On the Charts 55 Years Ago, a Pair of Country Legends Were at No. 1 for the First Time With a Grammy-Winning Duet

Fifty-five years ago today (March 27) Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn topped the Hot Country Songs chart with “After the Fire Is Gone.” The song stayed at the top of the chart for two consecutive weeks and paved the way for future hits from the legendary duo. They would go on to notch several more hits throughout the 1970s and early ’80s.

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Twitty and Lynn were both established country stars when they released “After the Fire Is Gone” in 1971. She had already had major hits with “Fist City” and “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” At the same time, he had established his country cred with “Hello Darlin’,” which was a four-week No. 1 and became his signature song. They were two of the biggest names in the business. So, it comes as no surprise that they released multiple hit singles and albums.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1973, Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty Were at No. 1 With Their Most Iconic Song]

“After the Fire Is Gone” was more than a chart hit for the duo. It also won the Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. They went on to win Vocal Duo of the Year at the CMA Awards four consecutive times between 1972 and 1975.

Loretta Lynn on Her Partnership with Conway Twitty

“After the Fire Is Gone” is about two people who fall in love while married to other people. As a result, some listeners believed that Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty were having a very public affair. She set the record straight in a 2016 interview with NPR.

“Everybody thought me and Conway had a thing going because of the songs we recorded,” Lynn said. “But me and Conway were friends. We wasn’t lovers,” she clarified.

She also explained how they became one of the biggest duos in country music history. “Me and Conway went overseas. There was a whole crew of people went overseas to, you know, perform,” she recalled. “Me and Conway started singing in the dressing rooms. So we thought, well, when we get home, we’ll sing to Owen Bradley and see what he thinks,” she explained.

When they got back to Nashville, they approached Bradley, who produced records for both artists, and sang for him. “He loved it,” Lynn said of Bradley’s reaction. “He says, ‘Y’all get in the studio and let’s record.’ So that’s what we did.”

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