Crazy In Love With Conway

In 10 days my parents will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. One of their favorite stories from early in their marriage was mom coming out of the bathroom one night to see Loretta on some random TV show. She yelled out, "Loretta Lynn!" Dad, asleep in his chair as usual, went running for the front door. When mom asked where he was going, he replied, "to let her in!" Needless to say, they both became so hysterical they never did see Loretta's TV appearance! Loretta was always their favorite. Then I came along and it was Conway who captured my heart, but of course they were a package deal. If you loved one, you loved the other. I was born by emergency c-section. While mom was recovering in the hospital her neighbor gave her a paperback copy of the Coal Miner's Daughter book, which I now have in my collection. The first time my parents left me with a babysitter was to see the movie in the theater. In 1986 I saw Loretta at our local fair. I was only 9 an...

After leaving Elvis Presley's band, pianist Floyd Cramer found work in Nashville as a studio musician. He appeared on many of the records that produced "The Nashville Sound," and eventually stepped out of the shadows as a solo performer, recording a number of instrumental singles and albums. 1960's  Last Date became the most popular, named because of its melancholy nature. Conway was performing in Canada when he heard Last Date for the first time, and within a few weeks he had written his own lyrics for it. With no country music connections at the time, he tucked it away in a box with other country songs he had written. Legendary songwriter Boudleaux Bryant also composed lyrics to the melody, resulting in My Last Date (With You) , which went on to become a big hit for Skeeter Davis.  Conway probably believed his version of the song would never see the light of day, but as luck would have it Floyd Cramer played the piano at Conway's next rock & roll session i...

A couple years ago someone in a Conway Facebook group posted a picture of a concert poster that was going up for sale at auction. As I've been known to do on more than one occasion when it comes to Conway, I went into full detective mode. In the photo I could just barely make out the name of the auction house, and a Google search told me it was in Pennsylvania. It was a silent auction held the first Saturday of each month, with bidders writing down their bid on a tag placed at each item. I called and was told that proxy bids could be placed by anyone who couldn't be present the day of the auction, but items had to be picked up in person. They don't ship anything. In the HUGE state of Pennsylvania, what are the chances I would know someone who lives nearby? I could only think of one person I know in the state *period*, a fellow Conway collector in fact, and as luck would have it he told me he drives past this particular town frequently on the weekends. I placed my bid by pho...

The Clown is one of two songs (the other being The Rose ) that made me sit up and take notice of Conway as a little girl in the mid '80s. I guess you could say he held my attention.  The Clown was written by Charlie Chalmers, Sandra Rhodes, Brenda Barnett & Wayne Carson (who also wrote I See The Want To In Your Eyes ) on the banks of a river in Arkansas in the middle of the night. After cutting a demo they realized the song was a perfect fit for Conway. When it arrived at his Twitty City office Conway loved the song, but he also loved the songwriters' voices on the demo, and in typical Conway fashion wanted to help them land a recording contract. When he contacted them they explained that the song was written for him, and the biggest way he could help them out would be to record it. He did just that, and even released it as the lead single from his first album for Elektra Records, Southern Comfort .  Recorded at Nashville’s Sound Stage Studios in late September 1981...

Conway LOVED Christmas. After Twitty City opened in 1982, it became known for the magical fantasy world he created at Christmastime. "Christmas at Twitty City" featured over a quarter million lights and 40 major displays including a live nativity, petting zoo, and Santa's Workshop.  He waited until well into his career to release the obligatory Christmas album, 1983's  Merry Twismas from Conway Twitty & His Little Friends , but instead of simply recording 10 holiday songs he produced an elaborate, one-of-a-kind storybook album for children of all ages, one that is still treasured in millions of homes around the world. It tells the tale of Conway and his beloved mascot the Twitty Bird as they visit Santa in Toyland Towne. It's a project that was years in the making, based on the stories and songs Conway made up for his kids as they were growing up. How many of these facts about the Merry Twismas album did you know? 1) At the time it was the most expensive Chri...

Ten Conway albums have been digitally reissued by Universal Music Group over the past week, all MCA titles from 1975-1987.  With the exception of Borderline , which was released on CD in 1987, and Mr. T , which was repackaged by MCA Special Products as Red Neckin' Love Makin' Night , the other 8 titles have been out of circulation since their original release on vinyl and cassette. The High Priest of Country Music  is a favorite of many because it includes the worldwide smash  Don't Cry Joni , and Cross Winds , seen as a remarkable turning point in Conway's career, features 3 #1 singles, Don't Take It Away , I May Never Get To Heaven , and Happy Birthday Darlin' .  Now and Then is notable in that it includes re-recordings of five of his biggest rock singles from the late '50s, and  Heart & Soul is proof of why Conway is called the King of Country Soul. UMG and Conway's estate are reissuing 10 albums per year until his entire discography is restored ...

Earlier this month I had the opportunity to purchase some items from the collection of a fan that recently passed away. It seems like this is happening more and more often as his "first generation" fans are leaving us. It's sad but I'm also so happy to see loved ones selling these collectibles as opposed to just throwing them away. It's a way for those of us too young to have witnessed much of his career firsthand to live vicariously though another fan's treasures.  This particular seller had some big ticket items that aren't really what I'm focused on right now and many smaller items that I already have, but this is what I ended up adding to my collection... Clock Twitty City Postcard   Sewing Kit   Fan Club Party Pass Summer 1993 Jim Stafford Theatre Brochure - Just last month I wrote about how the site of Conway's last concert is soon to be demolished. This particular pamphlet would've been printed shortly after the fire at Gilley's tha...

Legend has it that one of Conway's most famous nicknames, The High Priest of Country Music, was bestowed upon him by comedian Jerry Clower because of the way Conway's female fans worshiped him with an almost religious fervor. (Here's a shocker...we still do!) I have a little different take on the nickname. While the outlaws of country music were (and still are) glorified thanks to their exploits involving drinking, drugs, and prison, Conway always appeared and conducted himself impeccably, the epitome of a southern gentleman. He oozed class and sophistication. To me, that's what makes him The High Priest of Country Music. Regardless of how the nickname originated, in the summer of 1975 The High Priest of Country Music became the title of an album. Its cover featured Conway in his trademark stance with spotlights all around him. The High Priest, indeed... Touch the Hand Short On Love Too Long Amanda Before the Next Teardrop Falls  I Sure Hate To See Me Go Don't Cry ...

Last week I read the sad news that the Jim Stafford Theatre in Branson, site of Conway's final concert on June 4, 1993, is scheduled to be demolished following an auction of its contents today .  A trip to Branson has always been on my bucket list, and this important Conway destination would've been at the top of the list of places I would want to visit, but now that will never happen. The story of how Conway ended up performing at the Stafford Theatre in his final weeks is rather interesting. Ready to cut back on the amount of time he spent out on the road, he had signed on to play 180 shows in 90 days from late April to early December in 1993 at (Mickey) Gilley's Theatre in Branson. In the early morning hours of May 10th an electrical short in a neon sign outside the building created a spark and the theater was destroyed, as were Conway's instruments and equipment which were on stage at the time.  Conway was booked for 80 more days at Gilley's through the rest of ...

Last month I picked up a free local newspaper at the grocery store, and my eyes were drawn to a story about a lady who lives 15 minutes away from me that makes soft felt dolls of TV and movie characters . As I read the article I couldn't help but wonder if she might be able to make a Conway doll, and when I saw that Tyler Mahan Coe (of country music podcast Cocaine & Rhinestones fame) asked her to make a doll of him, I knew country music stars just might be on her radar too. I visited the shop's Facebook page to see more of her creations, and lo and behold, she had already made a Conway doll over the summer! I messaged her that very night to ask if she could make another, placed my order, and 3 weeks later a Conway plushy was in my hands.  I knew he would be adorable, but he was even more adorable than I imagined. I think I said "OMG!" out loud 50 times after opening the package. He's incredibly well made, and I especially love the CT necklace stitched right i...

Little Rock's Best Park parking lot needed a creative solution to cover up the oddly shaped eyesores which were once vents for an underground parking deck. This summer they commissioned artist  @elenizzle  to paint street art on them featuring eight beloved Arkansas musicians including Johnny Cash, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Al Green, and most importantly, Conway! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Niz (@elenizzle) If you're in the Little Rock area off 7th Street between Louisiana and Center I would love to know how it looks in person!

Conway had millions of male fans, but it's pretty obvious that he had a special magic with the ladies. He often stated that he chose songs with women in mind - ones that said things women wanted to hear but men had a hard time saying. That philosophy temporarily went out the window with the recording of Tight Fittin' Jeans , the first single off Conway's Mr. T album. "Every once in a while, you've got to do something for the guys," he said.  Sure enough, men loved the toe-tapping song, but women did too. It became a nationwide phenomenon over the summer of 1981, inspiring "tight fittin' jeans" contests across the country as it climbed the charts, landing at #1 on both Billboard and Cashbox in late September. It remained a perennial concert favorite and is consistently one of the top 10 most downloaded/streamed Conway songs on the various digital music services. Cashbox, 9/19/81 Billboard, 9/26/81 A few interesting bits of trivia... 1) Conway...

Conway performed at the Vermont State Fair in Rutland, Vermont for the first and only time on September 5, 1986. He was scheduled to return exactly 7 years later on September 5, 1993 - the concert I planned to attend - but it wasn't meant to be.  His appearance 35 years ago this week made headlines not only for another stellar, sold out performance, but also for the way he went above and beyond for a fan. Rutland resident Gladys Bride was a lifelong fan of Conway's and desperately wanted to attend her idol's show, but she was paralyzed from the waist down and her family didn't know how they could possibly make her dream come true. Her daughter Judy decided to contact Ed Congdon, a local farmer who worked for the Regional Ambulance Service as a paramedic and manned the first aid station at the fairgrounds. Judy asked if it would be possible to have her mother transported to the fair in an ambulance and then put her in a wheelchair for the concert. Ed discussed it with fa...

Exciting news this week as word comes that Conway has received four more RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) gold certifications over the past couple months. The honors go to: GOLD Album - Conway Twitty: The Final Recordings of His Greatest Hits Vol. 1 (Curb Records 1993 reissue of 1982's Conway's #1 Classics Vol. 1. This is his first album to reach certification since 1994, and also the first certification of any recording from his Warner Brothers years.) GOLD Single - I'd Love to Lay You Down (500,000 digital downloads) GOLD Single - Tight Fittin' Jeans (500,000 digital downloads) GOLD Single - That's My Job (500,000 digital downloads) These recent certifications join the following, putting Conway at the 8 million mark with RIAA: GOLD Single - Hello Darlin' (500,000 mastertone/ringtone downloads, certified in 2010) GOLD Album - The Very Best of Conway Twitty (1989 Heartland Music, certified in 1994) PLATINUM Album - The Very Best of Conway Twitty...

Over the July 4th weekend I experienced a Conway collector's dream come true, and I still have to pinch myself to believe it really happened. It all started on Saturday afternoon when I saw a post on Facebook from someone in Hendersonville, TN, selling one of the elusive replica "CT" necklaces that was sold at Twitty City. The price was rather high so I messaged the seller to ask if they were accepting offers. The lady politely declined, explaining the necklace was part of an estate sale in the coming week, but if anything was left over following the sale they might consider an offer. She also said they had many more souvenir items.  I started browsing through her timeline and found a post all about the estate sale she was overseeing, and sure enough, there was a big table full of Conway collectibles! Everything already had price tags attached so I messaged her again and asked if it would be possible to have more pictures sent to me so I could pick some things out, and sh...

On November 9th, 10th, and 11th of 1970, country music history was made when Conway & Loretta held their first recording session as a duet at Bradley's Barn. These sessions resulted in the 11 songs that would make up their first album,  We Only Make Believe ,  Lead Me On , the title song and only single from their second album, and lastly a song that some fans may not be aware of,  Four Glass Walls . Four Glass Walls  was written by Sharon Higgins, one of the many women who moved to Music City in the 1960s to pursue a dream. She was quickly signed to an artist development deal with the Wilburn Brothers and achieved great success as a songwriter in 1969 with  Woman of the World (Leave My World Alone) , a #1 hit for Loretta Lynn, earning Higgins the BMI Citation of Achievement. In the fall of 1971 Four Glass Walls became the non-LP "B" side to Lead Me On , Conway & Loretta's second #1 single. For US fans, purchasing the 45 record was the only ...

Over the years Conway has been featured numerous times in the British rock & roll magazine  Now Dig This . He's been the subject of cover stories, in depth articles, album and box set reviews. They even reprinted the transcript of his six-hour radio special  Heartthrob: Then and Now  from 1981, which was a highlight for me until I was able to track down a copy of the entire show. (Six hours of Conway interviews = Heaven.) It's always exciting (and rare) when something "new" on Conway becomes available, so I was very pleased to learn that a "vintage interview" with him would be featured in this month's issue (#460, July 2021). It's actually a reprint of an interview that was originally published in the August/September 1970 issue of  Rockville International  magazine, and was conducted over the course of two meetings with Conway in Amsterdam and Sweden during his April 1970 European tour.  What's odd is that a mere 5 years removed from his r...

As we prepare to celebrate America's birthday this weekend, how many of these facts about the patriotic hymn  God Bless America Again  did you know? 1) Written by Bobby Bare and Boyce Hawkins, the song has been covered by countless artists from Tex Ritter to Ray Charles, but Conway and Loretta actually recorded it twice. Doyle Wilburn did the recitation part when it was initially recorded as the title track of Loretta's third gospel album. By the time the record was released in 1972 Conway & Loretta's wildly successful partnership had begun so Doyle's voice was replaced with Conway's. The album doesn't even credit him.  2) In 1976 they recorded the song again for their  United Talent  album, and it became the "B" side of their hit  The Letter . Though it didn't chart it received significant airplay due to its release during the United States Bicentennial. 3) Concert goers in the early days of Conway & Loretta's shows together (1971/72 e...

Conway's specialty was singing about matters of the heart, but a song about the father/son relationship was quite a departure for him, yet it's a subject he took on masterfully in 1987 with the release of  That's My Job , the third single from his  Borderline  album. Written by Gary Burr about his relationship with his own father,  That's My Job  is a classic country music story song starting with a young boy waking from a nightmare about his dad passing away and ending with the father's eventual death many years later. Through the song's many verses is the ongoing theme that the father is always there for his son because that's his job. That's My Job  has become one of Conway's signature songs but someone who wasn't an initial fan was his eldest son, Michael. In an interview with  Savvy Dad  Michael tells the story of Conway showing up at his door late one night (wearing his favorite Mickey Mouse pajamas) with a cassette of the song. Michael exp...

It's been 51 years since Conway's iconic Hello Darlin' topped the charts and it remains one of country music's most well known and beloved masterpieces.  On June 6, 1970, Hello Darlin' hit #1 on Billboard and stayed there for the rest of the month. It went on to become the #1 song of the entire year, setting the stage for the legendary career he would go on to achieve. DID YOU KNOW... 1) Conway wrote Hello Darlin' 10 years prior, in 1960 while he was still recording rock music. Actually, he wrote it twice. The original lyrics were in a notebook filled with hundreds of songs he had written that was in a suitcase that had been stolen from him. He had to rewrite the song from memory. (I wonder if that notebook ever surfaced, and if it did, did anyone realize what they'd found?) 2) While finishing up his 9th country album in 1969 he needed to put down one last song and pulled out Hello Darlin' . He first recorded it by singing that classic first line, but...