Hillbilly Heaven Trivia Quiz

Answer: Grandpa Jones

Louis Marshall "Grandpa" Jones was born in Niagara, Kentucky in 1913. He was one of the best "claw hammer" style banjo players. His signature song was "Good Old Mountain Dew," although he had many other hits as well. In 1969 he joined the cast of "Hee Haw," and in 1978 he was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Grandpa Jones entered Hillbilly Heaven on February 19, 1998, after suffering a series of strokes.

Answer: Faron Young

Faron Young was born in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1932. In the 1950s he starred in a series of low-budget Western movies, which is how he acquired the nickname "The Singing Sheriff." Young had his first number one hit on the Country charts in 1955 with "Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young," but the song most of us remember him for is his 1961 hit, "Hello, Walls." "Hello, Walls," was written by Willie Nelson. Faron Young continued to be very popular throughout the 1960s and 1970s, but near the end of his days he suffered from depression, emphysema and prostate cancer. Sadly, Faron Young took his own life and died on December 10, 1996.

He was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000.

Answer: Patsy Cline

Patsy Cline was born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Winchester, Virginia in 1932. She married Gerald Cline in 1953; although they were divorced in 1957, she kept his name throughout her career. She first gained national attention when she sang "Walkin' After Midnight" on "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" in 1957.

In her short career Patsy had a dozen or more hit songs that have gone on to be classics of the Country genre, including "Crazy," "If You Got Leavin' On Your Mind," "I Fall to Pieces," and "She's Got You," just to name a few. Patsy Cline was killed in a plane crash near Camden, Tennessee on March 5, 1963.

She was only 30 years old. A movie about her life, "Sweet Dreams," starring Jessica Lange, was released in 1985.

Answer: Roy Acuff

Roy Acuff was born in Maynardville, Tennessee in 1903. He joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1938. In the 1940s, Acuff and his band, the Smoky Mountain Boys, appeared in a number of Hollywood movies, and he also founded his own music publishing company. Roy Acuff recorded his theme song, "The Wabash Cannonball" in 1936. Through 2013, it had sold in excess of ten million records worldwide.

In 1991, he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the first Country performer to be so honored. Roy Acuff entered Hillbilly Heaven on November 23, 1992, at the age of 89.

Answer: Marty Robbins

Marty Robbins was born in Glendale, Arizona in 1925. He began his music career after serving in the Navy during WWII. He had his first number one hit in 1952, and remained popular until the end of his life. In addition to his career as singer and songwriter, Robbins was a talented racecar driver, and frequently drove in NASCAR competitions.

Although he had over a dozen number ones on the Country charts, as well as several crossover hits, "El Paso" is his most famous song. Robbins wrote the song, and it went to number one in 1959. Marty Robbins entered Hillbilly Heaven on December 8, 1982, following a heart attack at age 57.

Answer: Ernest Tubb

Ernest Tubb was born in Crisp, Texas in 1914. He had a remarkable career that spanned six decades, achieving success both as a singer and songwriter. His first hit, "Walking the Floor Over You," became his signature song. He is sometimes credited with inventing the "honky-tonk" style of Country music.

He was one of the first entertainers inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1965. He is also a member of the Nashville Songwriters International Hall of Fame. Later in life he developed emphysema, but continued to perform almost to the end of his life. Ernest Tubb entered Hillbilly Heaven on September 6, 1984, and it is probably a much livelier place because of his presence.

Answer: Hank Williams

Hiram King "Hank" Williams was born in Mount Olive, Alabama in 1923. Although his life was troubled, and he suffered from ill-health all his days, he achieved a form of immortality through his music. He was entirely self-taught and never learned how to read music, but his soulful lyrics more than made up for his deficiencies as a musician.

He died of a heart attack on the way to a concert on New Year's Day, 1953. Ironically, one of his last songs was "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive." Perhaps his most famous song, "Your Cheatin' Heart," was recorded in 1952, but not released until after his death. Along with Jimmie Rodgers and songwriter Fred Rose, Williams was one of the first three entertainers named to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Answer: Jim Reeves

James Travis Reeves was born in Galloway, Texas in 1923. He originally wanted to be a baseball player, and played in the St. Louis Cardinals' farm system for three years before an injury put an end to his athletic career. He became a radio announcer, and began singing on the popular radio show, "Louisiana Hayride." He had his first number one hit on the Country charts in 1954; in 1960 his signature tune, "He'll Have To Go," remained at the top of the charts for 14 weeks.

It was originally released as the "B" side of a record called "In a Mansion Stands My Love." Jim Reeves died in a tragic airplane crash near Brentwood, Tennessee on July 31, 1964.

In 1967, he was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Answer: Tammy Wynette

She was born Virginia Wynette Pugh in Bounds, Mississippi in 1942. As a single mother of three, she worked as a licensed beautician to support her family while pursuing her dream of becoming a singer. Her first big hit was "Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad" in 1966. That was followed by an unbelievable string of six number one hits in a row on the Country charts, including "Stand By Your Man." Wynette was one of the co-writers of the song, which became one of her biggest hits. Like many Country singers, Tammy Wynette had a troubled personal life, and struggled with addictions to prescription pain killers.

She checked into Hillbilly Heaven all too soon at the age of 55, on April 6, 1998.

Answer: Tex Ritter

Tex Ritter was born in Mulvaul, Texas in 1905. He was one of the first and most popular of the "singing cowboys," and appeared in over 70 motion pictures between 1936 and 1973. He was also a fine singer off the silver screen, scoring his first number one hit in 1944 with "I'm Wastin' My Tears on You," He is also remembered as the father of the late actor John Ritter of "Three's Company" fame.

He recorded "I Dreamed of a Hill-Billy Heaven" in 1961, and it became a hit on both the Country and Pop charts.

He is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, and also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Tex Ritter died on January 2, 1974, at the age of 68. Hillbilly Heaven is sure to be a better place with him in it.