Harold Lloyd Jenkins (September 1, 1933 – June 5, 1993), known professionally as Conway Twitty, was an American singer and songwriter. He began his career in the 1950s as a rockabilly performer and later became primarily known for his work in country music. From 1971 to 1976, Twitty received several Country Music Association awards for his duets with Loretta Lynn. He was inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. Twitty achieved success with songs such as "Hello Darlin'", "You've Never Been This Far Before", and "Linda on My Mind", and he held the record for the most number-one hits on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart for two decades until George Strait surpassed it. He also reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with "It's Only Make Believe", a song he co-wrote. Twitty was born Harold Lloyd Jenkins in Friars Point, Mississippi, to a family of Welsh descent. He was named after silent film actor Harold Lloyd. The family moved to Helena, Arkansas, when he was ten, where he performed on local radio and formed his first singing group, the Phillips County Ramblers, at age twelve. Jenkins also preached at church revivals as a teenager. He attended high school in Tallulah, Louisiana, graduating from Tallulah High School. Jenkins excelled at baseball and was offered a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, which he delayed due to being drafted into the U.S. Army. During his military service in the Far East, he organised a group called the Cimmarons to entertain fellow soldiers. Upon returning, he chose to pursue music rather than professional baseball. In 1957, he adopted the stage name Conway Twitty, reportedly inspired by the towns Conway, Arkansas, and Twitty, Texas. Twitty began his recording career in rock and roll, influenced by Elvis Presley, and recorded with Sun Studios. His early recordings included the song "Rockhouse", which was recorded by Roy Orbison. Under Mercury Records, Twitty released several singles, including "I Need Your Lovin'", but initial commercial success was limited. In 1958, his B-side single "It's Only Make Believe" became a global hit, topping charts in the United States and other countries and selling over four million copies. Subsequent rock and roll hits included "Danny Boy" and "Lonely Blue Boy". By 1965, Twitty shifted focus to country music. His first country top-five hit was "The Image of Me" in 1968, followed by his first number-one country song, "Next in Line", the same year. In 1970, he released "Hello Darlin'", which spent four weeks at number one on the country chart. Twitty recorded several successful duets with Loretta Lynn, including "After the Fire Is Gone", "Lead Me On", "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man", "As Soon As I Hang Up the Phone", and "Feelins'". The duo received multiple awards throughout the 1970s for their collaborations. Twitty continued to release number-one country hits, including "You've Never Been This Far Before", "Don't Take It Away", "I May Never Get to Heaven", "Happy Birthday Darlin'", "The Rose", "Slow Hand", and "Tight Fittin' Jeans". In 1985, "Don't Call Him a Cowboy" became his 50th number-one single, and he ultimately achieved 56 number-one country hits. His recordings were primarily released through Decca Records (later MCA), with later stints at Elektra/Asylum and Warner Bros. Records before returning to MCA. His final studio album, "Final Touches", was released shortly before his death. Twitty also recorded cover versions of songs by other artists, including "Slow Hand", "Rest Your Love on Me", "The Rose", and "Heartache Tonight". His own compositions were covered by performers such as George Jones, Blake Shelton, the Misfits, Glen Campbell, and Elvis Presley. On June 4, 1993, Twitty became ill during a performance in Branson, Missouri, and collapsed on his tour bus. He died the following morning from an abdominal aortic aneurysm at Cox South Hospital in Springfield, Missouri, aged 59. His last studio album, "Final Touches", was released two months later. Twitty was buried under his birth name at Sumner Memorial Gardens in Gallatin, Tennessee, and a memorial service was attended by figures including Reba McEntire. Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conway_Twitty Studio albums Conway Twitty Sings (1959) Saturday Night with Conway Twitty (1959) Lonely Blue Boy (1960) The Rock & Roll Story (1961) The Conway Twitty Touch (1961) Portrait of a Fool (1962) R&B '63 (1963) Hit the Road! (1964) Conway Twitty Sings (1966) Look Into My Teardrops (1966) Country (1967) Here's Conway Twitty and His Lonely Blue Boys (1968) Next in Line (1968) Darling, You Know I Wouldn't Lie (1969) I Love You More Today (1969) You Can't Take the Country Out of Conway (1969) To See My Angel Cry / That's When She Started to Stop Loving You (1970) Hello Darlin' (1970) Fifteen Years Ago (1970) How Much More Can She Stand (1971) I Wonder What She'll Think About Me Leaving (1971) Conway Twitty Sings the Blues (1972) I Can't See Me Without You (1972) I Can't Stop Loving You / (Lost Her Love) On Our Last Date (1972) She Needs Someone to Hold Her (When She Cries) (1973) You've Never Been This Far Before / Baby's Gone (1973) Clinging to a Saving Hand / Steal Away (1973) Honky Tonk Angel (1974) I'm Not Through Loving You Yet (1974) Linda on My Mind (1975) The High Priest of Country Music (1975) This Time I've Hurt Her More Than She Loves Me (1975) Now and Then (1976) Play Guitar Play (1977) I've Already Loved You in My Mind (1977) Georgia Keeps Pulling on My Ring (1978) Conway (1978) Cross Winds (1979) Heart & Soul (1980) Rest Your Love on Me (1980) Mr. T (1981) Southern Comfort (1982) Conway's #1 Classics, Volume One (1982) Dream Maker (1982) Conway's #1 Classics, Volume Two (1982) Lost in the Feeling (1983) Merry Twismas (1983) By Heart (1984) Don't Call Him a Cowboy (1985) Chasin' Rainbows (1985) Fallin' for You for Years (1986) Borderline (1987) Still in Your Dreams (1988) House on Old Lonesome Road (1989) Crazy in Love (1990) Even Now (1991) Final Touches (1993)