Generational Country
Memaw and Poppy—Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty—would be proud of their respective grandkids, on stage at The Levoy early next month.
Like most tribute acts on the circuit, Tayla Lynn and Tre Twitty walk a fine line between impersonation and interpretation in their 10-year-old homage to Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty. But unlike the ever-growing universe of tributes spanning the U.S., Tayla and Tre carry with them something other tribute performers do not. They’re Bonafide when it comes to legacy. Tayla is Loretta Lynn’s granddaughter; Tre is Conway Twitty’s grandson.
Bonafide indeed.
Along with the iconic hits by each of their grandparents, Tayla Lynn brings humor and more with her recollection of traveling on the road with Memaw, as Loretta was known to her grandkids. Tre Twitty adds his own tales of the Twitty family along with his smooth style and delivery of his Poppy’s songs.
“I think of us as the ambassadors of the Twitty and Lynn names,” Tre says. “We’re just the new version of what they’ve already established. But we also want to be caretakers of the past. At our shows, we get generations of fans because country music is passed down.”
“We have so much love and respect for Conway and Loretta and we want to carry this on in such a way that we make our families proud,” says Tayla, who has been on the road as a performer off and on since she was 18.
Unfortunately, the elder Twitty passed away in 1993, long before the duo’s debut. “He blesses us up in heaven.” Lynn says.
And Loretta? She passed in 2022, so she saw the act. “And absolutely she was so proud of us.”
The duo performs about 100 shows a year and banter between the two is an important addition to the songs. The repartee improves with every show, Tayla says.
Meanwhile, Lynn and Twitty are not just resting on their grandparent’s past. The pair released a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire” in 2022, with a haunting video filmed on the New Jersey shore, and cut a version of Conway and Loretta’s “Feelins”—recorded the day after Loretta died. “We were going into the studio to record our original tracks and Memaw had died the day before,” Tre says per a press release. “So, we said, ‘Let’s do one of her songs with Conway.’ There was this emotion in the room that we just couldn’t ignore.”
The duo has an album of original music on the way, coupled with a few covers. The project features Jeffrey Steele, Mark Narmore, Shelly Fairchild, and their producer Scott Baggett. “We’re at a great time in country music and Americana, where artists like Miranda Lambert, Margo Price, and all these funky country singers are embracing the Seventies style of Conway and Loretta. So, when I’m writing, I’m drawn to that,” Tayla says. “We’re in a prime time to be doing our type of music.”
Tre is lobbying for Conway, already a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Tayla is working on preserving not just Loretta’s music but her fashion: She wore one of her grandmother’s outfits onstage at the Opry.
“Conway and Loretta used to do everything with so much passion, the way they dressed, the way they recorded, the way they performed,” Tayla says. “We want to bring that to fans who were lucky enough to see our grandparents before and to those who are just learning about them.”
Honest emotion, along with Tre and Tayla’s innate chemistry, is what defines their onstage performances. Whether they’re singing to each other or interacting with the audience, there’s an easygoing authenticity that comes across, according to a press release. Tayla even talks to the crowd about her sobriety, sharing a personal tale of struggle and redemption.
In the end, though, their goal is to entertain while, at the same time, honoring their grandparents. “We’re protective of their reputation,” Tayla says.
“Our show gives people an idea of what Loretta and Conway were like through their grandchildren’s eyes,” adds Tre. “It’s a special gift to keep that flame burning.”
If You Go:
“Twitty & Lynn: A Salute
to Conway & Loretta”
WHEN: Friday, February 6
WHERE: Levoy Theatre, 126-130- N. High Street, Millville
TIME: 7:30 p.m.
TICKETS: $40 to $54, available at the box office or online at https://levoy.net/event/twitty-lynn-a-salute-to-conway-and-loretta/
For more information, call 856-327-6400 or visit https://www.twittyandlynn.com/
