For decades, country music fans knew Conway Twitty as the unmistakable voice behind “Hello Darlin’,” “That’s My Job,” and some of the most beloved duets ever recorded with Loretta Lynn.
But Conway Twitty’s final recording wasn’t with Loretta Lynn. It was with someone Conway Twitty had never met before: soul legend Sam Moore, one-half of the famous duo Sam & Dave.
On May 3, 1993, Conway Twitty and Sam Moore entered a Nashville recording studio to sing “Rainy Night in Georgia.” Neither artist could have known that the session would become the final recording of Conway Twitty’s extraordinary career.
An Unlikely Meeting Between Country and Soul
The recording was part of Rhythm, Country & Blues, an ambitious MCA Records project bringing country stars together with legendary rhythm-and-blues performers.
The album featured collaborations between Vince Gill and Gladys Knight, George Jones and B.B. King, Reba McEntire and Natalie Cole, and several other remarkable pairings.
Conway Twitty and Sam Moore were assigned “Rainy Night in Georgia,” a song written by Tony Joe White and made famous by Brook Benton in 1970.
Conway Twitty brought a rich, intimate country voice. Sam Moore brought the powerful soul delivery that had helped make “Soul Man” a classic.
The two voices were different, but the combination worked beautifully.
And what happened during the session revealed something about the personalities behind those famous voices.
The Joke That Nearly Made Conway Twitty Laugh
When Sam Moore later recalled the recording session in a 1994 interview, one memory stood out: Conway Twitty’s famous vocal growl.
Sam Moore found the sound irresistible and kept teasing Conway Twitty about it.
The playful exchange almost made Conway Twitty laugh.
That easygoing chemistry survived on the recording itself. Near the end of “Rainy Night in Georgia,” the two singers can be heard interacting warmly as the music fades.
For listeners familiar with the polished romantic duets of Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn, this was a different experience. The recording captured two established artists discovering a musical connection for the first time.
There was even talk of doing more. Conway Twitty’s wife, Dee Jenkins, later remembered Conway Twitty’s excitement about the project and recalled producer Don Was expressing interest in making an R&B album with Conway Twitty.
The Country Music Secret Sam Moore Had Kept Since Childhood
What many country fans didn’t know was that Sam Moore’s connection to country music began long before this recording.
Growing up in Miami during the 1950s, Sam Moore lived in a deeply religious household. But there was music Sam Moore loved listening to privately.
At night, Sam Moore would hide beneath the covers with a radio and tune in to the Grand Ole Opry.
Hank Williams, Hank Snow, and Tex Ritter were among the artists Sam Moore remembered listening to.
Decades later, the young boy who secretly listened to country music had become a soul legend, sharing a microphone with Conway Twitty.
That history gives “Rainy Night in Georgia” another layer of meaning. This wasn’t simply a recording company pairing two unrelated musical styles. It brought together two performers whose musical backgrounds had more in common than listeners might expect.
The Trip to Branson That Never Happened
Sam Moore hoped the collaboration would lead to more time together. Sam Moore wanted to visit Conway Twitty in Branson, Missouri, and spend time traveling with Conway Twitty on the road.
That opportunity never arrived.
After performing in Branson, Conway Twitty became seriously ill while traveling on a tour bus. Conway Twitty died on June 5, 1993, at just 59 years old.
Conway Twitty had been heading toward Nashville’s annual Fan Fair celebration, where devoted country fans were expecting another chance to see a favorite performer.
For Sam Moore, the unexpected loss meant that a promising new musical friendship had ended almost as soon as it began.
The Recording Fans Finally Heard in 1994
On March 1, 1994, Rhythm, Country & Blues was released, bringing Conway Twitty’s final recording to the public.
There was another remarkable piece of history: footage of the recording session had been captured for a PBS documentary about the album. Viewers could see Sam Moore smiling and enjoying the collaboration with Conway Twitty.
Conway Twitty’s final solo studio album, Final Touches, had already been released after Conway Twitty’s death in 1993. But “Rainy Night in Georgia” held a different distinction: the final recording session of Conway Twitty’s life.
Listen today, and the voices still sound wonderfully alive. There is warmth, humor, and the pleasure of two musicians enjoying a song together.
Conway Twitty spent a lifetime greeting country fans with “Hello Darlin’.” The final recording left behind something unexpected: a meeting of country and soul, preserved for generations who never had the chance to hear the two legends perform together again.
And perhaps that is what makes “Rainy Night in Georgia” so memorable. It wasn’t planned as a farewell. It was simply another day of making music, with possibilities still waiting ahead.