Ginger Rogers (1911-1995), born Virginia Katherine McMath, was an American singer, dancer and actress. She appeared with Fred Astaire in ten films, beginning with "Flying Down to Rio" in 1933 to "The Barkleys of Broadway" in 1949. As cartoonist Bob Thaves said in 1982: "Sure he was great, but don't forget that Ginger Rogers did everything he did...backwards and in high heels." Aside from her comedic roles, Rogers won an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for the 1940 film "Kitty Foyle".
2. Eric Marlon Bishop
Answer: Jamie Foxx
Speaking of Academy Award winners, Eric Marlon Bishop won an Oscar for Best Actor for the 2004 biopic "Ray", about the life of singer Ray Charles. If that doesn't sound familiar it's because he won under his stage name, i.e., Jamie Foxx. He was born in Texas in 1967, and first came to prominence on the skit show "In Living Color" from 1990 to 1994. Foxx was also nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for "Collateral", and he is a 2010 Grammy Award winner for "Blame It".
3. Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta
Answer: Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, better known as Lady Gaga, was born in midtown Manhattan in 1986 (more literally, in Lenox Hill Hospital). She is a singer, actress and songwriter. Her debut electropop album "The Fame", in 2008, included the hit songs "Just Dance" and "Poker Face". Ms Gaga has acted on TV and in movies, e.g. "A Star Is Born", and she won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Shallow" from "A Star Is Born" (2018).
4. Erik Weisz
Answer: Harry Houdini
Illusionist and performer Erik Weisz (1874-1926) was born in Budapest, Hungary. The escape artist is better known by the name of Harry Houdini. When he came to the United States, he began in vaudeville and evolved into "Harry 'Handcuff' Houdini" on his European tour.
His act involved being chained, wearing a straight jacket under water and being buried alive. With all his dangerous stunts, he wound up dying from peritonitis from a ruptured appendix.
5. Robyn Fenty
Answer: Rihanna
Robyn 'Rihanna' Fenty was born in Barbados in 1988. She is a singer who has also become a fashion designer, entrepreneur, actress and philanthropist. Her first two studio albums, i.e., "Music of the Sun" (2005) and "A Girl Like Me" (2006), were both hits and show the influence of Caribbean music.
However, it was her third album "Good Girl Gone Bad" (2007) with the song "Umbrella" that catapulted her to fame, and earned Rihanna her first Grammy Award.
6. Thomas DeCarlo Callaway
Answer: CeeLo Green
Thomas DeCarlo Callaway is better known by his stage name, CeeLo Green. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1975 and is a rapper, singer and record producer. CeeLo started out with the southern hip hop group Goodie Mob and then became the duo called Gnarls Barkley, along with Danger Mouse.
In 2010 Green went solo with "F**k You", and the edited radio version "Forget You", which became a huge hit. He appeared on "The Voice" and reunited with Goodie Mob for a fifth studio album.
7. Tula Finklea
Answer: Cyd Charisse
Would you ever think that a little girl from Texas named Tula Finklea would grow up to become actress and dancer Cyd Charisse (1922-2008)? It becomes even more remarkable when you add in the fact that, as a child, she had to overcome polio. She was married to Nico Charisse from 1939 to 1947.
In 1948, she married popular singer Tony Martin, and they were married until her death. Among Cyd's movies are: "Singin' in the Rain", "Brigadoon" and "Ziegfeld Follies".
8. Shawn Corey Carter
Answer: Jay-Z
Rapper, songwriter, entrepreneur and executive, Jay-Z or JAY-Z was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1969. At that time his birth certificate read Shawn Corey Carter. In 1995, he started the record label Roc-A-Fella, and released his debut album "Reasonable Doubt" the following year.
He founded the clothing retailer Rocawear, the 40/40 Club, and he has won more than twenty Grammy Awards. Jay-Z was the first rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017.
9. Edythe Marrenner
Answer: Susan Hayward
Actress Edythe Marrenner (1917-1975) was born and bred in Brooklyn, New York. She was a fashion model who went to Hollywood in 1937 to audition for the role of Scarlet O'Hara in "Gone with the Wind". While she didn't get the part, Edythe became famous for portraying real life women like Lillian Roth in "I'll Cry Tomorrow", Bathsheba in "David and Bathsheba" and Barbara Graham in her Oscar winning performance in "I Want to Live". Edythe's stage name was Susan Hayward.
10. Aubrey Graham
Answer: Drake
Canadian singer, rapper, songwriter and actor Aubrey 'Drake' Graham was born in Toronto in 1986. He first appeared as Jimmy Brooks in the teen television drama "Degrassi: The Next Generation" which aired from 2001 to 2015. He left the series in 2007 to pursue a career in music. Drake's 2010 debut studio album, "Thank Me Later", went to number one on the US Billboard 200 chart.
His 2011 album "Take Care" earned him his first Grammy Award for Best Rap Album.
11. Amanda Lee Rogers
Answer: Portia de Rossi
You might not recognize the name of actress Amanda Lee Rogers, born in Australia in 1973. Her father died when she was nine and she did some modeling as a child for TV and print ads. At fifteen, she changed her name to Portia de Rossi in order "to reinvent herself". Portia first came to fame when she portrayed Nelle Porter on "Ally McBeal" (1998-2002), for which she won a SAG Award.
She also played Lindsay on "Arrested Development". She married Ellen DeGeneres in 2008.
12. Peter Gene Hernandez
Answer: Bruno Mars
Peter Gene Hernandez was born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1985. You may know him better as singer, dancer, songwriter and record producer Bruno Mars. He moved to Los Angeles, CA and, in 2010, released his debut studio album "Doo-Wops and Hooligans" which rose to number three on the Billboard 200 chart.
He is known for fusing pop, R&B, funk, soul, reggae and hip hop. Bruno won his first Grammy in 2011 for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for the single "Just the Way You Are".
13. Eileen Regina Edwards
Answer: Shania Twain
"Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" sang Shania Twain on her 1997 album "Come on Over". But Shania was born as Eileen Regina Edwards in Windsor, Canada in 1965. Having sold over 100 million records, she has been dubbed "The Queen of Country Pop". She is currently the best-selling female artist in country music history. "Come on Over", her third studio album, would become the "best-selling studio album of all time by a female act in any genre and the best-selling country album".
14. Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr.
Answer: Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Snoopzilla, Snoop Lion, DJ Snoopadelic and Smooth Dogg have been the various monikers of the rapper born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. Snoop (if I may be informal) was born in Long Beach, California in 1971. Dr. Dre discovered him in 1992 and featured him on his debut album.
The following year, Mr. Dogg released his own debut album "Doggystyle" which incuded the hit singles "What's My Name" and "Gin and Juice".
15. Samille Friesen
Answer: Dyan Cannon
Our last celebrity was born as Samille Friesen, making it difficult to even determine the gender. It might help if I told you this person was married to Cary Grant from 1965 to 1968, and gave birth to their daughter Jennifer in 1966. This actress, writer, producer and director was born in Tacoma, WA in 1937, and later changed her name to Dyan Cannon.
She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress Oscars for "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice" (1969) and for "Heaven Can Wait" (1978).
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor skunkee before going online.
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