Died in the 2020s Trivia

1. Alex Trebek, the long-time host of which game show, died on November 8, 2020?

From Quiz Twenty People Who Died Between 2020-2023

Answer: Jeopardy!

George Alexander Trebek was born on July 22, 1940, in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. He started hosting "Jeopardy!" in 1984 and continued doing so for 37 seasons until he died in 2020 from pancreatic cancer. He had hosted other game shows in the past such as "High Rollers" and "To Tell the Truth". In the season eight episode of "Cheers" called "What is...Cliff Clavin?" Trebek made a cameo appearance as himself when Cliff got to be on "Jeopardy!" when the show came to Boston.

From Quiz We Lost Them in 2022

Answer: Leslie Jordan

Leslie Jordan was in 17 episodes of "Will and Grace." In 2006 he was awarded an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Star in a Comedy Series. His reoccurring character, Beverley Leslie, was a gay man who was still in the closet. Karen (Megan Mullally) is especially adamant that Beverley is gay. He was in other shows as well, including "Picket Fences" and "Reasonable Doubts." Jordan was once arrested for drunk driving and shared a cell with another celebrity: Robert Downey Jr. He died at age 67 after his BMW crashed into a building when he had a medical emergency.

From Quiz Not Just Their Deaths But Also Their Lives

Answer: Kiss of the Spider Woman

"Kiss of the Spider Woman" debuted on Broadway in 1993 and was based on the same titled book by Manuel Puig which inspired the 1985 movie for which William Hurt won the Academy Award for Best Actor. It was one of two plays for which McNally won Best Book of a Musical (the other being "Ragtime" in 1998), and he won two for Best Play ("Love! Valour! Compassion!" in 1995 and "Master Class" in 1996). He also won a Lifetime Achievement Tony in 2019. He was suffering from COPD when he died from COVID complications at age 81 on March 24, 2020.

From Quiz Famous People We Said Goodbye To in 2021

Answer: Desmond Tutu

Desmond Tutu (1931-2021) first worked as a teacher, but then became an Anglican priest and studied theology at King's College, London. He went on to become Bishop of Lesotho, then Bishop of Johannesburg and finally Archbishop of Capetown. He was one of the most influential opponents of the apartheid system of racial segregation and of white minority rule in South Africa. Steve Biko (1946-1977) was also a prominent anti-apartheid activist; he died in very suspicious circumstances in police custody. F W de Klerk was the last president of the white-minority era and was instrumental in dismantling the apartheid system and introducing universal suffrage. Nelson Mandela (1918-2013), probably the best-known anti-apartheid activist of all, was the country's first black head of state from 1994 to 1999, having spent a total of over 27 years in prison.

From Quiz Who Left Us in 2021?

Answer: Charlie Watts

Charlie Watts was a jazz lover, being an early member of Blues Incorporated, and later played big band jazz with his own Charlie Watts Orchestra in the 1980s. He joined The Rolling Stones in 1963, and played on every one of their studio albums. Charlie married Shirley Shepherd in 1964 and remained married to her until his death. Keith Richards and Brian Jones were other members of the Rolling Stones. Keith Moon was the drummer for The Who who died in 1978.

From Quiz Who Did We Lose in 2021?

Answer: Hank Aaron

At the age of 87, Hank passed away on January 22, 2021. Hank Aaron wore #44 for both the Milwaukee Braves, Atlanta Braves, and ended his Hall of Fame career with the Milwaukee Brewers. Nicknamed "Hammer" for his power, his 755 home runs were only exceeded by Barry Bonds and his 762 home runs. Hank was also inducted into the Civil Rights Hall of Fame for his achievements in breaking the color barrier and becoming one of the first black men to hold a management position in the major leagues.

From Quiz Zooming in on Notable Deaths (January 2021)

Answer: Hank Aaron

Henry 'Hank' Aaron played 21 of his 23 seasons with the Braves franchise, 12 of those in Milwaukee and then nine in Atlanta when the team moved in 1966. At the time of his retirement in 1976, Hank Aaron was the all-time leader in home runs (755), runs batted in (2,297) and total bases (6,856). Sadly while Aaron was closing in on Babe Ruth's home run record he received numerous death threats and racist hate mail. After his Hall of Fame playing career Aaron was a senior vice president for the Atlanta Braves franchise. He also released an autobiography in 1990 titled "If Had a Hammer". Venturing into other businesses, Hank Aaron owned several car dealerships and 30 chain restaurants. Hank Aaron died on January 22, 2021 at the age of 86. This question was belted for a home run over the left field wall by Phoenix Rising team member Triviaballer who wished he could have seen Hank Aaron play in person but has watched his 715th home run video dozens of times.

From Quiz Zooming in on Notable Deaths (March 2021)

Answer: Beverly Cleary

Beverly Atlee Cleary (1916-2021) was one of the US's most successful children's authors. She died on March 25, 2021, 18 days before her 105th birthday. More than 90 million copies of her books have been sold since she published "Henry Huggins" (1950). Before becoming a full-time writer, Cleary worked as a librarian, something that would help her to develop realistic characters that children could relate to. She received several literary awards for her writing. Aside from her Henry Huggins book series written between 1950 and 1964, Cleary also wrote a series of eight books between 1955 and 1999 centred on Ramona Quimby. These stories were adapted into a 1988 television series and a 2010 film. With an airman-father, Phoenix Rising's psnz had something of a nomadic upbringing, regularly moving to different RNZAF bases. Each post had a well-stocked library and reading Beverly Cleary's works was a pleasure remembered more than fifty years later.

From Quiz Celebrity Deaths of 2021

Answer: Peter Scolari

Peter Scolari was nominated three times for his work on "Newhart," but it wasn't until he starred as Hannah's father, Tad, on the HBO show "Girls" that he would be awarded a Primetime Emmy as an Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.

From Quiz Twenty People Who Died Between 2020-2023

Answer: Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman

"Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" aired on CBS from 1993-1998. It was a Western drama about a woman named Dr. Machaela "Mike" Quinn (played by Jane Seymour) who moved from Boston, Massachusettes to Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1867. In the pilot episode, Loren Bray was played by Guy Boyd, but then the producers recast many of the supporting characters, Boyd was out and Orson Bean played the part for the remainder of the series. He was also in the first of the two movies "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman: The Movie" (1999). The second movie, "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Heart Within" (2001) did not have his character as they were not in Colorado Springs. Loren Bray was an older grumpy man. He lost his wife early in the first season. He lost his daughter before the show started. She was married to Byron Sully (played by Joe Lando), who was friends with the Indians. In the beginning, he hated Sully that is until Sully saved his life with a blood transfusion, then their relationship slowly started to change. Loren was close to Dr. Mike's youngest adopted son Brian (played by Shawn Toovey). He also courted (off and on) Dr. Mike's sister Marjorie (played by Orson Bean's real wife until his death, Alley Mills).

From Quiz We Lost Them in 2022

Answer: Bob McGrath

Bob McGrath played Bob Johnson on "Sesame Street." Before that, he was a professional singer with a tenor voice. He sang many songs on "Sesame Street" and played a music teacher on the show from 1969-2016. He was also part of the 50th anniversary special in 2019. McGrath earned his Master's degree in Music in 1959. He also worked with Mitch Miller on the "Sing Along with Mitch" from 1960-1964. He died at age 90 after having a stroke.

From Quiz Not Just Their Deaths But Also Their Lives

Answer: Piano

Ellis Marsalis, Jr. was a New Orleans native and jazz pianist and music teacher at the University of New Orleans. He recorded 20 albums between 1985 and 2018 and appears as a guest or accompanying musician on several others, including those of his sons Branford (a saxophonist), Wynton (a trumpeter known for both jazz and classical music and a Pulitzer Prize wining composer), and Delfeayo (a trombonist). Jason Marsalis is a percussionist. Ellis Marsalis died at age 85 of COVID-19 related pneumonia on April 1, 2020. Due to COVID restrictions, he could not have the jazz funeral for which New Orleans is famous.

From Quiz Who Left Us in 2021?

Answer: Murray Walker

Murray Walker was known and loved for his enthusiastic, if somewhat error-prone, commentaries on motor racing from 1949 until he retired in 2001. He was actually very knowledgeable on the sport, being known for his in-depth research into facts and statistics on drivers, teams, and race tracks. He died in March 2021, aged 97. The three wrong answers are all British F1 World Champions.

From Quiz Famous People Who Died in the Early 2020s

Answer: Colin Powell

Colin Powell was born on April 5, 1937. He entered the Army in 1958, where he rose to the rank of four-star general of the US Army. In 1989, he became the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This is the highest military appointment in the US. In 2001, he became the 65th United States Secretary of State under George W. Bush. He is known for a scandal during his tenure as Secretary of State. He gave a speech to the United Nations in an attempt to justify the war in Iraq, but later admitted that he had presented some inaccuracies there. Due to this, he was forced to resign from his position when Bush was re-elected to a second term. During retirement, Powell authored his second book and became a public speaker. He contracted Parkinson's Disease and myeloma, a type of blood cancer. The cancer had weakened his immune system, so despite being vaccinated, Powell contracted COVID-19 and passed away from the complications that resulted on October 18, 2021, at the age of 84. He was buried during a private service at Washington National Cathedral on November 5, 2021.

From Quiz A Few Special Souls We Lost in 2021

Answer: Became the first female producer.

The best words to describe Betty White while she was starting out are driven ambition. Betty was determined to be an actress. Ironically, when she first tried to land a job on TV, she was told she was not photogenic enough for television! So, White started her career on the radio. With persistence, White did finally land a job on TV and soon was hosting a 5-hour six-day-a-week live broadcast entitled "Hollywood On Television". In 1953 she became the first female producer of the show "Life with Elizabeth" with herself as the main character. This gave her the power to make the show her own and not have to fall into the stereotypical roles women were expected to play. White was opposed to racial injustice and was an early supporter of LGBT rights.

From Quiz Who Did We Lose in 2021?

Answer: Ed Asner & Asner

On August 29, 2021, we lost Ed Asner at age 91. His gruff voice and stocky appearance tended to intimidate the casual viewer, but then we discovered he was a "teddy bear" on the inside. Ed played the newsman on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" in the 1970s and in the Disney film "Up" in 2009. In addition to the listed roles, Ed Asner also played Santa in Wil Ferrell's movie "Elf".

From Quiz Zooming in on Notable Deaths (January 2021)

Answer: Gerry Marsden

Gerry Marsden died after a short illness related to a heart infection in January 2021. It was he who fell in love with the ballad "You'll Never Walk Alone" from the musical "Carousel" and in 1963, he and his Pacemakers turned it into the anthem adopted by fans of the Liverpool soccer club. It is sung with verve before home games by Liverpool faithful. While another 60s Liverpool band reached greater heights, Gerry and the Pacemakers have a place in history with hits such as "Ferry Cross the Mersey" (1965) and "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" (1964), and dozens of covers of other popular hits like "World Without Love", "Give All Your Love To Me" and "Hallelujah I Love Her So". Geri Haliwell was a 'Spice Girl'; Gerry Adams was the President of Sinn Féin between November 1983 and February 2018; and Gerry Anderson, also an MBE recipient, was the creator of the television hit "Thunderbirds", among many other award-winning shows. Phoenix Rising's VegemiteKid hopes she has passed on the ear-worm "Ferry Cross the Mersey" to you - and you're welcome!

From Quiz Zooming in on Notable Deaths (March 2021)

Answer: Marvelous Marvin Hagler

Marvelous Marvin Hagler was a professional boxer from 1973 to 1987 and from 1980 to 1987 he was the undisputed middleweight champion. He made 12 successful title defenses and at the time of his retirement his 78% knockout percentage was the highest of any middleweight professional boxer. After his boxing career Hagler moved to Italy and appeared in the Italian films "Indio" (1989), "Indio 2" (1991) and "Virtual Weapon" (1997). In his later years Hagler lived in both Milan and New Hampshire. Sadly, Hagler died at the age of 66 on March 13, 2021. This question was jabbed into the quiz by Phoenix Rising team member Triviaballer who thought about and then quickly dismissed legally changing his name to include Triviaballer.

From Quiz Celebrity Deaths of 2021

Answer: Charlie Watts

Throughout his entire career, Charlie Watts never missed a single performance. While rock music was his career, his true music passion was jazz, specifically the work of Charlie Parker, and he would work with big bands, jazz bands, and jazz quintets in his free time.

From Quiz Twenty People Who Died Between 2020-2023

Answer: Spider

The book of a musical is also called the libretto. "Kiss of the Spider Woman" is a Kander and Ebb musical that came to West End (London) in 1992. It is based on the novel "El Beso de la Mujer Arana" by Manuel Puig. It came to Broadway (NYC) in 1993 and won the Tony for Best Musical that year. The plot tells the story of Molina, a gay window dresser who is in prison in Argentina. He was sent to prison for corrupting a minor. He lives mostly in fantasy as a way to escape the torture and humiliation he faces within the prison. His roommate, Valentin is a Marxist revolutionary, who is not healthy after having already been tortured. Valentin abhors Molina, mainly because he is gay. He tells him when he first arrives in the prison, "Don't dare to think that you'll ever be some fairy friend of mine" in the song "I Draw the Line". Molina's fantasies mainly revolve around Aurora whom he worships, but fears one, and that is the kiss of the spider woman. The kiss of the spider woman means you will die.

From Quiz We Lost Them in 2022

Answer: Robbie Coltrane

Anthony Robert McMillan (aka Robbie Coltrane) was born in Scotland in 1950. He played Rubeus Hagrid in all eight "Harry Potter" movies. He was JK Rowling's first choice for the part. Hagrid was the gamekeeper at Hogwarts. His official title was "Keeper of Keys and Grounds." He has been in other movies as well, including "GoldenEye," "Let It Ride," and "Ocean's Twelve" (the 2004 remake). Coltrane took the name Coltrane in honor of jazz player John Coltrane. He died at age 72 after being ill for two years.

From Quiz Not Just Their Deaths But Also Their Lives

Answer: Footlights

Tim Brooke-Taylor read law at Cambridge and was a member of Footlights alongside Monty Python members John Cleese and Graham Chapman and served as the group's president. He performed in "A Clump of Plinths" which was renamed "Cambridge Circus" when it played in the West End. After Cambridge, Brooke-Taylor worked for BBC Radio and along with Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie created "The Goodies," a sketch comedy show which aired 76 episodes between 1970 and 1982. Brooke-Taylor also served a term as the Lord Rector of the University of St. Andrews, a position earlier held by his Footlights associate John Cleese. He was 79 when he died on April 12, 2020 of COVID-19 complications.

From Quiz Famous People We Said Goodbye To in 2021

Answer: Ewan McGregor

Christopher Plummer had a distinguished career spanning 7 decades in film, theatre and television. During this time, he played many memorable roles and won a host of prestigious awards. In 'Beginners', which is a film constructed from a series of flashbacks, his son Oliver (Ewan McGregor) reflects on his relationship with his father during the last years of the latter's life. Plummer played in many movies after 'Beginners' and continued working until shortly before his death at the age of 91. He played roles as diverse as Captain von Trapp in 'The Sound of Music' (1965), Rudyard Kipling in 'The Man Who Would Be King' (1975) and Henrik Vanger in 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' (2011).

From Quiz Who Left Us in 2021?

Answer: Lionel Blair

Lionel was first recognised as a dancer and choreographer, but then became famous as one of the two team captains on "Give Us a Clue", which aired between 1979 and 1992. This was a game show based on charades. For over 30 years, until 2005, he appeared extensively in pantomime across the UK. Lionel died in November 2021, aged 92 Tom O'Connor, a British comedian, also died in 2021. Eric and Bob were British comedians who died several years earlier.

From Quiz Famous People Who Died in the Early 2020s

Answer: Charley Pride

Charley Pride was born in Mississippi in 1934. He taught himself to play the guitar when he was fourteen years old, but had a bigger interest in playing baseball. In the early 1950s, he pitched in the Negro American League, and on the farm teams of other American League teams. When one of his managers noticed his singing ability, he asked Pride to sing in the stadium for fifteen minutes before each game. This was the start of his career as a singer. He became known as the first African-American country singer as he became more famous. Pride's most successful song, "Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'", was released in 1971. He had his first performance at the Grand Ole Opry in 1967, only the second African-American performer to ever sing on that stage. He was formally inducted to the Grande Ole Opry in May, 1993. He was only the second African-American to be inducted since the first inductees were announced in the mid-1920s. Pride developed COVID-19 while he lived in Texas in 2020. He passed away from complications of the virus on December 20, 2020. He is buried at the Calvary Hill Cemetery and Mausoleum in Dallas, Texas.

From Quiz Who Did We Lose in 2021?

Answer: DMX

DMX was known for his in-your-face aggressive vocals and his love of dogs. "X Gonna Give It To You" (2003) and "Slippin" (1998) were definitive rap singles for the New York rapper. In addition, DMX appeared in multiple films, including "Belly" (1998).

From Quiz Zooming in on Notable Deaths (January 2021)

Answer: The Last Picture Show

"The Last Picture Show" was a coming-of-age drama directed by Peter Bogdanovich and based on Larry McMurtry's 1966 novel. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards with Cloris Leachman winning, while Ben Johnson received the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. The sequel "Texasville" (1990) was based on McMurtry's 1987 novel, directed by Bogdanovich and with many of the cast reprising their 1971 roles. Cloris Leachman was an American comedienne and actress, active for more than 70 years. From 22 nominations, she won eight Primetime Emmy Awards, recognising her work on programmes such as "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" (Phyllis Lindstrom) and "Malcolm in the Middle" (Ida Welker). There were many other awards, together with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1980) and induction to the Television Academy Hall of Fame (2011). Ms. Leachman appeared in three Mel Brooks' films, "Young Frankenstein" (1974), "High Anxiety" (1977) and "History of the World, Part I" (1981). Other notable film credits include "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969), "The Muppet Movie" (1979) and "Spanglish" (2004). Her television work included "Lassie", "Dr. Kildare", "Phyllis", "The Ellen Show" and "Raising Hope". She also appeared in many stage productions. "Cloris: My Autobiography" (2009) was co-authored with ex-husband George Englund. Ms. Leachman died January 27, 2021 aged 94. Phoenix Rising's psnz was pleased to have this opportunity to honour Ms. Leachman's life and work.

From Quiz Zooming in on Notable Deaths (March 2021)

Answer: G. Gordon Liddy

George Gordon Battle Liddy was born in Brooklyn in 1930 and was a successful lawyer and FBI agent before working as director of Richard Nixon's victorious 1968 presidential campaign. After serving in several positions in the Nixon administration, he collaborated with E. Howard Hunt to organise and lead burglary of the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate building in May-June 1972. The Watergate scandal led to President Nixon's resignation. In 1973 Liddy was convicted of "burglary, conspiracy, and refusing to testify" at the Senate committee investigating Watergate. He was sentenced to twenty years in prison which was later commuted to eight years by then President Carter in 1976. He served 52 months. Afterwards he became a noted speaker on the college circuit and organised a series of debates with adversary Timothy Leary, also on the college circuit. He was a successful author in both fiction and non-fiction genres. Mr Liddy acted occasionally in small parts in TV shows including "Miami Vice" (1984), "MacGyver" (1985) and some "Perry Mason" movies. He died aged 90 on March 30, 2021. This question submitted without comment by Phoenix Rising team member 1nn1.

From Quiz Celebrity Deaths of 2021

Answer: Christopher Plummer

During his life, Plummer was the winner of two Academy Awards, two Tony Awards, and two Primetime Emmy Awards, as well as a BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award. Plummer was originally extremely reluctant to star alongside Julie Andrews in "The Sound of Music" because he felt the the Captain's character was too sentimental and saccharin. Other than working with Julie Andrews, Plummer greatly disliked filming "The Sound of Music" and often refused to reference it by name, preferring to call it 'the movie.'

From Quiz We Lost Them in 2022

Answer: Kirstie Alley

Kirstie Louise Alley was born on January 12, 1951, in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Her first major movie role was in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)," where she played Saavik. Alley took over for Shelley Long when she left "Cheers." She played the role of the neurotic gold-digging manager Rebecca Howe for the final six seasons of the show when she auditioned for the position. She showed up in a blonde wig to look like Shelley Long. Alley was well-known for her connection to Scientology as well. Since Leah Remini left the group, this has caused a disconnection between the two, and they often battled publicly, especially on Twitter. She was also well known for the "Look Who's Talking Trilogy (1989, 1990 and 1993)." She has often stated she was in love with John Travolta - so much so that his now late wife Kelly Preston had told her to stop flirting with him at one point. Alley was a great actress with superb comedic timing. Her cause of death was colon cancer. She was 71.

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