That Musician is From Kentucky? Quiz

Answer: Boots Randolph

Homer Louis "Boots" Randolph III was born in Paducah, Kentucky and raised in Cadiz, Kentucky. When WWII ended he played saxophone, trombone and vibraphone in the United States Army Band for a while. He then formed his own band and became a session player for numerous artists spanning a forty-year career. Before he took the name "Boots" he used the name Randy Randolph.

He played on many of Elvis Presley's recording sessions and movie soundtracks. Among his many accomplishments are playing on Roy Orbison's 1963 hit, "Mean Woman Blues", "Little Queenie" by REO Speedwagon, "Java" by Al Hirt, "Turn On Your Lovelight" by Jerry Lee Lewis and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee.

He also performed frequently on "Hee-Haw". His last studio album, "A Whole New Ballgame" was released a month before he passed in July, 2007. Charlie "Bird" Parker was born in Kansas City, Kansas. Julian Edwin "Cannonball" Adderley was originally from Tampa, Florida, and moved to New York in the fifties. Stan Getz was born in Philadelphia.

Answer: Dwight Yoakam

Dwight David Yoakam has recorded more than 20 albums and released more than 30 singles that have made the Billboard Country charts. He was born in Pikeville, Kentucky. Dwight's first recording was on a compilation album titled "A Town South of Bakersfield".

In 1986 he released his first album, "Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.". His first number one hit was a duet with Buck Owens titled "Streets of Bakersfield". His song "Readin', Rightin', Route 23" pays tribute to his Kentucky childhood. He began his acting career in the 1992 release "Red Rock West" and gained attention as an actor when he played an abusive alcoholic in "Slingblade" and a killer in "Panic Room".

He also performs in live theater. Yoakam is a 2008 inductee into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame. David Lee Murphy was born in Herrin, Illinois, Alan Eugene Jackson was born in Georgia and Randy Travis was born Randy Bruce Traywick in Marshville, North Carolina.

Answer: Rosemary Clooney

Clooney was born in Maysville, Kentucky. In 1946 she recorded for Columbia Records as the singer for Tony Pastor's band. In 1954 she starred in "White Christmas" with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen. By 1956 she was starring in her own musical variety show, "The Rosemary Clooney Show".

She was married twice to José Ferrer. Once from 1953 until 1961 and again from 1964 to 1967. Miguel Ferrer was the first of their five children. Their third son, Gabriel Ferrer, married singer Debby Boone. Clooney died in 2002 after giving a concert in Hawaii.

Her final number was "God Bless America". Her Kentucky residence now houses collections of memorabilia from many of her films and performances. Clara Ann Fowler, known by her professional name as Patti Page, was born in Claremore, Oklahoma. Singer Jo Stafford was born in Coalinga, California, and Peggy Lee was born Norma Deloris Egstrom in Jamestown, North Dakota.

Answer: Billy Vaughn

Richard "Billy" Vaughn was born in Glasgow, Kentucky. He learned to play several instruments as a young boy and preferred the mandolin. He enlisted in the National Guard in 1941 for a one-year stint, but remained on active duty until the end of WWII. He decided to make a career of music and majored in Music Composition at Western Kentucky State College.

He joined a group called the Hilltoppers with other students and composed their first hit song, "Trying". They made an appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show".

In 1954 he started working for Dot Records in Tennessee as music director backing their roster of artists including Pat Boone and Gale Storm. He soon formed his own orchestra and had a number two hit with "Melody of Love", using a double saxophone technique. Lawrence Welk was one of nine children born to the Welk family in in Strasburg, North Dakota. Mancini was born Enrico Nicola Mancini in Cleveland, Ohio, and Bert Kaempfert was born in Hamburg, Germany.

Answer: Skeeter Davis

Skeeter Davis was born Mary Frances Penick. She started her singing career as part of The Davis Sisters in the early fifties. Skeeter met Betty Jack Davis and they sang together during high school. Although they were not related they formed a group and called themselves The Davis Sisters.

The duo began appearing on Detroit radio station WJR's "Barnyard Frolics". They were soon offered a recording contract and had a number one hit with "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know". At the peak of their success Betty Jack was killed in a auto wreck. Skeeter signed as a solo artist with RCA and worked with producer Chet Atkins.

In 1959 she joined the Grand Ole Opry and was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Set Him Free". It was the first of five nominations.

Her last chart hit was in 1976 with "I Love Us". Brenda Lee was born Brenda Mae Tarpley in Atlanta, Georgia. Tammy Wynette was born Virginia Wynette Pugh in Tremont, Mississippi. Patsy Cline was born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Virginia.

Answer: Tom T. Hall

Tom T. Hall was born in Olive Hill, Kentucky. In addition to the 11 number one hits he has penned, another 26 made the top ten for various artists. As a teenager Hall put together a band called the Kentucky Travelers. During his stint in the military he worked with Armed Forces Radio and upon his release he worked as a deejay for a number of radio stations.

After Jeannie C. Riley had a smash with "Harper Valley PTA", Hall got his first Grammy and wrote songs for other country stars including Johnny Cash, George Jones, Loretta Lynn, Waylon Jennings and Alan Jackson.

He began recording his songs such as "A Week in the Country Jail", "Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine", "I Love", "Country Is", "The Year Clayton Delaney Died", "I Like Beer" and "Faster Horses (The Cowboy and the Poet)". "I Care" hit number one on the country charts in 1975.

He is a 2008 alumnus of the Country Music Hall of Fame. David Allan Coe is from Ohio. John Prine hails from Illinois and Johnnie Wright is from Tennessee. Wright married Kitty Wells and along with Wright's sister performed as Johnnie Wright and the Harmony Girls.

Answer: Ricky Skaggs

Richard Lee Skaggs entered the world in Lawrence County, Kentucky. He is proficient on the fiddle, guitar, banjo and mandolin. When he was six years old Ricky played mandolin on stage with Bill Monroe and appeared on television's "Martha White Country Music Variety Show" playing with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. Skaggs became a member of Emmylou Harris' Band.

In the early eighties he relocated to Nashville and was signed to Epic Records where he produced his debut album, "Waitin' For The Sun to Shine".

The album yielded four hits including the two number one hits "Cryin' My Heart Out Over You" and "I Don't Care". In addition to his many Grammy Awards he has also received over a half-dozen CMA awards. Tracy Lawrence is a Texas native. Tim McGraw was born Samuel Timothy Smith in Delhi, Louisiana, and Joe Diffie is a Tulsa native.

Answer: Patty Loveless

Patty Loveless was born Patty Lee Ramey in Pikeville, Kentucky. Her brother, Roger, was a producer with The Porter Wagoner Show. He managed to get Patty an audition and subsequent support from Wagoner. During a 1973 tour, singer Jean Shepard was unable to appear and Patty filled in.

In 1985 MCA released her first single, "Lonely Days, Lonely Nights", which only reached number 46. Loveless' third album, "Honky Tonk Angel", was her breakthrough album. The album was Loveless' highest charting album, reaching number seven.

It yielded two number one singles, "Chains" and "Timber, I'm Falling In Love". She was awarded the Academy of Country Music Top Female Vocalist honor in 1996 and was the Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year the same year.

She joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1988. Suzy Bogguss is from Illinois, Carpenter was born in Princeton, New Jersey, and Trisha Yearwood was born in Monticello, Georgia.

Answer: Rocky Top

Sonny Osborne and Bobby Osborne became noted for their instrumental ability and their vocal harmonies. Their first country chart appearance was in 1958 with "Once More", a song they did as a trio with Red Allen. They followed up with "Blame me", "Sweethearts Again" and a remake of the Carter Family's "Fair and Tender Ladies".

They began a string of 18 hits that would continue through the eighties. Their final chart appearance came in 1986 with a revised version of "Rocky Top". Songwriters Felice and Boudleaux Bryant wrote "Rocky Top" in 1967.

The fast-paced song was a departure for the duo who usually focused on ballads. When it was recorded by the Osborne Brothers it became a Top Forty hit in 1968. Lynn Anderson had a hit with the song in 1970. Felice and Boudleaux Bryant are known for writing several hits for the Everly Brothers. Don Everly was born Isaac Donald Everly in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky.

Answer: Backstreet Boys

Brian began singing in his Baptist church in his home town of Lexington, Kentucky. His cousin, Kevin Richardson, moved to Orlando, Florida, and when Backstreet Boys were forming he recommended Brian for membership. Although he was planning on becoming a youth pastor, Brian auditioned and became the fifth member of the group. From the beginning Brian had lead parts on most of the songs done by the group.

In 2000 he won the "Teen People's 25 Hottest People Under 25" award along with Justin Timberlake.

In addition to his work with Backstreet Boys, Littrell's Gospel single, "In Christ Alone", went to Number One on the Christian Charts. He was the winner of the 2006 GMA Music Award for Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year. On September 2, 2000, Littrell married model and actress Leighanne Wallace, whom he met at the video shoot for the Backstreet Boys' single "As Long As You Love Me." Brian remains with the group but Kevin Richardson left in June, 2006, to start a family.