Within the country music community, there is a brigade of prayer warriors who don’t hesitate to hit their knees when they’re needed. And they are most definitely needed now for the family of one of country music’s greatest treasures.
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We have just learned that Conway Twitty’s granddaughter, Angela, is in a coma and in critical condition.
Angela’s cousin, Tre, shared a photo of a young Angela and Conway on his Facebook page and wrote, “Please keep my sweet cousin Angela in your prayers. She is in a coma and fighting for her life with a brain bleed. She is one of the toughest people I’ve ever met. Follow my Aunt Kathy’s page for updates.”
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Longtime family friend Ronnie McDowell Jr., son of ’80s country star Ronnie McDowell and a member of the band Six Shooter, also posted about Angela. “Once again, we need prayers for family friends of ours,” he wrote. “Conway Twitty’s granddaughter Angela is in a coma with a serious brain bleed and pneumonia and needs all of the prayers, love and support we can give! We love you Kathy Twitty and are lifting you all up in prayers!”
A GoFundMe page was set up for Angela in 2014 and it explains that the beautiful mother of one had laparoscopic surgery that same year to remove her gallbladder. Normally considered a minor surgical procedure, apparently Angela’s bile duct was damaged during the operation, and that began the decline of her health. A full-time teacher at Tennessee State University working towards her PhD, she quickly became unable to work as her condition worsened and additional surgery was required in an attempt to repair the damage.
Angela is the daughter of Conway’s daughter, Kathy, his first daughter from his marriage to Temple “Mickey” Medley. While Angela has not pursued a career in music, other members of her family have. Both Kathy and Conway’s son, Michael, did follow in their father’s footsteps. Kathy even recorded with her famous father and now Michael’s son, Tre, works with his dad.
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Conway’s success as both a solo artist and a part of a duo with Loretta Lynn stretched across four decades. The country icon, who was known for the sexy growl in his voice, scored 40 No. 1 hits in his career, including songs like “Hello Darlin’,” “You’ve Never Been This Far Before” and “Tight Fittin’ Jeans.” But even songs that didn’t top the charts, like the poignant “That’s My Job,” remain fan favorites. And duets with Loretta such as “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man” are regulars for singers on any given karaoke night.
Sadly, we lost Conway, whose given name was Harold Jenkins, in 1993 after he suffered an abdominal aortic aneurism after performing in Branson, Missouri. He was just 59 years old.
Our prayers are definitely wrapping around the Twitty family, especially Angela’s young son, Benji, during this challenging time.
