Conway Twitty may be a household name in country music, but few fans know the unexpected story behind the man who brought us countless hits. In a recently released video, it’s revealed that Conway nearly chose a completely different path—professional baseball.
Born Harold Lloyd Jenkins, he was scouted by the Philadelphia Phillies and signed to play in their farm system. In his youth, he was just as promising with a bat as he would later be with a guitar.
However, fate intervened. Drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean War, Conway’s baseball dreams were put on hold. It was there, serving his country, that he picked up a guitar and started to write songs.
After his service, he didn’t jump straight into country. Instead, he embraced rock and roll—and in 1958, under his new stage name, Conway Twitty, he released “It’s Only Make Believe,” a massive crossover hit that many mistook for Elvis Presley.
It wasn’t until the 1960s that he fully embraced country music. And thank goodness he did—because from that moment on, he became one of the genre’s most enduring voices.
But perhaps the most surprising detail? He invented his stage name from a map.
“Conway” from Arkansas and “Twitty” from Texas. He never lived in either town—he just liked how it sounded.
This story reveals the winding road of fate, and how even legends sometimes begin by chasing something completely different.
Nobody Knew THIS About Conway Twitty… Until Now