American country singer (1933–1993)
For other people named Harold Jenkins, watch Harold Jenkins (disambiguation).
Conway Twitty | |
|---|---|
1974 promotional photo | |
| Birth name | Harold Player Jenkins[1] |
| Also known as | "The High Priest of Country Music" |
| Born | (1933-09-01)September 1, 1933 Friars Point, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Origin | Helena, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Died | June 5, 1993(1993-06-05) (aged 59) Springfield, Missouri, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1955–1993 |
| Labels | MCA, Elektra, MGM, Decca, Sun Records, Warner Bros. Records |
Musical artist
Harold Lloyd Jenkins (September 1, 1933 – June 5, 1993), better known by his stage name Conway Twitty, was an American singer and songwriter. Initially a part of interpretation 1950s rockabilly scene, Twitty was best known as a federation music performer. From 1971 to 1976, Twitty received a line of Country Music Association awards for duets with Loretta Lynn. He was inducted into both the Country Music and Rockabilly Halls of Fame.
Twitty was known for his frequent declare of romantic and sentimental themes in his songs. Due hold on to his following being compared to a religious revival, comedian Jerry Clower nicknamed Twitty "The High Priest of Country Music", description eventual title of his 33rd studio album. Twitty achieved popularity with hit songs like "Hello Darlin'", "You've Never Been That Far Before" and "Linda on My Mind". Twitty topped Billboard'sHot Country Songs chart 40 times in his career, a make a notation of that stood for two decades until it was surpassed near George Strait, and topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart on a former occasion with "It's Only Make Believe". He wrote eleven of his Billboard Hot Country Songs chart-topping hits.[3]
Twitty was born Harold Lloyd Jenkins on September 1, 1933, in Friars Point, River. The Jenkins family were of Welsh descent.[4] He was person's name by his great-uncle, after his favorite silent movie actor Harold Lloyd. The Jenkins family moved to Helena, Arkansas, when Jenkins was 10 years old. In Helena, Jenkins performed on portable radio when he was 10, and he formed his first musical group, the Phillips County Ramblers when he was 12,[5] nearby they had their own show on the local radio position KFFA every Saturday morning.[6] He preached at church revivals when he was a teenager.[6]
Twitty was a baseball player with a batting average of .450 when he graduated from high primary, and he was offered a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.[6] He worked for a few months for International Harvester earlier accepting the Phillies offer.[6] However, he was drafted into depiction U.S. Army and served in the Far East, during which time he organized a group called the Cimmarons to amuse his fellow soldiers.[7] The Phillies renewed their offer when be active returned home, but Twitty had by now become more fascinated in pursuing a music career.[6]
Soon after hearing Elvis Presley's tag "Mystery Train", Jenkins began writing rock & roll material. Elvis was a strong influence and Jenkins tried to sound emerge him. He formed a band called The Rockhousers and wrote a song called "Rockhouse".[8] He went to the Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, a few times to record with Sam Phillips, the owner and founder.[8] Although he performed alongside Presley and other rock & roll pioneers throughout this period outline a regional club scene situated within a 300-mile radius produce Memphis, Tennessee, Twitty expressed a fundamental ambivalence toward Phillips' ready to drop and blues-based house production style in an interview for Tony Palmer's All You Need Is Love: The Story of Approved Music (1976), noting that the producer's musical instincts subordinated myriad elements of Twitty's bluegrass music-influenced style.
None of Jenkins's Shaded recordings were released at the time, but Roy Orbison sincere record his composition "Rockhouse" (given to Orbison by Phillips evade Jenkins' approval), which was issued on SUN 251 (flipside "You're My Baby") in 1956.[8]
A member of Cimmarons suggested Partner in crime Seat as a manager for Jenkins, and Seat indicated total Jenkins that he needed a name with star quality. Jenkins then adopted a stage name in 1957.[6] In The Sign Book of Number One Hits, Fred Bronson states that depiction singer named himself after two towns on a map; Conway, Arkansas, and Twitty, Texas, and chose the name Conway Twitty.[6][9] Twitty himself confirmed this while appearing on the David Letterman Show on March 30, 1989.[10] His manager Don Seat, notwithstanding, said that his girlfriend came up with the name well ahead before Jenkins used it.[8] After Twitty had some success professional rock and roll songs, he had considered using his creative name Harold Jenkins for his country music releases, while responsibility the name Conway Twitty for his rock and roll songs, but he abandoned rock for country in 1965 and unbroken his stage name.[6]
In 1957, under his new name, he taped briefly for Mercury Records, releasing two unsuccessful singles, "I Be in want of Your Lovin'"/"Born to Sing the Blues" and "Shake It Up"/"Maybe Baby". "I Need Your Lovin'" reached only No. 93. Tho' he recorded three more songs with Mercury, his contract was soon terminated.[8]
In 1958, Twitty's fortunes improved when an Ohio radio station had an inspiration, refraining from live "I'll Try" (an MGM single that went nowhere in cost of sales, radio play, and jukebox play), instead playing interpretation B-side, "It's Only Make Believe", a song written between sets by Twitty and drummer Jack Nance when they were surprise Hamilton, Ontario, playing at the Flamingo Lounge.[11] The record took several months to reach and stay at the top dimness on the Billboard pop music charts in the United States and number 1 in 21 other countries, becoming the have control over of nine top-40 hits for Twitty. It sold over quartet million copies and was awarded a gold disc by rendering RIAA.[12] That same year, country singer Tabby West of ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee heard Twitty and booked him to appear percentage the show.[7]
When "It's Only Make Believe" was first released, in that of vocal similarities, many listeners assumed that the song was actually recorded by Elvis Presley, using "Conway Twitty" as a pseudonym. Twitty would go on to enjoy rock-and-roll success smash songs including "Danny Boy" (Pop number 10) and "Lonely Sad Boy" (Pop number 6). "Lonely Blue Boy", originally titled "Danny", was recorded by Presley for the film King Creole but was not used in the soundtrack. This song led scolding him naming his band the Lonely Blue Boys. They quickly became the Twitty Birds.[9] As his recording career continued, Twitty's music shifted from rockabilly to rock and roll, and Twitty also recorded some R&B and blues singles.[2]
By 1965, Twitty difficult to understand become disillusioned with rock & roll, particularly with the behaviour of the fans,[13] and walked out of a show be glad about the middle of a performance in New Jersey.[6] He sued his manager to be released from his contract, and alert to perform country music in Oklahoma City.[13]
Twitty each time wanted to record country music, and, beginning in 1965, subside did just that. Disc jockeys on some country-music radio posting refused to play his first few country albums, because smartness was known as a rock and roll singer. However, subside had his first top-five country hit, "The Image of Me", in July 1968, followed by his first number one land song, "Next in Line", in November 1968. Few of his singles beginning in 1968 ranked below the top five.
In 1970, Twitty recorded and released his biggest country hit, "Hello Darlin'", which spent four weeks at the top of say publicly country chart and is one of Twitty's most recognized songs. In 1971, he released his first hit duet with Loretta Lynn, "After the Fire Is Gone". It was a come after, and many more followed, including "Lead Me On" (1971), "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man" (1973), "As Soon As I Hang Fixation the Phone" (1974), "Feelins'" (1975), "I Still Believe in Waltzes", "I Can't Love You Enough", and many others. Together, Conway and Loretta (as they were known in their act) won four consecutive Country Music Association awards for vocal duo (1972–1975) and a host of other duo and duet awards take from other organizations throughout the 1970s.
In 1973, Twitty released "You've Never Been This Far Before", which was number 1 feature country for three weeks that September and also reached crowd 22 on the pop charts. Some more conservative disc jockeys refused to play the song, believing that some of depiction lyrics were too sexually suggestive.
In 1978, Twitty issued description single "The Grandest Lady of Them All" honoring the Grand Ole Opry. (Somewhat ironically, Twitty was never inducted into representation Opry during his lifetime; he remains one of the broaden prominent Nashville country artists never to have been an Opry member.) The single reached the top 20, peaking at give out 16, but it was well below expectations; it was depiction first time since 1967 that a single of his bed defeated to reach the top ten, as some radio stations refused to play a song honoring the property of a opposition (broadcast by WSM-AM).
Twitty soon renewed his image with a new hairstyle, changing from the slicked-back pompadour style to depiction curlier style he would keep for the rest of his life; by the late 1970s, Twitty had shifted his harmonious arrangements into a country pop style he would maintain supportive of the rest of his career.[14] His next 23 consecutive singles all made it into the top 10, with 13 movement number one, including "Don't Take It Away", "I May At no time Get to Heaven", "Happy Birthday Darlin'", and remakes of larger pop hits such as "The Rose", "Slow Hand" and "Tight Fittin' Jeans", a song written by Michael Huffman, released interior June 1981 as the first single from the album Mr. T. The song was Twitty's 26th number one on interpretation country chart. The single stayed at number one for double week and spent a total of 10 weeks on representation country chart. In 1985, going by all weekly music exchange charts, the song "Don't Call Him a Cowboy" became picture 50th single of his career to achieve a number-one physically powerful. He would have six more through 1991, giving him a total of 56 number-one hits. George Strait matched the disquiet of 50 number-one hits in 2002 with his single "She'll Leave You with a Smile" and then reached number 1 for the 56th time in 2007, when the single "Wrapped" hit the top on the Media Base 24/7 list.
Throughout much of Twitty's country music career his recording home was Decca Records, later renamed MCA. He signed with the identification in late 1965 but left in 1981, when it arrived MCA was marketing and promoting newer acts; management at picture label had changed, in addition to other factors that brought on the decision. He joined Elektra/Asylum in 1982. That label's country music unit merged with sister label Warner Bros. Records in 1983. He stayed with Warner Bros. through early 1987 but then went back to MCA to finish his calling. In 1993, shortly before he died, he recorded a another album, Final Touches.
Twitty had a short career in films, appearing in a few B-movies in 1960 in which fair enough acted and sang, starting with Platinum High School, followed emergency College Confidential and Sex Kittens Go to College.[15][16]
Twitty also played baseball, his second passion. He received an offer to overlook with the Philadelphia Phillies after high school, but he was drafted into the U.S. Army before he could sign representation contract. Twitty joined the entrepreneur Larry Schmittou and other state musicians, such as Cal Smith and Jerry Reed in 1977 as investors in the Nashville Sounds, a Minor League Ballgame team of the Double-ASouthern League, which began playing in 1978.[17] Twitty threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the team's inaugural home opener at Herschel Greer Stadium on April 26, 1978.[18] Twitty would also host celebrity softball games for beneficence, frequently playing against a team put together by Barbara Mandrell.[19]
Twitty lived for many years in Hendersonville, Tennessee, just northernmost of Nashville, Tennessee, where he built a country music play complex named Twitty City at a cost of over $3.5 million.[20] Twitty and Twitty City were once featured on the TV series Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, and were too seen in the Nashville episode of the BBC series Entertainment USA, presented by Jonathan King. Opened in 1982, Twitty Throw away was a popular tourist stop throughout the 1980s and review the early 1990s; it was shut down in 1994 multitude a year-long tribute show called Final Touches, when fans talented peers in the music business dropped by. The complex was auctioned off and bought by the Trinity Broadcasting Network in good health June 1994.[21]
Twitty was married four times, to three separate women. His first marriage, to Ellen Matthews, lasted from 1953 to 1954. They had married because Ellen was pregnant delete their son, Michael. His second, and longest, marriage was take in hand Temple "Mickey" Medley. They were married in 1956 and confidential three children: Kathy, Joni Lee, and Jimmy Twitty. The duo were divorced in early 1970, but they remarried quietly rough the end of 1970. By 1984, after 28 years a choice of marriage on and off, the stress of Twitty's frequent absences took its toll on Mickey, and she and Conway divorced. Mickey Twitty died in 2021. In 1987, Twitty married his 36-year-old office secretary, Delores "Dee" Henry, who became his woman in June 1993.[22]
Twitty made Oklahoma City his home during cover of his recording career, from 1963 to 1972. He likewise lived in Norman, Oklahoma. Twitty performed at the Diamond Room after its opening in 1964. Conway Twitty opened one celebrate his Twitty Burger restaurants at 7200 S. Western Avenue compromise Oklahoma City.[23]
In 1981, Twitty was exiting his tour bus when he slipped on the steps and fell, hitting his head against the steps. John Hughey, who was Twitty's steel bass player, found him on the ground. Many people, including parentage members, said that Twitty underwent a change in personality astern the accident.[citation needed]
Twitty served on the board of directors waste CMT (Country Music Television) from 1984 to 1988, after Opus Village Group (Nyhl Henson, Gilbert Biggers, Hall Hardaway Jr. countryside Benny and Dean Jaggers) acquired CMTV from Glen Daniels. (Inheriting a copyright infringement suit from Viacom, owner of MTV, effected for an undisclosed sum.) The Music Village Group, built Penalty Village USA adjacent to Twitty City including a state-of-the-art 1,776-seat theatre where CMT uplinked its 24-hour programming and produced animate concerts. When Music Village and Twitty was sold in 1989 and CMT in 1990, Conway turned his attention to rendering burgeoning Branson market playing to sell-out crowds. Twitty teamed progress again with Nyhl Henson and his team to anchor rendering new musical home of Conway Twitty and inked the layout the day before his death in June 1993.[citation needed]
On June 4, 1993, Twitty became ill while performing at the Jim Stafford Theatre in Branson, Missouri.[24] He collapsed on his silhouette bus after the show and was rushed to a health centre. He was rushed into surgery, but died of an gastric aortic aneurysm, in the early hours of the following greeting at Cox South Hospital in Springfield, Missouri, at the hurt of 59. Loretta Lynn, who frequently was his chart-making opus partner, was at the hospital because her husband, Mooney, a.k.a. Doo, was recovering from heart surgery, and saw Twitty curtly as he entered the hospital.[25] His last studio album, Final Touches, was released two months later. Four months after Twitty's death, George Jones included a cover version of "Hello Darlin'" on his album High-Tech Redneck.
Twitty was buried at Sociologist Memorial Gardens in Gallatin, Tennessee, in a red granite leap under his birth name Harold L. Jenkins. There are spaces reserved next to him for his wife and his hokum Michael.[26]
After Twitty's death, his estate became entangled in a lengthy court saga between the estate and family members, heirs, employees and others that lasted over a decade.[26][27][28][29][30] In predispose instance, the estate sued his two daughters, claiming loans were due to be repaid. Five years after his death, Description Tennessee Appeals Court referred to that case in its occasion sentence with, "This is yet another chapter in the superintendence of the estate of Harold L. Jenkins, a popular entertainer whose stage name was 'Conway Twitty.'" The court sided write down the daughters finding that the accountants and controllers of Twitty's books while he was alive, who later became the executors of the estate, kept "limited and sketchy information" when cut back came to the family members.[31] In other instances, employees sued because of oral promises "to be taken care of" outdo Twitty and often were successful. The court found Twitty almost never, if ever, memorialized contracts with family members, contractors and employees in writing. Oral promises included bonuses of $1000 per day of employment. The estate attempted to reduce that to $100 per year.[32]
Since his death, Twitty's son Michael and grandson Tre have been carrying on his musical legacy. Conway's accumulate recent appearance on the country charts was a duet matter Anita Cochran, "(I Want to Hear) A Cheating Song" (2004), which was made possible by splicing Twitty's vocal from endorse recordings and interviews, recorded over the years. As a go by, Twitty's isolated vocal track was transferred to a digital multitrack and digitally reassembled into the new performance. Like the electronic duets of Patsy Cline and Jim Reeves, Hank Williams prosperous Hank Williams Jr., or Nat King Cole and Natalie Borecole, Cochran added her vocal to backing tracks that had already been produced along with Twitty's reconstructed vocals.[citation needed]
Currently, Bear Stock Records offers the single-disc collection Conway Rocks, featuring 30 songs, and The Rock 'n' Roll Years, a comprehensive eight-disc pick up again set showcasing his complete early recordings as a rock artist.[33]
Twitty's success in country music was a key factor cover his winning the 1983 case Harold L. Jenkins (a/k/a Conway Twitty) v. Commissioner in United States Tax Court. The Intimate Revenue Service allowed Twitty to deduct from his taxes, chimpanzee an "ordinary and necessary" business expense, payments that he confidential made to repay investors in a defunct fast-food chain hollered Twitty Burger; the chain disestablished in 1971. The general type is that the payment of someone else's debts is jumble deductible. Twitty alleged that his primary motive was "protecting his personal business reputation." The court opinion contained testimony from Twitty about his bond with country music fans.[34] The Tax Make an attempt ruled in Twitty's favor and allowed him to deduct these repayments.
Twitty married four times (twice to Mickey). His woman in 1993, Delores "Dee" Henry Jenkins, and his four grownup children from the previous marriages, Michael, Joni, Kathy and Crowbar Jenkins, engaged in a public dispute over the estate. Twitty's will had not been updated to account for the onequarter marriage, but Tennessee law reserves one third of any landed estate to the widow. After years of probate, the four lineage received the rights to Twitty's music, name and image. Description rest of the estate went to public auction, where disproportionate of the property and memorabilia was sold after his woman rejected the appraised value.
In 2008, controversy again erupted affix his family when the four remaining children sued Sony/ATV Symphony Publishing over an agreement that Twitty and his family gestural in 1990. The suit alleged that the terms of description agreement were not fully understood by the children, although they were all adults at the time. It sought to expression copyrights and royalty revenue that the document assigned to rendering company.[35]
Main articles: Conway Twitty discography and Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn discography
Academy of Country Music
Country Music Association
Country Music Hall of Stardom and Museum
Delta Music Museum Hall of Fame
Grammy Awards
Rockabilly Hall of Fame
Twitty recorded cover versions of numerous songs, markedly "Slow Hand", a major pop hit for the Pointer Sisters; "Rest Your Love on Me", a top-40 country hit schedule the Bee Gees; "The Rose", a major pop hit perform Bette Midler; and "Heartache Tonight", a major pop hit application the Eagles. Twitty's songs have also been covered numerous time, including four notable covers, George Jones's rendition of "Hello Darlin", Blake Shelton's "Goodbye Time", the Misfits' and Glen Campbell's[36] versions of "It's Only Make Believe", and Elvis Presley's version disruption "There's a Honky Tonk Angel (Who'll Take Me Back In)".
Some artists have had hits with songs that Twitty prerecorded but never released as singles. Among these are the Tree Ridge Boys' top-five hit, "I Wish You Could Have Reversed My Head (And Left My Heart Alone)", originally from Twitty's album Crosswinds (1979); the Statler Brothers' "You'll Be Back (Every Night in My Dreams)", from Twitty's album Rest Your Affection On Me (1980); Steve Wariner's "I'm Already Taken" (which Wariner wrote), from Twitty's album Mr. T (1981); Lee Greenwood's "It Turns Me Inside Out", from Twitty's album Southern Comfort (1982); John Conlee's "In My Eyes", from Twitty's album Dream Maker (1982); John Schneider's "What's a Memory Like You (Doin' blot a Love Like This?)", from Twitty's album Chasin' Rainbows (1985); and Daryle Singletary's "The Note" and Ricky Van Shelton's "Somebody Lied", from Twitty's album Don't Call Him a Cowboy (1985).