Conway Twitty

At 59 years old, Conway Twitty has this physical status:

Harold Lloyd Jenkins (September 1, 1933 to June 5, 1993), better known by his stage name Conway Twitty, was an American country music performer.

He has also performed well in the rock and roll, R&B, and pop genres.

Twitty won a number of Country Music Association awards from 1971 to 1976 for duets with Loretta Lynn.

He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

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Life and career

Harold Lloyd Jenkins was born in Friars Point, northwestern Mississippi, on September 1, 1933. The Jenkins family was of Welsh descent. After his favorite silent film actor Harold Lloyd, he was named by his great-uncle. When Jenkins was ten years old, the Jenkins family moved to Helena, Arkansas. Jenkins formed the Phillips County Ramblers, his first singing group in Helena.

Jenkins appeared on every Saturday morning on his own local radio station. He also played baseball, his second favorite hobby. After high school, he was recruited into the United States Army but was denied admission to Philadelphia. He served in the Far East and formed the Cimmerons to entertain his fellow troops.

Jenkins could make it in the music business, according to Wayne Hause, a neighbor. Jenkins began writing rock and roll stuff right after hearing Elvis Presley's song "Mystery Train." He went to Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennesse, and worked with Sam Phillips, the owner and founder, to get the "right" sound.

None of Jenkins' Sun recordings were released at the time, but Roy Orbison did record his song "Rockhouse" on SUN 251 (flipside "You're My Baby") in 1956, which was released on SUN 251.

Jenkins decided that his real name was not memorable enough and that a new show business name was needed. Fred Bronson of Number One Hits says the singer was looking at a road map when he noticed Conway, Arkansas and Twitty, Texas, and picked the name Conway Twitty. In addition, he appeared under his new name in 1957 and recorded for Mercury Records for a brief period of time, releasing two unsuccessful singles.

Twitty's fortunes increased while he was with MGM Records in 1958, when an Ohio radio station took inspiration from playing "I'll Try" (an MGM single that went nowhere in terms of marketing, radio play, and jukebox play), instead playing the B-side, "I'll Believe" (a song written by Twitty and drummer Jack Nance while playing at the Flamingo Lounge in Hamilton, Ontario). The chart took nearly a year to debut and remain at number one on the Billboard pop music charts in the United States and 21 other countries, marking the first of nine top-ten hits for Twitty. It has sold more than four million copies and has been named a gold disc by the RIAA. Twitty and booked him to appear on the program in the same year as last year.

Many listeners incorrectly believed the song was actually recorded by Elvis Presley, using "Conway Twitty" as a pseudonym when "It's Only Make Believe" first appeared. With songs including "Danny Boy" (Pop number 10) and "Lonely Blue Boy," Twitty will continue to enjoy rock-and-roll fame (Pop number 6). Presley's recording of "Lonely Blue Boy," originally named "Danny," was released in King Creole, but it was not used in the film's soundtrack. This led to him naming his band the Lonely Blue Boys. They were then referred to as the Twitty Birds.

Twitty always wanted to record country music, and he did just that beginning in 1965. Disc jockeys on some country-music radio stations refused to air his first few country albums because he was known as a rock-and-roll musician. However, he had his first top-five country hit, "The Image of Me," in July 1968, followed by his first top-five country song, "Next in Line," in November 1968. Several of his singles, which began in 1968, were ranked below the top five.

Twitty recorded and released his biggest country hit, "Hello Darlin," in 1970, which remained at the top of the country chart for four weeks and is one of Twitty's most well-known songs. "After the Fire Is Gone," Loretta Lynn's first hit duet in 1971. It was a success, and many more followed, including "Lead Me On" (1971); "I Can't Love You Enough" (1975); and several others. Conway and Loretta (as they were known in their performance) and a number of other duo and duet awards from other organisations during the 1970s.

Twitty's "You've Never Been This Far Before" was the country's top-one for three weeks in September and later ranked at number 22 on the pop charts in 1973. Any more conservative disc jockeys declined to perform the song, fearing that some of the song's lyrics were too sexually suggestive.

In 1978, Twitty published "The Grand Ole Opry," honoring the Grand Ole Opry. (Ironically, Twitty was never inducted into the Opry during his lifetime, but he remains one of the most influential Nashville country artists who has never been an Opry member). The single debuted at number 20, peaking at number 20 and reporting at number 16. But it was far below expectations; it was the first time since 1967 that a single of his fans fell below the top ten, as some radio stations refused to air a song honoring the property of a competitor. (broadcast by WSM-AM).

Twitty's haircut soon boosted his image with a new hairstyle, transitioning from the slicked-back pompadour look to the more chic style he'd keep for the remainder of his life; by the late 1970s, Twitty had changed his musical preferences to a country pop style he'd enjoy for the remainder of his life. "Don't Take It Away," "I May Never Get to Heaven," "Happy Birthday Darlin," and "Tight Fittin' Jeans," Michael Huffman's first single from the album Mr. T. The album was Twitty's 26th number one on the country charts, with 13 of his first three singles making it to number one on the charts, with 13 of them reaching number one. On the country chart, the single remained at number one for one week and spent ten weeks on the top spot. According to all weekly music trade charts, the album "Don't Call Him a Cowboy") was the 50th single of his career to debut at number one. He's expected to have five more hits through 1990, totaling 56 number one hits. George Strait matched his 2002 debut "She'll Leave You With a Smile" on his single "She'll Leave You With a Smile" for his 56th appearance on the Media Base 24/7 chart, his fifth appearance on the single "Wrapped" hit number one on the Media Base 24/7 chart for the fifth time in 2007.

Decca Records, later renamed MCA, and it was a key component of Twitty's country music career. He joined the company in late 1965 but quit in 1981 when MCA was advertising and promoting newer products; the brand's leadership had changed, in addition to other factors that caused the decision. In 1982, he joined Elektra/Asylum. In 1983, Warner Bros. Records' country music group joined with another label Warner Bros. Records. He stayed with Warner Bros. until early 1987, but he went back to MCA to complete his career. Final Touches, a 1993 compilation that came right before his death, was released shortly before.

Twitty's second love, baseball, was also his passion. After high school, he was invited to join the Philadelphia Phillies, but he was later drafted into the United States Army before signing the pledge. Twitty first joined the Nashville Sounds, a Minor League Baseball team in the Southern League, in 1977, as investors. Cal Smith and Jerry Reed were among the founders. On April 26, 1978, Twitty threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the team's inaugural home opener at Herschel Greer Stadium. Twitty will also host celebrity softball games for charity, often against a team put together by Barbara Mandrell.

Twitty lived in Hendersonville, Tennessee, just north of Nashville, Tennessee, where he designed a country music entertainment center named Twitty City at a cost of over $3.5 million. Twitty and Twitty City appeared on the television show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, and Jonathan King was also seen in the BBC series Entertainment USA's Nashville episode. It was established in 1982 as a popular tourist stop throughout the 1980s and 1990s; it was closed in 1994 following a year-long tribute exhibition called Final Touches, when visitors and peers in the music industry faded by. In June 1994, the Trinity Broadcasting Network bought the complex and auctioned it off and bought it.

Twitty was married four times by three separate women. Ellen Matthews' first marriage lasted from 1953 to 1954. Ellen and Michael were married because Ellen was pregnant with their son Michael. Temple "Mickey" Medley was his second and longest marriage. They were married in 1956 and had three children: Kathy, Joni Lee, and Jimmy Twitty. Both were divorced early 1970, but by the time of 1970, the couple had remarried peacefully. Mickey's frequent absences by 1984, after 28 years of marriage on and off, took its toll, and she and Conway divorced for good. Mickey Twitty died in 2021. Twitty married Delores "Dee" Henry, his 36-year-old office secretary, who became his widow in June 1993.

During the bulk of his recording career, Twitty called Oklahoma City home. He grew up in Norman, Oklahoma. Since its inception in 1964, Twitty performed at the Diamond Ballroom. At 7200 S. Western Avenue in Oklahoma City, Conway Twitty opened one of his Twitty Burger franchises.

Twitty was getting out of his tour bus in 1981 when he slipped on the steps and collapsed, his head against the steps. John Hughey, Twitty's steel guitar player, discovered him on the ground. Twitty underwent a change in personality after the accident, according to many, including family members.

After Music Village Group (Nyhl Henson, Gilbert Biggers, Hall Hardaway Jr., and Benny and Dean Jaggers) acquired CMTV from Glen Daniels, Twitty served on the board of directors of CMT (Country Music Television). (Inheriting a copyright theft case brought by Viacom, the MTV's owner, settled for an undisclosed sum.) The Music Village Group, a music company, built Music Village USA in Twitty City, which featured a state-of-the-art 1776-seat theater, where CMT unlinked its 24-hour programming and produced live concerts. Conway, who was selling music Village and Twitty in 1989 and CMT in 1990, turned to the burgeoning Branson market, where he would sell out crowds. Twitty teamed up with Nyhl Henson and his crew to anchor Conway Twitty's new musical home the day before his death in June 1993.

When performing at the Jim Stafford Theatre in Branson, Missouri, Twitty became ill on June 4, 1993. After the performance, he collapsed on his tour bus and was rushed to a hospital. He was rushed to surgery but died of an abdominal aneurysm in the early hours of the following morning at Cox South Hospital in Springfield, Missouri, at the age of 59. Loretta Lynn, a chart making duet partner, was in the hospital while her husband Oliver was recovering from heart surgery, and Twitty was seen briefly as he entered the hospital. Final Touches, his last studio album, was released two months after. George Jones' album High-Tech Redneck contained a cover version of "Hello Darlin'" four months after Twitty's death.

Twitty was buried in a red granite vault at Sumner Memorial Gardens in Gallatin, Tennessee, under his birth name Harold L. Jenkins. There are spaces open next to him for his wife and son Michael.

Following Twitty's death, his estate became embroiled in a lengthy court battle between the estate and the family, heirs, employees, and others that lasted more than a decade. In one instance, the estate sued two of his children, arguing that the loans were due to be repaid. In its first sentence, five years after his death, the Tennessee Appeals Court referred to this case as "This is yet another chapter in the administration of Harold L. Jenkins, a well-known entertainer whose stage name was 'Conway Twitty.'" The court sided with the daughters' finding that while he was alive, the accountants and controllers of Twitty's books, who later became the Executors of the estate, had "limited and sketchy information" regarding the family members. Staff were chastised by oral promises "to be taken care of" by Twitty, who were often successful. Twitty's written agreements with family members, consultants, and employees were rarely documented, if ever, by the court. Oral promised pay raises of $1000 a year of service. The estate attempted to keep the price below $100 per year.

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