Conway Twitty was one of the most successful country music artists in history. With forty #1 songs on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, only George Strait secured more #1’s over his career. Nicknamed the “High Priest of Country Music” by country comedian Jerry Clower, Conway Twitty left a crater of an impact in country music not just with his own songs and albums, but also through his legendary duets with Loretta Lynn, which included 10 total albums, five #1 singles, and twelve total Top 10 hits all on their own.
During his era, Conway Twitty was like country music’s version of Elvis Presley, and not just from his genre-leading success. Twitty actually started in rockabilly and rock ‘n roll, wrote songs for Elvis, and had a similar look to The King with his pompadour and mutton chops. Though this made Conway’s music cool and accessible to a large audience, this always kept him at arm’s length from some country purists. And despite his incredible success, Conway’s only CMA Awards came through his collaborations with Loretta Lynn.
Twitty was also a gifted songwriter, penning eleven of his #1 hits. Scores of other performers recorded Conway Twitty songs as well. Conway’s contributions to country music were massive, but you don’t always hear his name considered when people rattle off their Mount Rushmore of artists in the genre. There are probably a number of reasons for that.
One reason is that Conway Twitty passed away at the relatively young age of 59, denying him that Golden Era victory lap that helps secure the legacies of some artists. Another reason is that some of Conway’s biggest songs may seem a little risque to the modern ear. Songs like “I Can Tell You’ve Never Been This Far Before” and “I’ve Already Loved You In My Mind” probably couldn’t be recorded and released today, though it was Conway’s sex appeal that was also part of his popularity.
For years, large portions of Conway’s catalog were out-of-print. This made it even more difficult for country fans to remain connected to Conway, and for new listeners to take those deep dives into his music.
But perhaps the biggest reason that Conway Twitty’s legacy has somewhat disappeared is that he wasn’t the sharpest of businessmen. Despite being as big as Elvis for a spell and building his own version of Graceland called Twitty City in Hendersonville, Tennessee, it all eventually came crashing down due to an estate dispute in the wake of his passing that split up his assets.
This is the story of the rise and fall of the Conway Twitty empire.
