Hello Darlin'



Rockin' some seriously bad bangs in front of Conway Twitty's
house dubbed "Twitty City" in Hendersonville, TN.
Take time to note the Tweety Bird on my shirt. Oh yeah,
I thought I was awesome.

"Hello darlin' nice to see ya
it's been a long time
you're just as lovely as you used to be."

-Conway Twitty

-"Hello Darlin" (1970)

It's no secret that I love Conway Twitty.  I love his voice: that deep groan, the crackle, the sincerity.  I love his songs: fifty-five #1 hits to his name and was named "the best friend a song ever had."  He comes in  second only to George Strait who passed him up in 2006 with fifty-six chart toppers.  I obviously love his duet partner and their award winning songs: best friend-soul mate Loretta Lynn.  And--of course, I love that sleeked back awesome head of hair.  I remember riding around in my grandpa's old Lincoln with my parents and listening to Conway on 8-tracks and I've never lost that admiration for him or his impeccable melodies.

Harold Lloyd Jenkins was born in Mississippi in 1933.  There are many accounts as to how he came about his stage name of Conway Twitty.  Probably the most well-known is that Jenkins, while looking over a map, saw the towns of Conway, Arkansas and Twitty, Texas and joined the two together to form the name that is associated with both a career in rock and roll and more famously, country music.  In 1993 Twitty fell ill in Missouri and it was at a hospital there that he died of an aneurysm.

Never one to disappoint, I know you'd miss my list-writing obsession if I didn't do one this week.  So here are my top Conway songs...are you excited? Get ready.

Solo:

1.) "Tight Fittin' Jeans"

2.) "Hello Darlin'"

3.) "The Grandest Lady of Them All"

4.) "I'd Love to Lay You Down"

5.) "Linda on My Mind"

Honorable mentions: "You've Never Been This Far Before" and "Georgia Keeps Pulling on my Ring."



A vest belonging to Conway on display
 at the Ernest Tubb Record Shop #2
in Nashville.

 Duets:                                                                          

1.) "Lovin' What Your Lovin' Does to Me"

2.) "Pickin' Wild Mountain Berries"

3.) "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man"

4.) "After the Fire is Gone"

5.) "Can't Love You Enough"

Two more I love but couldn't fit into the 'top five' category: "As Soon as I Hang up the Phone" and "Don't Cry Joni" which was recorded with daughter Joni Lee.

Trivia: How many times does Conway say "Hello Darlin'" in the song by the same name?

I wanted to take time out to mention my new found love for The Band Berry.  Siblings Kimberly, Neil, and Reid Perry are pretty new to the Nashville scene as their self-titled record was just released in October of this year but are already climbing the charts.  Two singles "If I Die Young" and "Hip to My Heart" have came off of it so far.  I'm also currently crushin' on their song "Independence."  Great little band to check out if you love laid back music and country voices.

Also, a special Happy Thanksgiving shout out to Willie Nelson who was arrested this week on charges of marijuana possession after his bus was searched by police in Texas.  You little outlaw...

So, didja figure out the answer to my earlier trivia question? How many times does Conway say "Hello Darlin" in his song....answer?  Just once.  Good luck getting that one out of your head after you go Youtube searching to try to prove me wrong.  Or--did you already take a listen before you got to the end of this to see the answer? Cheaters.

<3 Kellie