Mustang 1071 is shining the spotlight on country music legend Conway Twitty. This weekend, we are playing a double shot of his hit music every hour. Download the free Mustang app! Stay connected and make instant requests.
Conway Twitty was born in Mississippi and grew up in Arkansas. Although Conway Twitty always loved music, especially country music, he did not see music as a potential career in the future. His aspirations at the time involved sports.
Twitty loved to play baseball and wanted to play center-field professionally. He almost got the chance to play with the Philadelphia Phillies but had to turn down the offer when he was drafted into the military. After Twitty completed his service and returned, he began to pursue music. He heard an Elvis song that inspired him.
Twitty formed a rock and roll band getting his start in Rockabilly and eventually crossing over to his true passion, country music. The transition was not an easy one. Programmers initially refused to play his country music because he was considered a rock and roll guy. He once held the title of having the most Number 1 hits songs, a total of 55 hits, until George Strait took that crown in 2002.