In 1988, something magical happened when Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty released a duet version of the song “Making Believe” and used it as the title track for their final album together. Even though it was not a radio hit for the two country icons, it was a huge hit at their concerts and live performances, while the album sold fairly well via television ads.
The chemistry between the two country legends was off the charts. While they were never romantically involved, they have shared a deep and powerful love for one another. This love was brought out in their several duets, which is what made them even more incredible.
In total, Twitty and Lynn released eleven studio albums together and thirteen singles. Their last album, Making Believe, has been a country favorite for decades.
A Staple in The Classic Country Genre Released Five Decades Ago
Written by Jimmy Work, “Making Believe” had become a staple in the classic country genre when Kitty Wells released it in 1955. Wells is a pioneer of female country music who successfully broke down the female barrier for country music when she released “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” in 1952. Prior to Wells’ successes, record companies were widely reluctant to publish albums by female country artists.
Wells’ version of “Making Believe” hit No. 2 on the country charts and remained there for fifteen weeks.
The song then went on, making a name for itself. It can be found on numerous lists of all-time greatest country music songs and has been covered by multiple artists over the past five decades, including Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Don Gibson, Roy Acuff, Lefty Frizzell, Ray Charles, Anita Carter, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Merle Haggard, Ernest Tubb, among others. But it was Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty who first recorded “Making Believe” as a duet.
Since the song wasn’t one of their big hits, it’s quite challenging to find footage of them performing it together. Luckily, there’s one clip of the duo singing “Making Believe” that recently surfaced online.
The clip was taken from one of Lynn and Twitty’s live television performances of the song in 1987. It’s heartwarming to see the duo standing close to each other with smiles that they could not seem to wipe off their faces as they sing the classic song. And the moment Twitty wrapped his arm around Lynn in a sweet embrace, there’s no way it will not melt your heart.
Indeed, the short clip is a rare treat that we’re sure you can all enjoy. You can watch it below and see for yourself that it’s everything you could ever hope for.
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conway twitty, Loretta Lynn