An upcoming concert in Estevan will be a tribute to the bond between two country music legends.
Tre Twitty, the grandson of the late Conway Twitty, will team up with Tayla Lynn, the granddaughter of Loretta Lynn, for a show at Estevan Comprehensive School on Jan. 22, starting at 7:30 p.m. The concert is billed as the Ultimate tribute to Conway Twitty.
Tre said it will begin with Tayla singing some of her grandmother’s most popular songs, and then he will take to the stage to play his grandfather’s music. They will also play some songs together.
“We’re not impersonators,” said Tre. “We don’t wear the outfits or put wigs on.”
Tre noted that he has done several shows with Tayla, but this is the first time they have toured together.
The concert is also a tribute to the lasting friendship between the two music legends. Conway and Loretta had a special relationship, he said, and they loved each other as friends.
“You could just tell when you watched them on stage that they loved each other,” said Tre. “Tayla and I have the same kind of vibe as our grandparents. She’s really outgoing and extroverted and unfiltered, and I’m kind of reserved and laid back.”
The show draws an emotional response from the audience. They will cry when they hear a favourite song, or they will laugh at the stories he shares.
“If you’re a fan of his, this is just a show where you can come and remember all of the special moments that you had with Conway,” said Tre. “If a song brings back a memory, or if a song reminds you of someone that you loved, like a wife or a boyfriend or whatever that may be, that’s what this is about.”
Even if Conway wasn’t his grandfather, Tre said he would be a big fan of his.
He didn’t feel any pressure to enter the music industry. Tre joined the U.S. air force after high school, and once he completed his service in 2001, he received his introduction to the music world.
His father was performing a tribute show to Conway, and Tre joined his father on stage.
There are advantages to being the grandson of a country music legend, he said, but there are higher expectations as well.
“People are going to be interested in what I do, but at the same time, they’re also going to judge me way more harshly than they would the average person, because comparison is a natural thing,” said Twitty. “They’re going to compare me to him in everything I do.”
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Conway Twitty’s death. Tre said the family has been trying to keep his name out there and keep his songs known, because he died at a relatively young age.
“I think Conway is one of the most forgotten, underappreciated legends there is,” said Tre. “You don’t hear his name in the first tier of all-time greats like you should … like (Merle) Haggard, George (Jones), Waylon (Jennings) and Hank (Williams). He’s just as good, if not better, than all of them, in his own way.”
There is a special feeling in performing his grandfather’s music, sharing stories about the songs and talking about his life, but in the end, Tre said it’s all about paying tribute to his grandfather.
Tre said he has never been to Estevan before, but he has played at other Saskatchewan communities. He is looking forward to coming to the city, and the province, as Tre and Tayla will visit six communities in eight days as part of the tour.
