Conway Twitty had one of the most commercially dominant runs in the history of country music — more number one singles than almost anyone who has ever recorded. Dolores Virginia Henry was his secretary before she was his wife, and she was married to him for the last six years of his life, including the day he died on the road.
Quick Bio / At a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Dolores Virginia Henry, known as Dee |
| Reported Birth Year | 1954 |
| Known For | Third wife of country singer Conway Twitty |
| Previous Role | Twitty’s secretary and administrative assistant |
| Married | 1987 |
| Marriage Ended | Twitty’s death, June 1993 |
| Age Difference | Roughly twenty years |
| Children Together | None |
| Twitty’s Children | Four, from earlier marriages |
| After His Death | Estate litigation, later settled; returned to private life |
Who Conway Twitty Was
Conway Twitty began as a rock and roll singer — his 1958 single “It’s Only Make Believe” was a worldwide number one — before moving into country music, where he became one of the genre’s defining commercial forces.
He accumulated an extraordinary run of number one country singles across the 1970s and 1980s, both solo and in his long partnership with Loretta Lynn. He also built Twitty City, a residential and tourist complex in Hendersonville, Tennessee.
From the Office to the Marriage
Dolores Henry worked for Twitty in an office capacity, described in accounts as his secretary or administrative assistant, before their relationship began.
They married in 1987. She was around twenty years younger than him, and she was his third wife.
She continued to be closely involved in the practical running of his career during the marriage — the scheduling, the correspondence and the administration that a touring operation of that size generates.
June 1993
Twitty collapsed on his tour bus after a performance in Branson, Missouri, and died on June 5, 1993, following surgery for an abdominal aortic aneurysm. He was fifty-nine.
His death was sudden and he was working at the time, which is part of why the estate that followed was so contested.
The Estate Dispute
Twitty had four children from earlier marriages and none with Dolores. The distribution of his estate — which included Twitty City, the catalogue and the business operations — became the subject of litigation between his widow and his children.
The dispute was eventually settled. Twitty City was sold, and the property later became a Christian broadcasting complex.
Dolores Henry returned to private life afterwards and has not sought public attention since.
What Is Verified and What Is Not
The documented elements are the marriage in 1987, her prior role in Twitty’s office, the absence of children from the marriage, Twitty’s death in June 1993 and the subsequent estate litigation.
Her 1954 birth year, her exact job title and the specific terms of the settlement come from secondary accounts rather than from records or interviews that can be checked. Net worth figures attached to her name are not sourced to anything.
She has never given a public interview about the marriage or the dispute, and the absence of her own account is worth stating plainly.
More country music profiles: Gracie Frances Penner and Lynn Massey.
