Today's Word is "Easy" Trivia Quiz

Answer: Go

James Hadley Chase, birth name Rene Brabazon Raymond, was born in London on December 24th 1906 and died on February 6th, 1985. He was a prolific author of mystery thrillers, publishing his first, "No Orchids For Miss Blandish" in 1939 and his last, "Hit Them Where It Hurts" in 1984. "Come Easy - Go Easy" was published in 1960.

Many of his stories were set in the USA, though he only briefly lived there.

Answer: Orange

The first flights of easyJet were in 1995. The company was set up as a low-cost-no-thrills airline by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the son of a Greek shipping magnate. Within 10 years it was the second largest low-fare airline in Europe (behind Ryanair).

The "easy" franchise blossomed into many other services, including finance, hotels and sea cruising. Orange became the corporate colour of all.

Answer: New Orleans

The 'French Mississippi Company' established La Nouvelle-Orléans in May 1718. It was located on the Mississippi river, about 100 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. The city had many associations with performing arts, with a rich musical history in many genres. The Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) festival attracted many visitors. The city was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Answer: Billy Joel

"You don't have to talk all night
I'm a man who can't say no
You don't have to twist my arm
Just point me where you want to go

Take me to the action, take me to the track
Take me to a party if they're bettin' in the back
I've been working all my life, can't afford to wait
Let me call my wife so I can tell her I'll be late

I want the easy, easy money
Easy money, I could get lucky
Oh, things could go right
I want the easy, easy money
Easy money, maybe this one time
Maybe tonight"

The American rocker Billy Joel was born in New York City on May 9th, 1949. He produced many top-selling records in a career that started (slowly) in 1971.
The 'Rock and Roll Hall of Fame' noted (on his induction in 1998): "To date, 13 of Joel's 33 hits have made the Top Ten, and three of them-"It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" (1980), "Tell Her About It" (1983) and "We Didn't Start the Fire" (1989)-reached #1." In 1994, Joel all but gave up on rock music, and it was not until 13 years later that he began to tour again.

Answer: Charlie Chaplin

This 1917 short was the story of a tramp, played by Chaplin, who became a policeman to combat the neighborhood bully. Edna Purviance and Eric Campbell also starred.

Answer: Harry Chapin

"It was just another night
and I was out on a limb
looking for someone
to help me back in.
A couple of hours of cruising around
brought me into a bar
and I sat me down
nothing much to be found.
So I got in to talking to the old bar man
he said:

You got a problem I can understand
and I know a little lady
who is all alone.
If you find her she will take you home.
She don't like to spend her nights alone

They call her Easy.
They say it's not a way for a body to be.
They call her Easy.
She is giving out her love for free."
To say that Harry Chapin wrote songs was like saying Muhammad Ali was a boxer. Chapin's works were more like short stories set to music. Indeed, one of his best-received albums was called "Short Stories" (1974) and he often referred to his "story songs". Chapin was born in New York City on December 7th 1942 and died in a traffic collision on the Long Island Expressway on July 16th 1981, on his way to a concert. Chapin was probably at his best in front of a concert audience. Although they were passionate about his music, his sole number one chart hit in the USA was "Cat's in the Cradle" (1974).

Answer: 1951

Hurricane Easy formed on 2nd September 1951 1,000 miles west of Cape Verde. It grew in intensity to a Grade 5 storm, moving northwestwards across the Atlantic. On September 7th, it began to track northwards, passing close to Bermuda, before dissipating.
Note: As has already been pointed out to me by one player, there was a 'Hurricane Easy' in September 1950. However, it was a Category 3 storm and did make landfall and did cause destruction.

Answer: Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie, 15th September 1890 to 12th January 1976, wrote more than 80 detective novels and numerous plays, one of which, "The Mousetrap", debuted in the 'West End' of London in 1952 and was still running at the time this quiz was written. The 'Queen of Crime' created many memorable characters, including Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, both of whom featured in many TV and big screen outings.

Answer: Harley Davidson

Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper led the cast of the 1969 movie (which Hopper directed). It was the tale of two men who travelled by motorcycle from Los Angeles to New Orleans "in search of America". Four ex-police Harley Davidson Hydraglide bikes were used in the film.

Answer: Tom Paxton

"Everywhere I looked this morning you were on my mind;
Sometimes we have moments when good news is hard to find.
No-one knows exactly what another's going through,
But singin' you these simple words is one thing I can do.

Chorus:
Though it ain't easy, it ain't easy -
The livin' and the lovin' are no easy things to do.
It ain't easy, it ain't easy -
That's why I want to be a friend to you."
Paxton was one of the original and most enduring heroes of the 1960s 'Folkscare' revolution. While some lost the will to go on and others lost their way, Paxton remained true to the troubadour tradition that dated back through Woody Guthrie to the Carter Family and the other early singers who wrote and sang about their lives and the lives they saw.