Conway Twitty

Conway Twitty (born Harold Lloyd Jenkins) remains one of country music’s most decorated artists, selling more than 50 million records worldwide and defining the sound of the genre for a generation. His early releases drew little attention, but everything changed in 1958 when an Ohio radio station began playing one of his B-sides in heavy rotation. “It’s Only Make Believe” eventually reached number one on the Billboard chart and topped the charts in 21 other countries, becoming the first of an astonishing 55 number-one singles during his career. Dubbed “The High Priest of Country Music” by fellow Mississippian Jerry Clower, who remarked that Twitty’s concerts drew adoring crowds with the fervor of religious revivals, Twitty embraced the moniker as the title of an album. His signature song, “Hello Darlin’,” reached number one in 1970 and became one of the defining country songs of its era.