Last Friday (June 5) marked the anniversary of Conway Twitty's untimely 1993 passing.
Loretta Lynn, Twitty's fellow country legend and his duet partner from 1971- 1981, shared a Facebook post which sweetly and succinctly explained Twitty's longterm appeal as a person and a solo artist.
"I can't believe it's been 27 years today since we lost Conway," Lynn wrote. "He was one of the best men I have ever known. He loved his family and loved music! Conway was the real deal—over 40 Billboard #1 singles! You might not have known he was a heck of a baseball player too—he was offered a spot playing for the Philadelphia Phillies, but was drafted by the army first! He was like a brother to me and I couldn't have asked for a better singing partner. Doo just loved Conway and I'm so thankful we had him as a friend. 59 was way too young to go. I miss him so much. Love you, Conway!"
Lynn and Twitty cut 10 studio albums together, two with Decca and eight with MCA. All 12 singles in this time span were top 10 hits on the country charts, including consecutive No. 1's "After the Fire is Gone," "Lead Me On," Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man," "As Soon as I Hang Up the Phone" and "Feelins'." Non-singles of note include a cover of Twitty's "It's Only Make Believe" from the album We Only Make Believe, a version of Bobby Bare co-write "God Bless America Again" off United Talent and the hilarious Honky Tonk Heroes cut "You're the Reason Our Kids are Ugly."
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Beyond their individual fame as the "Coal Miner's Daughter" and the familiar voice heard in "Hello Darlin's" iconic intro, Lynn and Twitty stand the test of time as a dynamic duo with its own greatest hits.
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