Twitty & Lynn

There’s a moment right at the very beginning of any Twitty & Lynn show that affords country music fans the chance to look back in time. Just after the band has played the signature intro to “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man,” Tre Twitty and Tayla Lynn shoot each other a glance that summons the electrifying chemistry of their grandparents: Tre is the grandson of Conway Twitty, Tayla is the granddaughter of Loretta Lynn. Audiences can’t believe their eyes. From that moment, for the next 90 minutes, they’re in the presence of living country music history. “Fans have told Tayla and me that when they see us onstage singing, talking, and just looking at each other, they think, ‘Wow, there must be something genetic in those two families,’” Tre says. “It validates the experience of the concert for them. We’re telling our grandparents’ story through our story.”

But Twitty & Lynn — and their internationally popular show “A Salute to Conway & Loretta” — aren’t impersonators. Tre doesn’t groom Seventies sideburns and perm his hair; Tayla doesn’t mimic her grandmother’s mannerisms. Rather, they are onstage celebrating country music, the lost art of duet singing, and the two beloved icons they refer to as “Poppy” and “Memaw.” “It’s about family — the fans’ families and our own,” Tayla says. “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.”

Now together as “Twitty & Lynn” for five years and poised to launch a huge summertime tour, the duo has cultivated an audience and caught the attention of Nashville along the way. In 2022, they made their debut on the world-famous Grand Ole Opry, singing “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man” on the very same circle of wood where Conway and Loretta once stood. In the end, though, their goal is to entertain while, at the same time, honoring their grandparents. 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, and 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.” “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.”