Conway Twitty was born Harold Lloyd Jenkins in Friars Point, Mississippi, in 1933, and took his famous stage name in 1957. He found early musical success in pop and rock ‘n’ roll before turning full-time to country in 1965. As a country artist, he found his way to the top of the Billboard chart 55 times, a record until 2006, with songs such as “Hello Darlin’” and “Slow Hand.”
Born Harold Lloyd Jenkins on September 1, 1933, in Friars Point, Mississippi, Conway Twitty was handed his first guitar at age 4. Showing early musical talent, Twitty formed his first band when he was 10. As a youth, besides playing music, Twitty excelled at baseball, and after he graduated from high school, the Philadelphia Phillies offered him a contract to play for them. The Korean War interrupted his dream, though, and he was drafted into the Army. In the mid-1950s Twitty was swept up in the furor surrounding Elvis Presley, and he moved to Memphis to pursue his musical ambitions once again. He soon landed a record contract with MGM and adopted the stage name Conway Twitty (from Conway, Arkansas, and Twitty, Texas).
Conway Twitty died at age 59 in 1993 while touring in Missouri. He was inducted posthumously into the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
