Notable Departures in 2023 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jimmy Buffett

A legion of parrot heads were saddened by the news of Jimmy Buffett's passing on September 1, 2023. His music powerfully inspires thoughts of being on the water, perhaps in a sailboat around the Florida Keys. His greatest hits revolved around being a sailor, eating food, or being drunk. What's not to like? Many people don't realize that Buffett was a brilliant businessman. Between opening restaurants, hotels, casinos, and even retirement communities, his net worth was over $1 billion by his time of death. Not too shabby for a self-proclaimed beach bum. I hope that he is now enjoying that "Cheeseburger in Paradise" he sang about.

This question is sung to you by Phoenix Rising's BigTriviaDawg who is also a son of a son of a sailor.

Answer: Richard Roundtree

Considered to be 'the first Black action Hero', Richard Roundtreeshot to fame in 1971 as the coolest, boldest, most charismatic private detective to ever strut the streets of America: "Shaft". Born in 1942, Roundtree began his career as a model, before taking on the role of boxer Jack Johnson in the theatrical production of "The Great White Hope" in 1967. The 'Blaxploitation' era of the 1970s saw him take on his best-known role of "Shaft". He had many subsequent acting roles, appearing in "Se7en", "George of the Jungle" and reprising his eponymous role in the reboot with Samuel L Jackson as his nephew. He was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993, but recovered following a double mastectomy, unfortunately succumbing to pancreatic cancer on October 24th 2023 aged 81, leaving behind 5 children.

Phoenix Rising's smpdit asks, 'who's the cat that won't cop out when there's danger all about'? and is confident in hearing the answer.

Answer: Tina Turner

Often labelled "The Queen of Rock and Roll", Tina Turner endured a tumultuous early career and marriage. Ike and Tina Turner were a formidable duo in the 1960s and early 1970s producing hits such as "River Deep, Mountain High" (1966 & 1969), an up-tempo version of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary" (1971) and the dance floor classic "Nutbush City Limits" (1973). However, that partnership was also a volatile one and, after years of physical and verbal abuse from her husband, she ended the marriage in 1976. Wisely she retained her name which, by now, was a valuable asset.

In the 1980s Tina launched one of the most memorable comebacks in the history of music, with the release of her multi-platinum album "Private Dancer" in 1984. Hits such as "Better Be Good to Me" (1984), "(Simply) The Best" (1989) and the Grammy Award winning "What's Love Got to do With It" (1984) soon followed. The latter song would also be the title of a biopic that was released in 1993 and would earn Angela Bassett an Oscar nomination for her role as Tina. Tina would also reveal her acting bones in films such as "Tommy" (1975) where she played the Acid Queen and then, as Aunty Entity, in "Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome" (1985). She passed away at her home in May of 2023, at the age of 83, after suffering for years with numerous illnesses.

What you get is what you see... a question written by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19.

Answer: Colin Burgess

Colin Burgess was born and raised in Sydney, Australia, in 1946, and at the age of 22, in 1968, became the drummer for the band 'The Masters Apprentices', a gig that would last four years. The band and its members were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame in 1998.

He was enticed into becoming the drummer for the hard rock band AC/DC in 1973. His tenure with them was relatively short, as he was fired after allegedly being drunk on stage in 1974; however, he denied this, saying that his drink has been spiked. He was replaced by Phil Rudd. He continued to play drums in a succession of bands, and was involved with other musical ventures until his death in December 2023.

In an electrifying performance, Phoenix Rising member VegemiteKid bashed and crashed this question into the quiz.

Answer: Barry Humphries

John Barry Humphries was born in Melbourne Australia and had a comfortable childhood, favouring artistic endeavours. He attended the University of Melbourne, where he studied law, philosophy and fine arts but did not graduate, and after national service joined the Melbourne Theatre Company in 1955.

While mainly known for his portrayal of comedic characters, Dame Edna Everidge and Sir Les Patterson, he had a repertoire of eleven different characters, all Australian. He also appeared in more than 20 movies and he was a noted author, playwright poet and artist. Only Mr Humphries as Dame Edna could get away with crashing the royal box at the Royal Variety Performance to inform the then future King Charles as he was led away, "I'm sorry. They've found me a better seat." He died on 22 April 2023 due to after complications from surgery.

This question was scripted by Phoenix Rising Team member 1nn1, a lifelong fan of gladioli.

Answer: Keith Giffen

After hearing of Keith Giffen's passing in October of 2023, Paul Levitz, a former president of DC comics, posted on FaceBook "Keith was probably the most fertile creative mind of our generation in comics. He had an infinite number of ideas, pouring constantly out."

Born in Queens, New York, Giffen's life in comics began with Marvel in the 1970s where he introduced the world to Rocket Raccoon, an indelible part of the "Guardians of the Galaxy" programme. In the 1980s he moved to DC Comics, where he showcased his knack for introducing comedy and a soap opera mentality to their storylines. For Giffen, the character interactions were of the utmost importance. His output in two decades with DC were his most significant, dealing mainly with large ensemble casts such as the "Justice League" and "Legion of Super Heroes" stories. He would return to Marvel in the 2000s where he took over the Thanos story arc in 2004 and introduced the space prison Kyln and revived the Star Lord for a new generation of readers.

This question was propelled into the Multiverse by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19 who, despite his father's admonishment that it would "rot your brain", continues to be an avid reader of comic books.

Answer: Piper Laurie

Piper Laurie died in October 2023 aged 91. Having a career that had spanned seven decades, she was known particularly for her work in the 1976 film adaptation of Stephen King's horror novel, "Carrie", when she played Margaret, the mother of Sissy Spacek's titular character, Carrie.

She was nominated three times for Oscars; apart from a nomination for "Carrie", she was also nominated for her role in the1986 romantic drama "Children of a Lesser God" and "The Hustler" (1961). She was also feted for her work on television, garnering nine Emmy Award nominations. For her role as Catherine Martell in Twin Peaks she won a Golden Globe Award in 1991.

This question was piped into the quiz by Phoenix Rising's VegemiteKid, who is yet to see "Carrie", but remembers seeing Laurie in the 1955 film "Ain't Misbehaving'".

Answer: Matthew Perry

Matthew Langford Perry (1969 - 2023) is best remembered for his comedic role of Chandler Bing in the TV sitcom "Friends" (1994 - 2004). Chandler is one of the six main characters featured in the popular TV series; with others being Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Monica (Courteney Cox), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), Joey (Matt LeBlanc), and Ross (David Schwimmer). Perry has also played leading roles in some movies, including "The Whole Nine Yards" (2000) and "The Whole Ten Yards" (2004).

In his memoir entitled "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing" (2022), Perry wrote about his personal life and his struggle with alcoholism. Almost one year after the memoir was published, the world was shocked to learn the passing of Perry. On 28 October 2023, Perry was found drowned in a hot tub at his home in Los Angeles. All five main cast members from "Friends" attended his funeral, held on 3 November 2023.

This question was written by Phoenix Rising's Matthew_07, who is an avid fan of the TV series "Friends".

Answer: Denny Laine

Born Brian Frederick Arthur Hines, Denny Laine adopted his stage name when he formed his first band, the Diplomats. In 1965, Laine joined forces with Ray Thomas and Mike Pinder to form a new band which morphed into the Moody Blues. Laine sang lead vocals for one of their early hits, "Go Now," but left the Moody Blues shortly afterwards. He played with a series of groups after that, but a friendship with Paul McCartney that began when the Moody Blues toured with the Beatles in 1965 led to Laine becoming one of the founding members of Wings. Laine was a member of Wings from 1971 to 1981. He co-wrote the blockbuster single "Mull of Kintyre" and appears in the music video filmed on that Scottish peninsula. After Wings, he continued to perform as a solo artist. Denny Laine died of lung disease in 2023.

Player pusdoc contributed this question for Phoenix Rising's Global Tour, and is now sorry the Tour never visited Kintyre.

Answer: Ryan O'Neal

Ryan O'Neal had a chaotic and destructive personal life that, at some points, threatened to overshadow his great body of work during the 1970s. There were stories of drug abuse, a volatile relationship with Farrah Fawcett, and physical abuse toward loved ones that led to estrangements. He once described himself as "a hopeless father" (Vanity Fair, 2009).

That aside, O'Neal had a glittering career in the 1970s before his star began to fade. His first break come with the role of Rodney Harrington in TV's "Peyton Place" (1964-69). He starred alongside Ali McGraw in "Love Story" (1970), a surprise hit that earned Ryan an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Peter Bogdanovich took a liking to him and had him in starring roles with Barbra Streisand in "What's Up, Doc?" (1972) and, with his daughter Tatum, "Paper Moon" (1973). The latter earned O'Neal a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor. He would appear in Stanley Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon" in 1975 before turning down $3.5 million to star in "Oliver's Story" (1978), opting for the box-office flop "The Driver" (1978). O'Neal did eventually relent to play the role, receiving $1 million up front and a share of profits. The latter did not eventuate.

O'Neal was hit hard by the death of Farrah Fawcett from cancer in 2009, telling People magazine "I won't know this world without her". Three years later he'd be asking his doctor "What's up?" and be informed that he, too, had cancer. O'Neal passed away in December, 2023 and was interred next to Fawcett.

This "Main Event" was concocted by Phoenix Rising's pollucci19 who, despite what the rest of the paying public thought, thoroughly enjoyed "The Driver".