country-throwback-watch-conway-twitty-perform-somebodys-needin-somebody-in-1984

Country Throwback: Watch Conway Twitty Perform ‘Somebody’s Needin’ Somebody’ in 1984

Conway Twitty has a voice that longtime country music fans connect to a traditional country sound. It’s one that stirs up warm memories.

Twitty developed quite a following as his career arc went from 1950s rock-and-roll into the country music scene. His songs were mainly about relationships. The ones that lasted…and the ones that didn’t last.

His fans, though, remained loyal (and still are after his death) to Twitty. The many different looks, from a slicked-up rocker to rhinestone-wearing singer, that he had were memorable.

Again and again, though, it was the music that made people smile and sometimes even cry.

In 1984, Twitty performed “Somebody’s Needin’ Somebody” at the Music City Awards. Let’s take a look at him singing before a packed audience.

Conway Twitty Sings ‘Hello Darlin’ On ‘Johnny Cash Show’

Twitty spent many years developing a style that was unique to himself. It falls within the traditional country music sound, one heralded by people like Buck Owens, Ferlin Husky, and “The Man In Black” himself, Johnny Cash.

For two seasons, Cash hosted a musical variety show on ABC. He’d have different guests on the show, mostly from the country music world. It gave a lot of the national attention on a major television network, something rare for country musicians.

Getting a spot on Cash’s show was impressive. Conway Twitty had moved along from his “It’s Only Make Believe” days to singing other types of music. In this case, Twitty gets a chance to sing “Hello Darlin,” one of his biggest hits.

Here’s Twitty singing that song on Cash’s show.

Twitty’s Daughter Joni Ends Up On Hit Record With Father

While he had his stellar career, there also were parts of Twitty’s life that didn’t end up successful. He had four marriages which did produce four children: Michael, Kathy, Joni Lee, and Jimmy Twitt.

Twitty invited his teen-aged daughter to join him in the recording studio to cut a rough demo titled “Don’t Cry Joni.” She thought that he would later have someone else re-do it. 

“I had no idea I was going to be on the actual record,” Joni disclosed to Billboard. “Dad kind of tricked me. He told me he was going to take my voice off of the track and replace it with a professional singer.”

Soon after releasing the song, it became an incredible track for Conway. To Joni’s surprise, her father had put her voice on the piece, and the father-daughter duo made it to the top of the country charts.