Richard Rocks!: Great Musicians Called Richard Quiz

Answer: Little Richard

When Little Richard changed the world forever in 1955 by recording "Tutti Frutti", he had already been recording for a good few years, but hadn't found his niche. Although his talent was evident to everybody from gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe (with whom he performed aged 13) to record company bosses via gob-smacked punters, nobody had been able to harness his outlandish talent.

Once he'd started there was no stopping him and he had a slew of hits, such as "Rip It Up", "Lucille", and "Good Golly, Miss Molly" that remain unsurpassed for their pure rock n roll energy. The hits led to Little Richard becoming one of the first performers to be mobbed by frenzied teenage audiences, which along with his rather elaborate garb scared the hell out of parents, the authorities, and bigots.

In 1957, Little Richard had a funny turn whilst in Australia and decided to give up rock 'n' roll, train to be a Christian minister, and only record religious music. Since then he's flitted back and forth between gospel and rock 'n' roll, on the whole managing the balance fairly well. Even if he were to sing the phone book, he'd draw a fair crowd.

Dick Dale practically invented surf music. Handsome Dick Manitoba is a larger- than-life singer who has sung for The Dictators and MC5.

Answer: India

Sir Cliff Richard is a bogus Richard as he was born Harry Webb in Uttar Pradesh, 1940. His ethnic background is Anglo Indian, and his father was a white-collar worker. The Webbs moved to England in 1948 and Harry's teenage years coincided nicely with the rise of skiffle in the UK.

Harry Webb became Cliff Richard when he formed The Drifters. The name Cliff was chosen because of the rock connotation, whereas Richard was tribute to Little Richard, of whom Cliff was a huge fan. The first single was "Move It", a hit in the UK and often cited as the first British rock record. The Drifters had now become his backing band, and after a few line-up changes became The Shadows, an entity in themselves.

Cliff didn't manage to get on the British Invasion bandwagon and has never really gained the respect due over the pond, despite having had a few hits. Through the late sixties and early seventies he became rather middle-of-the-road, and his nice boy image didn't endear him to younger fans until the song that gained him his cred amongst heavy rock fans; "Devil Woman" in 1976.

Since then he's veered towards rather preachy pap and lightweight ballads, much to the joy of some fans, but to the disgust of those who remember him when he was the British Elvis.

Answer: Caravan

The so-called Canterbury scene seems to have The Wilde Flowers at its root, almost everything spawning from there. Caravan are no exception, all the founding members having been in the seminal progressive rockers.

When the Wilde Flowers fell apart, two bands blossomed; our lads, and Soft Machine. Whilst Soft Machine went off on a psychedelic tangent that led them to jazz noodling, Caravan went for a softer, milder branch of quaint Englishness. They added to this a schoolboy-esque brand of smutty humour blended with an erudite wit and one would expect them to be onto a winner.

They have had moderate success ("In the Land of Grey and Pink" went platinum, although it took thirty years!), and boast a loyal fan base, but line-up changes, style shifts, and above all the fickle taste of the record buying public has denied them any mainstream acknowledgement.

Answer: Picturesque Matchstickable Messages

Rick Parfitt has been with The Quo since their humble beginnings as a psychedelic band doing mostly cover versions, and his scraggly blond mane is as congruent with Status Quo as partner-in-crime Francis Rossi's waistcoat.

The mighty Quo developed out of The Spectres, who'd been formed by Rossi and bassist Alan Lancaster at school in 1962. By 1967 they were (The) Status Quo, and their debut single, "Pictures Of Matchstick Men" was a hit both sides of the Atlantic.

The shift towards a heavier style came in the early 1970s when the Quo signed to Vertigo and pumped out hit album after hit album, starting with "Piledriver", through "On The Level" to "Whatever You Want" that saw the decade out in fine style.

The 1980s weren't kind to Status Quo, with trouble in the ranks, legal trouble from ex-members, and above all a sound that seemed oblivious to the changes that had occurred in music. They were so far from cool they were almost hot.

They had a revival in later years, and despite poor health Parfitt soldiered on alongside Rossi, being rewarded with an invite to play at the mecca of youth chic, the Glastonbury Festival in 2009.

The other choices were all released in the same year. "My People.." was by T Rex, "Vincebus Eruptum" by Blue Cheer, and "Music From Big Pink" by The Band.

Answer: Bluegrass

Richard Lee Skaggs debuted on TV aged 7 playing with Bluegrass legends Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs and he hasn't looked back since.

In the 1970s he carved out a steady career playing with Keith Whitely, and hooked up with Bluegrass luminary Ralph Stanley. He also guested on newcomers J. D. Crowe & the New South's debut, which went on to become a classic of the genre, before turning his attention to Country music, which he helped revitalize and enjoy something of a roots renaissance.

In the late '90s he set up his own label, Skaggs Family records, who released a string of critically acclaimed albums. Where he's going to go next is anybody's guess, but I daresay whatever he tries his hand at seems to bear fruit. As his website says: "Ricky Skaggs is always forging ahead with cross-cultural, genre-bending musical ideas and inspirations", and long may he prosper.

Answer: Ric Ocasek

Native Marylander Ric Ocasek grew up in Ohio where he met future Cars' bassist/vocalist Benjamin Orr , with whom he relocated to Boston, Massachusetts in search of fame and fortune. They first formed Milkwood and actually released an album in 1973, but it disappeared without a trace. Then came the dreadfully-named Richard and the Rabbits, but eventually ended up as The Cars.

The eponymous debut came out in 1978 and it produced a spate of high profile, charting, singles starting with "Just What I Needed", followed by "My Best Friend's Girl" and "Good Times Roll". The album still stands at the zenith of guitar-driven, synth-laden new wave, thereby creating a creepy, detached, even aloof atmosphere that hasn't dated an inch.

The follow-up "Candy-O" released just a year later was already careering towards slick, middle of the road pop, but had a couple of stand-out tracks. After that everything that had made The Cars so special got lost in wishy-washy pop.

As a producer Ric Ocasek has worked with an array of oddball artists, such as Bad Brains, Guided By Voices, and Suicide, amongst others.

Answer: Grizzly Man

Richard Thompson's songs have been done by everyman and his dog, but despite critical acclaim and an OBE, he has never really become the star he should be.

Fairport Convention are widely regarded as the one of the most important British folk rock acts of all time, and a listen to their classic album "Liege & Lief" immediately tells you why. The virtuoso playing and range is one thing, but the deep sense of identity is what really earmarks the album as one to put in one's list of top albums when impressing a muso.

The soundtrack to the film in question is as haunting as the film itself. Herzog has often worked with Krautrock mavericks Popul Vuh, who did his classics proud. Thompson was definitely the man for the job on this one though, getting the mood just right.

The film centres on grizzlyphile Treadwell and his doomed mission to get closer to the bears, ultimately ending in what any sensible person would expect: him getting eaten.

Answer: Bushwick Bill

While there's no excuse for the despicable scenarios The Geto Boys depict, in the world of Gangsta Rap, they ruled the roost for a brief period, and through the glorification of gore, misdemeanors and psychotic violence, a deep sense of despair shines through.

Bushwick Bill wasn't in the original line-up, and was in fact their dancer (known as Little Billy due to his diminutive stature), but by the debut album, "Making Trouble" (1988), he was in there. Nobody took any notice, and they split up, only to be back a year later with a new improved line-up featuring Scarface and Willie D. They grabbed the attention of Rick Rubin, and made history as the most extreme rap bands of their time.

Our man ended up losing an eye in a shooting incident (possibly a suicide attempt), which rather grossly upped the band's profile, but gave them something real to rap about.

By 2006, Bushwick was professing Christianity and distancing himself from his sordid past, although whether he really left it behind is doubtful as he was facing drug charges in 2010.

Answer: Blank Generation

Richard Hell is one of those dissident characters who seem to avoid fame and fortune, constantly leaving just before a project comes to fruition.

He moved from his native Kentucky to Delaware to attend university, where he met Tom Miller, aka Tom Verlaine. The pair got on like a house on fire and moved up to New York where they formed The Neon Boys, who became Television, fundamental to the CBGS's punk explosion. Richard left the band before they really gained any recognition however, but was lucky enough to do so just as Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan chucked in the towel with the New York Dolls, leading to the formation of The Heartbreakers.

Hell couldn't help jumping ship again just as The Heartbreakers were on the brink of making rock history with the classic album "L.A.M.F".

His next outing was Richard Hell and the Voidoids, with whom he managed to actually record. And what a record it is.

Answer: Rainbow

Ritchie Blackmore was already known as a session guitarist of talent, having played on some Joe Meek productions and with Screaming Lord Sutch when he got the chance to join the fledgling Deep Purple, having been noticed by keyboard player Jon Lord. He'd also had lessons off guitarist extraordinaire Big Jim Sullivan (aka Lord Sitar).

He came up with one of the most copied riffs of all time, "Smoke On the Water", amongst other heights, but has always had the reputation as being "difficult" to say the least, and by 1974 he'd had enough of David Coverdale's blues and Glenn Hughes's funk, so told them to bog off and went and formed Rainbow.

The first incarnation was basically Elf, who'd already recorded but weren't really getting anywhere, who featured heavy metal legend to be Ronnie James Dio. The band managed to roll with the times well, but Blackmore's approach of ruthless firing and hiring led to the band having no real raison d'être, and eventually the temptation to rejoin Deep Purple proved too strong.

He still couldn't toe the line however, and nowadays performs as Blackmore's Night with his better-half Candice Night.