He’s A Legend With A Serious Nickname
At one point in his career, Conway Twitty was as popular as Elvis Presley, and yet his name doesn’t have the same legendary status. Maybe his nickname, “The High Priest of Country Music”, doesn't quite roll off the tongue as easily as “The King of Rock and Roll”. Or it could be because of greed. When his inheritors had finished mercilessly splitting up his assets, there wasn’t much left to remember him by.
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1. He Had A Showbiz Name
It’s likely no surprise that Conway Twitty had a different name when he was born in Mississippi on September 1, 1933. But his real name, Harold Lloyd Jenkins, also had a show business connection. His great-uncle named him after silent film star Harold Lloyd.
It didn't take long for Twitty to make a name for himself.
Daniel Blum, Wikimedia Commons
2. He Had Diverse Influences
Twitty's father piloted a boat that crossed the Mississippi. He was also a musician, and four-year-old Twitty picked up what he could from his musical father. Twitty also took inspiration from the Black churches in his neighborhood. He would sit outside and enjoy the gospel music coming out of them.
Soon, he was ready to put his own music out there.
3. He Started Young
When he was 10, Conway Twitty and his family moved to Helena, Arkansas. That same year, Twitty performed on the radio, and when he was 12 years old, he started his own group of singers, called the Phillips County Ramblers. This group received an incredible offer—their own weekly radio show.
Twitty was barely a teenager, and he was already becoming famous. But there was more to Twitty than just music.
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4. He Was Multi-Talented
One other skill Twitty had was being an evangelist. While still a teenager, he preached at revivals organized by the church. He also excelled at baseball. In high school, Twitty managed to attain an incredible batting average. When news of his incredible skill got around, it wasn't long before professional baseball came knocking on his door.
5. He Had A Big Decision To Make
The Philadelphia Phillies heard about Conway Twitty, and they wanted him. As it turned out, so did the US Army. In 1950, Twitty was drafted, and he ended up in Japan. But he hadn't forgotten about music. Twitty started a singing group called the Cimmarons and kept his fellow soldiers entertained.
Eventually, he returned home, and he was in luck. The Phillies still wanted him.
6. He Made Up His Mind
Yes, Twitty was in luck, but the Phillies were not. Something had happened to Twitty while he was away. He realized that music was more important than baseball. He rejected the contract offer and decided to risk it all and become a full-time musician.
Now all he needed was inspiration.
7. He Copied A Star
When Conway Twitty heard Elvis Presley sing "Mystery Train”, he knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to sound just like Presley. He started writing his own rock and roll music and even formed his own rock and roll band. He called them The Rockhousers. Strangely, this was a few years before Presley came out with the similarly sounding “Jailhouse Rock”.
While working on his music career, Twitty was also busy in the romance department.
Unknown authorUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons
8. He Reluctantly Started A Family
At this time, Twitty’s girlfriend was Ellen Matthews. It’s not clear how serious this relationship was. See, they did marry…but not necessarily for love. Matthews was pregnant. Whether he liked it or not, at the age of 20, Twitty was already a family man. Well, he wouldn’t be for long. The couple divorced less than a year later.
Twitty could now focus exclusively on his music.
9. He Lost A Song
In 1956, Conway Twitty got the chance to record with Sam Phillips over at Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. Nothing much came of the recordings, and then Phillips pulled a fast one on Twitty. He took Twitty's song, “Rockhouse”, and handed it over to Roy Orbison without asking for permission. Orbison released it on the B-side of “You’re My Baby”.
Twitty had to try a new tactic to get famous.
Jack de Nijs for Anefo, Wikimedia Commons
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10. He Found His Name In A Strange Way
In 1957, Twitty got a manager, and he thought that Twitty needed a name change. For inspiration, Twitty looked at a map. His eyes locked onto two towns. They were Conway, Arkansas and Twitty, Texas. While some think this is just folklore, Conway would later confirm it as the truth on the David Letterman Show in 1989.
Now, let's see if this name change will change Twitty’s fate.
United Talent Inc. (management)/MCA Records, Wikimedia Commons
11. He Hit the Charts
Conway Twitty was ready to try his new name out with a couple of singles with Mercury Records. He recorded two singles with B-sides. Of the four songs, just one— ”I Need Your Lovin’” hit the charts. Sadly, it hit them in the number 93 position. Ouch. Mercury was through with Twitty.
When Twitty’s song “I’ll Try” for MGM also tanked, Twitty packed his bags and got a job on the farm.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
12. They Tried The B-Side
One Ohio radio station noticed that Twitty’s “I’ll Try” was not winning over any fans. But this station took the time to listen to what was on the flipside. The song was “It’s Only Make Believe,” and they thought it had potential. They played it, and folks in Columbus, Ohio, agreed. This song was good.
Underwood Archives, Getty Images
13. It Made Slow Progress
While Conway Twitty was toiling away in the fields, “It’s Only Make Believe” was slowly making its way across the country. The thing was, this song had been hastily thrown together by Twitty and his drummer, Jack Nance, between sets in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. No one expected it to do anything.
“It’s Only Make Believe" was slowly becoming a hit, but it may’ve been for a strange reason.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
14. He Sounded Like His Hero
Remember how Elvis Presley was an inspiration for Twitty? Well, Twitty may have taken this too far. Many listeners thought that the singer was actually Presley on “It’s Only Make Believe”. Because Twitty’s name was so odd, many just assumed that Presley was singing under an alias.
But none of that mattered. Twitty had a hit on his hands, and his life was about to change forever.
RCA Records, Wikimedia Commons
15. He Went International
It took a few months, but “It’s Only Make Believe” reached the number one spot on the Billboard chart. But it didn't stop there. It reached number one in the UK, Canada and charted in Australia and Norway. Twitty’s career was really starting now. He followed up “It’s Only Make Believe” with a string of other hits.
Soon, an offer came from a surprising place.
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16. His Name Was In Inspiration
Michael Stewart was writing a musical called Bye Bye Birdie, and the inspiration for the story was when the government drafted Elvis Presley. Stewart couldn’t name his character Elvis, so he called him “Conrad Birdie”, which was an obvious nod to Conway Twitty, who many saw as Presley’s musical rival.
But there was more than just a name connection.
17. He Slammed A Door
Conway Twitty later said that the producers of Bye Bye Birdie came to him with an offer to audition for the Broadway version of the show. All Broadway meant to Twitty was being stuck on one street for a long time. He didn’t see the sense in that and slammed the door on a career on Broadway.
Strangely, that same year, he opened a door to bad Hollywood movies.
18. He Tried Naughty
Yes, Twitty turned down a chance to act on Broadway, but he did say yes to Hollywood. In 1960, he made three low-budget films. The titles say it all. They were Platinum High School, College Confidential, and Sex Kittens Go to College. Strangely, after appearing in this trio of naughty-sounding movies, Twitty decided to go high and mighty on his fans.
Screenshot from Platinum High School, NBC (1960)
19. He Wasn’t A Fan Of The Fans
Of course, having hit songs required touring. Conway Twitty did it with his band, which he called the Twitty Birds. While on the road, Twitty didn’t take to the mentality of the normal touring musician. Twitty was not a fan of drinking, taking pills or smoking anything.
But there was something else that bothered him about his life in rock and roll.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
20. He Wanted To Diversify
Twitty noticed that rock and roll fans were fickle. They loved you one minute and forgot about you in the next. Twitty thought that maybe he could identify better with a different group of fans, so he turned to country music. His first thought was to let “Conway Twitty” do the rock and roll, and he could go back to Harold Jenkins for his country music career.
But then there was a moment that clarified everything for Twitty.
21. He Stormed Off
Conway Twitty was performing a rock and roll show in New Jersey when he had something of an epiphany. The behavior of the fans was annoying him. He couldn't wait another minute. He walked off the stage and vowed never to play rock and roll again. Of course, waking off the stage was just the first step.
If Twitty thought moving over to country music would be easy, he was wrong.
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22. They Didn’t Want Him
Disc jockeys around the country had one opinion about Twitty. He was a rock and roll artist. In an effort to keep their playlists purely country, they flat out refused to play Twitty’s country songs. But Twitty had gaind experience being patient. He just had to keep on trying.
23. He Waited Them Out
The song that finally made Conway Twitty a country music star was “Next in Line”. This was his first single to reach the number one spot on the country charts. Twitty would go on to achieve a remarkable 54 times in the number one spot. But he didn’t do it totally alone.
24. He Found A Partner
In 1970, Twitty released his most popular country song, “Hello Darlin’,” which also happens to be the song most audiences recognize him for. The next year, he teamed up with country superstar Loretta Lynn, and the two won awards for their vocal duo that they unimaginatively called Conway and Loretta.
It’s possible that hanging out with Loretta gave Twitty some unsavory ideas.
Les Leverett, Wikimedia Commons
25. He Got Hot And Heavy
Twitty had left the world of rock and roll because the fans were a little too wild for him. But then he went and released “You’ve Never Been This Far Before”. The lyrics are about a man faced with a woman who’s not sure if she wants to go all the way with him. Some radio stations balked at the suggestive lyrics and refused to play it.
This was mistake number one.
26. He Praised The Competition
In 1978, Conway Twitty made his second musical mistake. He wrote and released a song that heaped honors on the radio show The Grand Ole Opry. It looks like Twitty didn’t think this one through. Radio stations refused to play the song because Twitty was literally singing the praises of their number one competitor. "The Grandest Lady of Them All" was Twitty’s first country song to underperform.
Twitty had some damage control to do.
27. He Got A Makeover
Twitty’s idea for a career makeover was something very simple. He changed his hairstyle. He’d always worn his hair in a pompadour style like Elvis, and for his new style, he had to make a trip to the salon. He soon hit the stage with curly hair. It was a style that would remain with him for the rest of his life.
Twitty had to hope that this style would help his slumping career.
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28. He Was The Other Mr T
With his hair in curls, Twitty was back on the road to huge success. Out of his following 23 singles, all of them reached a point somewhere in the top 10. In June 1981, Twitty released an album he called Mr T. That same year, a rising star, also named Mr T, was competing for America’s Best Bouncer on TV’s Games People Play.
Twitty was running the risk of confusing his fans.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
29. There Was No Confusion
No one would likely confuse Conway Twitty and actor Mr T. On his album cover, Twitty sports his new curly hair-do and is teeing up for a game of golf. Unlike the real Mr T, he’s not wearing even a single gold necklace. Anyway, I pity the fool who tried to take away any of Mr T’s fame.
One year after Twitty’s album, the real Mr T would soar to fame when he met Rocky Balboa in the ring in Rocky III.
Twitty didn’t waste any time sticking to Mr T. He soon got a new name.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
30. He Got A Nickname
Twitty’s performances brought out a strong reaction from his fans. Some thought that their response was something close to religious. Comedian Jerry Clower—whose own nickname was “The Mouth of Mississippi”—came up with a nickname for Twitty. He called him “The High Priest of Country Music”. Twitty took this nickname seriously and used it for the title of his 1975 album.
Next, Twitty would see if his strong fan base would follow him to the restaurant business.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
31. He Opened A Restaurant
Back in 1968, an always restless Twitty was looking for a business outside of the music world. That's when he came up with the idea for Twitty Burger. He borrowed money from country music friends like Sonny West and Merle Haggard and tried to come up with something that would make his burger stand out from the countless other hamburgers out there.
What he came up with was “out there”.
Country Music Association, Wikimedia Commons
32. The Stars Came Out For His Opening
What made the Twitty Burger stand out was a pineapple slice, rolled in graham cracker crumbs that sat on top of the patty. With his signature burger ready to go, Twitty opened his first restaurant, and it was in Oklahoma City. Celebrities like Dolly Parton showed up and performed for the opening.
The future for Twitty Burger looked bright.
Curtis Hilbun, Wikimedia Commons
33. It Didn’t Last
What Conway Twitty quickly found out was that burger eaters, like rock and roll fans, were fickle. Twitty never got a chance to open a second restaurant, and worse still, the first one closed after less than three years. People had grown tired of his wacky take on America’s favorite food.
Oh well, it was a lesson learned. But this wasn’t over yet.
UALRIGHTFRED, Wikimedia Commons
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34. He Did Something Wrong
Once Twitty Burger closed its doors for the last day, Twitty realized he had to pay back all the people who had loaned him money. He started to send out the checks, and he also dutifully deducted these payments from his income tax. That’s when the IRS had a problem.
They said you couldn’t do that—and took Twitty to tax court.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
35. The Took Him To Court
In his defense against the IRS, Twitty said that first and foremost, he wanted to preserve his reputation with his fans. He also went on to talk about how strong his bond was with his loyal fan base. He’d had his day in court and now had to wait for the verdict.
When the judge came back, his verdict was unusual. Probably the strangest in court history.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
36. It Was A Musical Court
The court sided with Conway Twitty, and to further show the music star their support, they provided their ruling in song. One of the five verses goes like this: “When it was time to file taxes, Conway thought what he would do, was deduct those payments as business expense, under section one-sixty-two”. The IRS declined its right to appeal. They also did it in song.
This taxing experience didn't turn Twitty off from doing business. He turned around and tried again.
37. He Never Forgot His Second Love
Twitty never forgot his love of baseball, and that he almost had a career in it. In 1977, he and a few other investors put their money together to form the Nashville Sounds. This was a Minor League Baseball team that started playing in 1978. Twitty himself threw out the first pitch.
Twitty’s next pitch would be for yet another business opportunity.
38. He Built A City
Before there was Dolly Parton’s theme park “Dollywood”, Twitty had an idea to build “Twitty City”. He bought land in Tennessee and constructed houses for himself and his family, and built a country music entertainment complex. Twitty City cost $ 3.5 million and stayed open for the remainder of Twitty’s life.
Twitty City was a success, but his marriage was falling apart.
39. He Chased The Music
By 1984, Twitty’s second marriage was on the rocks. His wife, Temple Medley later said that the problem wasn’t her love for Twitty. That part was easy. It was the man that his high-profile career made him into that she found hard to love. She felt tired of just being the wife of the famous Conway Twitty. He didn’t spend time chasing skirts; it was the music chasing that ended their marriage.
The two divorced in 1984, and Medley never remarried. But Twitty still wasn’t through with love.
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40. He Tried It Again
In 1987, Twitty walked down the aisle one last time. He was now a man in his mid-50s, and his bride was his 36-year-old secretary, Delores “Dee” Henry. This would be Twitty's final marriage. Sadly, it was this final marriage that would become a major headache when it came time to split Twitty’s fortune.
And that time was coming soon.
41. He Collapsed
In 1993, Conway Twitty performed in Branson, Missouri. After the show, he got on his tour bus. It seemed like any other day—and then it wasn’t. Suddenly, Twitty collapsed. His stunned crew and fellow musicians drove him directly to the closest hospital, which was in Springfield, Missouri.
And then a bizarre coincidence occurred.
MCA Records, Wikimedia Commons
42. He Saw An Old Friend
When Twitty arrived at the hospital, there was a very familiar face waiting for him. As it turned out, his friend and occasional singing partner, Loretta Lynn, was at the same hospital visiting her husband, who was also at risk of passing. Lynn and everyone else there had little time to talk, as the doctors rushed Twitty into surgery.
It was not looking good.
MCA Records, Wikimedia Commons
43. He Passed In The Night
The surgery on Conway Twitty was unsuccessful, and he passed in the middle of the night on June 4, 1993. The cause was an abdominal aortic aneurysm, which means that the aorta in the stomach had grown too large. Sadly, sufferers feel almost no symptoms, so he had no idea there was a problem. Twitty was only 59 years old.
There was going to be a cry fest.
44. They Said Goodbye
There were two services to say goodbye to Twitty. One was small for a family only. The other was in a packed 2,200-seat church in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Of course, there were celebrities like Reba McEntire there, and family, fans and the press. The event was full of music, tears, and even some laughter. It really was a celebration of a life lived fully.
Sadly, things went downhill from there.
45. They Had To Work Out The Will
After a period of mourning, there was a will to consider. Conway Twitty was worth $15 million, and there was also Twitty City, Twitty’s music rights, and his possessions. Lawyers were working on sorting out things between his children, his employees and some unwritten promises that Twitty had made. And then someone realized there was his current widow to consider. Twitty had not changed his will after marrying Delores Henry.
But there was a law that had her back.
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46. She Got Her Share
Even though Twitty had not provided for his final wife in his will, she was still entitled to some money. The law stated that she would get one-third of his estate. This led Twitty’s children to launch a lawsuit. This was not going to get a resolution anytime soon.
47. They Saw Her As An Enemy
The battle for Twitty’s assets had its share of days in court. Henry seemed to be winning most of them, but she was losing in the popularity game. It was she who kept suggesting selling off everything and splitting it up. All Henry seemed to want was an end to the squabbling. But what ended up happening was devastating.
Fairfax Media Archives, Getty Images
48. They Sold Everything
The battle concerning Twitty’s will went on for 15 long years. In the end, they decided to liquidate all of Twitty's assets and split them. Of course, this included Twitty City, where several members of Twitty’s family lived and worked. When it all went up for auction, Twitty’s second wife saw that they even sold her love letters.
It was a sad day for Twitty’s loved ones—and a sadder one for Twitty’s legacy.
49. He Got Forgotten
Some believe that it was this liquidation of his assets and musical legacy that has stopped Twitty from becoming more of a legend in people’s eyes. Remember, he was as hot as Elvis Presley at one point in his career. And yet he doesn’t have the same afterlife as the King of Rock and Roll.
50. He Was Beloved
During the height of their collaboration, the content of the songs that Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn sang together sparked rumors among fans that they were having an affair—but years later, Lynn revealed the truth. “Everybody thought me and Conway had a thing going. And that's the farthest from the truth. I loved Conway as a friend, and my husband loved him”.
And as the country legend said after Twitty’s death: "Conway's one of the greatest singers that I ever heard. I haven't heard anybody sing like Conway Twitty since he's been gone. A lot of people's tried to, but nobody ever gets it just right”.
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Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
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