39 Facts About Conway Twitty

Harold Lloyd Jenkins, better known by his stage name Conway Twitty, was an American singer and songwriter.

From 1971 to 1976, Conway Twitty received a string of Country Music Association awards for duets with Loretta Lynn.

Conway Twitty was inducted into both the Country Music and Rockabilly Halls of Fame.

Conway Twitty was known for his frequent use of romantic and sentimental themes in his songs.

Conway Twitty topped Billboard Hot Country Songs chart 40 times in his career, a record that stood for two decades until it was surpassed by George Strait, and topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart once with "It's Only Make Believe".

Conway Twitty wrote eleven of his Billboard Hot Country Songs chart-topping hits.

Conway Twitty was born Harold Lloyd Jenkins on September 1,1933, in Friars Point, Mississippi.

Conway Twitty was named by his great-uncle, after his favorite silent movie actor Harold Lloyd.

Conway Twitty was drafted into the US Army and served in the Far East, during which time he organized a group called the Cimmerons to entertain his fellow soldiers.

Conway Twitty went to the Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, and worked with Sam Phillips, the owner and founder, to get the "right" sound.

Conway Twitty himself confirmed this while appearing on the David Letterman Show on March 30,1989.

In 1958, using his new stage name, Conway Twitty's fortunes improved while he was with MGM Records, and an Ohio radio station had an inspiration, refraining from playing "I'll Try", instead playing the B-side, "It's Only Make Believe", a song written between sets by Conway Twitty and drummer Jack Nance when they were in Hamilton, Ontario, playing at the Flamingo Lounge.

That same year, country singer Tabby West of ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee heard Conway Twitty and booked him to appear on the show.

Conway Twitty would go on to enjoy rock-and-roll success with songs including "Danny Boy" and "Lonely Blue Boy".

Conway Twitty always wanted to record country music, and, beginning in 1965, he did just that.

In 1970, Conway Twitty recorded and released his biggest country hit, "Hello Darlin'", which spent four weeks at the top of the country chart and is one of Conway Twitty's most recognized songs.

In 1973, Conway Twitty released "You've Never Been This Far Before", which was number 1 in country for three weeks that September and reached number 22 on the pop charts.

In 1978, Conway Twitty issued the single "The Grandest Lady of Them All" honoring the Grand Ole Opry.

Conway Twitty soon renewed his image with a new hairstyle, changing from the slicked-back pompadour style to the curlier style he would keep for the rest of his life; by the late 1970s, Conway Twitty had shifted his musical arrangements into a country pop style he would maintain for the rest of his career.

Conway Twitty would have five more through 1990, giving him a total of 55 number-one hits.

Conway Twitty signed with the label in late 1965 but left in 1981, when it appeared MCA was marketing and promoting newer acts; management at the label had changed, in addition to other factors that brought on the decision.

Conway Twitty received an offer to play with the Philadelphia Phillies after high school, but he was drafted into the US Army before he could sign the contract.

Conway Twitty joined the entrepreneur Larry Schmittou and other country musicians, such as Cal Smith and Jerry Reed in 1977 as investors in the Nashville Sounds, a Minor League Baseball team of the Double-A Southern League, which began playing in 1978.

Conway Twitty threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the team's inaugural home opener at Herschel Greer Stadium on April 26,1978.

In 1987, Conway Twitty married his 36-year-old office secretary, Delores "Dee" Henry, who became his widow in June 1993.

Conway Twitty made Oklahoma City his home during most of his recording career, from 1963 to 1972.

Conway Twitty performed at the Diamond Ballroom after its opening in 1964.

Conway Twitty opened one of his Twitty Burger restaurants at 7200 S Western Avenue in Oklahoma City.

In 1981, Conway Twitty was exiting his tour bus when he slipped on the steps and fell, hitting his head against the steps.

Many people, including family members, said that Conway Twitty underwent a change in personality after the accident.

When Music Village and Twitty was sold in 1989 and CMT in 1990, Conway turned his attention to the burgeoning Branson market playing to sell-out crowds.

Twitty teamed up again with Nyhl Henson and his team to anchor the new musical home of Conway Twitty and inked the deal the day before his death in June 1993.

On June 4,1993, Conway Twitty became ill while performing at the Jim Stafford Theatre in Branson, Missouri.

Conway Twitty collapsed on his tour bus after the show and was rushed to a hospital.

Conway Twitty was rushed into surgery, but died of an abdominal aortic aneurysm, in the early hours of the following morning at Cox South Hospital in Springfield, Missouri at the age of 59.

Currently, Bear Family Records offers the single-disc collection Conway Twitty Rocks, featuring 30 songs, and The Rock 'n' Roll Years, a comprehensive eight-disc box set showcasing his complete early recordings as a rock artist.

The Internal Revenue Service allowed Conway Twitty to deduct from his taxes, as an "ordinary and necessary" business expense, payments that he had made to repay investors in a defunct fast-food chain called Conway Twitty Burger; the chain disestablished in 1971.

Conway Twitty's will had not been updated to account for the fourth marriage, but Tennessee law reserves one third of any estate to the widow.

Some artists have had hits with songs that Conway Twitty recorded but never released as singles.