On Friday night, June 4, 1993, Conway Twitty was still doing what Conway Twitty had done for decades: standing before an audience and singing the songs that made country music fans feel understood.
The performance in Branson, Missouri, would be Conway Twitty’s last.
Hours later, Conway Twitty collapsed aboard a tour bus while traveling home to Tennessee. Conway Twitty was rushed to a hospital in Springfield, Missouri, but died the following morning, June 5, at just 59 years old.
There had been no farewell tour. No final announcement. No opportunity for fans to prepare for the loss of one of country music’s most familiar voices.
And what happened over the next four days revealed how deeply Conway Twitty had touched the people around him.
Two Days Later, Nashville Honored a Missing Legend
On Monday, June 7, the TNN/Music City News Country Awards took place at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.
The evening had been planned as a celebration of country music’s biggest achievements. Instead, the ceremony became an occasion to remember Conway Twitty.
The awards show was dedicated to Conway Twitty. Reba McEntire, accepting Female Artist of the Year, dedicated the honor to Conway Twitty and the band that had accompanied Conway Twitty through countless performances.
Alan Jackson also remembered Conway Twitty while accepting an award, borrowing words from one of Conway Twitty’s songs.
For country music fans, the contrast was difficult to ignore. Only three nights earlier, Conway Twitty had been performing for an audience. Now the industry was gathering to honor a singer who would never walk onto another stage.
More Than 2,000 People Gathered to Say Goodbye
On Wednesday, June 9, approximately 2,000 mourners gathered at First Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee, for Conway Twitty’s memorial service.
Among those attending were Garth Brooks, Vince Gill, Tammy Wynette, Barbara Mandrell, Naomi Judd, Mickey Gilley, Little Jimmy Dickens, and the Oak Ridge Boys.
Reba McEntire was there, too.
For Reba McEntire, this was more than a farewell to a famous singer. Conway Twitty had been an important influence during the early years of Reba McEntire’s career.
Reba McEntire had opened shows for Conway Twitty, watched Conway Twitty work, and learned from the professionalism Conway Twitty brought to every performance.
Reba McEntire later explained in the book Comfort From a Country Quilt that Reba McEntire had been asked to sing at the memorial but felt too emotional to perform. Instead, Reba McEntire chose to speak.
Remembering the excitement that greeted Conway Twitty whenever Conway Twitty appeared onstage, Reba McEntire offered a heartbreaking admission.
“I’m not ready for Conway to close the show yet.”
Those words captured what thousands of Conway Twitty fans were feeling.
But there was another reason Reba McEntire’s goodbye carried such personal meaning. Something had happened before Conway Twitty died that the public would not learn about until decades later.
The Phone Call in the Middle of the Night
In September 2019, Conway Twitty’s grandson, Tre Twitty, publicly shared a family story after finally meeting Reba McEntire.
When Conway Twitty was hospitalized in Missouri, Conway Twitty’s children were in the Nashville area, several hours away by road.
Three of Conway Twitty’s children began driving toward Springfield. Conway Twitty’s son Michael Twitty, however, contacted Reba McEntire during the night.
According to Tre Twitty, Reba McEntire immediately offered the family the use of a private airplane and arranged for a pilot.
Michael Twitty flew to Springfield and reached the hospital in time to say goodbye to Conway Twitty.
Later that day, the family returned to Nashville aboard Reba McEntire’s airplane.
What happened afterward revealed why Reba McEntire had been so willing to help.
A Kindness Conway Twitty Had Never Forgotten
A few days later, Michael Twitty contacted Reba McEntire to ask how much the family owed for the airplane.
Reba McEntire refused payment.
As Tre Twitty later recalled, Reba McEntire reminded Michael Twitty that Conway Twitty had once taken Reba McEntire on tour and paid Reba McEntire $5,000 a night when Reba McEntire was still establishing a career.
Reba McEntire believed Conway Twitty had been extraordinarily generous at a time when that support meant a great deal.
Now, when Conway Twitty’s family needed help, Reba McEntire had an opportunity to return that kindness.
Twenty-six years later, Tre Twitty finally had the opportunity to thank Reba McEntire personally.
The story offered a glimpse of Conway Twitty that record sales and music awards could never fully explain: a man whose generosity had created friendships lasting far beyond the stage.
The Show Conway Twitty Never Got to Finish
Conway Twitty’s recording career stretched from the rock-and-roll breakthrough of It’s Only Make Believe to decades of country hits, including Hello Darlin’, Linda on My Mind, and unforgettable duets with Loretta Lynn.
Conway Twitty had built a remarkable career by understanding what audiences wanted to hear. But the days following Conway Twitty’s death revealed something equally important.
On Monday, Nashville honored Conway Twitty’s music. On Wednesday, Conway Twitty’s friends and family remembered the person behind that music.
And years later, Tre Twitty’s story showed that one of Conway Twitty’s greatest legacies had nothing to do with a recording studio.
It was the kindness Conway Twitty had shown a young Reba McEntire, returned when Conway Twitty’s family needed it most.
Reba McEntire had watched Conway Twitty close countless concerts. On June 9, 1993, Reba McEntire stood before a grieving church and admitted that this was one ending Reba McEntire had never been ready to see.