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Vote to induct Conway Twitty into the Country Music Hall of
Fame.
Fast Facts:Real Name:Harold Lloyd Jenkins Born: Sept. 1, 1933 Friar's Point, MS Died: June 5, 1993 First hit: "It's Only Make Believe" 1958 Other notable hits: "Lonely Blue Boy" (rock, 1960) "Next in Line" (1968) "To See My Angel Cry" (1969) "Hello, Darlin'" (1970) "After the Fire is Gone" (Grammy-winning duet with Loretta Lynn, 1971) "She Needs Someone to Hold Her (When She Cries)" (1972) Awards/Achievements22 CMA Award nominations |
After his discharge in 1956 Jenkins auditioned unsuccessfully for Sun Records producer Sam Phillips. Undaunted, he hooked up with an agent who suggested he find himself a snappier stage name. Jenkins dug out a map and spotted Conway, Arkansas and Twitty, Texas, and Conway Twitty was born. Though he would go on to become one of the most popular country performers of all time, it was as a pop singer that Conway first made his mark as an entertainer. In 1958 he recorded the single "It's Only Make Believe," which went on to become the biggest hit of his career. He continued to record pop ballads through the mid-960s before turning to country. During his teen heartthrob years Twitty also tried his hand at acting, appearing in three forgettable teenage B-moves in the 1950s: Sex Kittens Go to College, Platinum High School and College Confidential.
The pair was awarded a 1971 Grammy award for Best Performance by a Country Duo or Group and, that same year, the first of four consecutive Country Music Association awards for their duet work, though a fantastic accomplishment, he had plenty more in store. Twitty's work with Lynn did much to establish his credibility as a country artist and paved the way for a seemingly endless string of solo hits. Among his most popular 1970s singles were "I Can't Stop Loving You" (1972), "She Needs Someone to Hold Her (When She Cries)" (1973), "Linda on my Mind," "Touch the Hand" and "This Time I've Hurt Her More than She Loves Me" (all 1973), "The Games That Daddies Play" (1976) "Play, Guitar, Play" (1977), "Don't Take It Away" and "Happy Birthday, Darlin'" (both 1979). He also scored a Gold record award for the album You've Never Been This Far Before (1973) and for his two greatest hits collections, Volume 1 (1972) and Volume 2 (1976). Between 1968 and 1977 Twitty cut 30 successive Number One singles, a feat unmatched by any country artist to date, and enough to fill the Number Ones album he cut in 1982 two times over. He was honored with 22 Country Music Association award nominations (but the only CMA awards he won were for his duets with Lynn), and was voted a "living legend" in the 1988 Music City News Awards. He spent his entire career recording for Decca/MCA, except for a brief period in the mid-80s when he moved to Warner Bros./Elektra. He was back with MCA by 1987, though, and continued recording right up until his death. His final album, Final Touches was released posthumously in late 1993.
Among the many honors Twitty received during his lifetime was the honorary title of chief of the Chocktaw nation. The Chocktaws gave Twitty the Indian name "Hatako-Chtokchito-A-Yakni-Toloa," which means "Great Man of Country Music." |
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