotional photo
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Twitty throwing out the first pitch at the first Nashville Sounds game on April 26, 1978
See also
In Spanish: Conway Twitty para niños
