Influential 1950s Musicians Trivia Quiz

Answer: You Never Can Tell

It is ironic that when Chuck Berry wrote this charming song, in 1964, with its lyrics about Pierre, "the young M'sieur", and "the lovely Mademoiselle" who became "Madame", he was serving a lengthy prison sentence (20 months) after being convicted under the Mann Act provisions. This piece of legislation was originally an anti-prostitution measure, but by then it was interpreted more loosely and dealt with taking an underage girl over state lines, for immoral purposes.

The law in the US in the sixties was applied so differently to blacks than whites, that it is now impossible to ascertain the truth of the whole matter. Musicians who worked with Berry said that the experience left him feeling very bitter.

Still, "You Never Can Tell" remains a great song which has inspired many covers, notably one by Emmylou Harris. The world mourned the death of Chuck Berry in March of 2017.

Answer: Peggy Sue Got Married

It is noteworthy that "Peggy Sue Got Married" proceeds at a more gentle pace than the rocking "Peggy Sue", and Holly sings it in a much softer tone. The later song has a sense of wistfulness about it, although in real life, Buddy Holly was by this time happily married himself.

Of course, "Peggy Sue Got Married" is also the title of a very successful movie, a 1986 comedy starring Kathleen Turner and Nicolas Cage.

Answer: Lipstick on Your Collar

In 1959, Connie Francis was one of a very few women to achieve a significant status among the male-dominated high scorers on the rock'n'roll Hit Parade(s). In an interview given at the time, Ms. Francis explained that she preferred song choices like "Lipstick on Your Collar" (she also mentioned "Stupid Cupid", another humorous number), because they provided that little twist, or role reversal, that she was after.

Connie Francis is still with us in 2016, though she has retired from active
performing.

Answer: Sue and Daisy

We are informed by the singer that, while "Sue, she knows just what to do", it's "Daisy, (who) almost drives me crazy (because) she knows how to love me, yes indeed". In that conservative era, it's a little surprising that such lyrics made it past the censor-conscious radio stations. However, what's truly amazing it that the song's original lyrics, by Little Richard and a songwriter named Dorothy Labostrie, had a gay twist to them which was quite explicit. Though Little Richard wasn't too secretive about his own sexuality (if photos of the time can be trusted), he must have been a bold man if he thought he was going to get the gay lyrics on the air.

There's a certain quote from "Rolling Stone" magazine which transcends such considerations: "(This song) contains the line which has to be considered the most inspired rock lyric ever recorded: 'A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-lomp-bam-boom'."
In an interview, Little Richard has revealed that the first time he used this exclamation, he was working in a restaurant kitchen when the dishwashing machine broke down.

Little Richard, a rocker noted for his longevity, is often spoken of together with Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry, as they are all the same age.

Answer: Jerry Lee Lewis

Jerry Lee Lewis is another very famous rock and roller. He is 81 (he shares his birthday with this quiz writer), and at last report was still giving interviews. Jerry Lee is on Wife Number Seven (Judith) and claims to have found marital bliss. His marriages were often controversial: his third wife, Myra, was his 13-year-old cousin (and in her pictures she looks about 11...), and he also buried two wives who died under mysterious circumstances while still in their twenties. Jerry Lee was decades older than either of them at their demise.

After the sometimes hypocritical powers in the rock'n'roll world turned their backs on him following the scandal of his marriage to Myra, Jerry Lee had a great deal of success in the field of Country and Western music. He had big hits with everything from "Crazy Arms" to "Sixty Minute Man".

Answer: Antoine 'Fats' Domino

Fats Domino, whose heritage is French Creole, began with a song called "The Fat Man" in 1949 and just kept turning out the hits. Just to mention a few, he had great chart success with songs like "My Girl Josephine", "Walking to New Orleans", "Blue Monday", Ain't That a Shame", and of course "Blueberry Hill".

In fact, rumour has it that at one point in the mid-fifties, Fats Domino's Number One Hits outnumbered those of Elvis Presley. Not many people could lay claim to that!

Answer: Hank Williams

Hank Williams had his first Number One hit in 1949, with an old song from 1922 called "Lovesick Blues". There is an apocryphal story that when he sang it on the "Louisiana Hayride", a popular country music show that also went out over the radio waves, the audience would not let him off the stage until he had performed the song seven times in a row, as an encore.

Early on in his meteoric career, Hank Williams had back surgery which left him in constant pain. He developed some very serious trouble, and was addicted to both opiate drugs and alcohol. During the last years of his life, these problems affected his behaviour to such an extent that most managers of musical venues refused to hire him.

Still, he did continue to make a living within the music industry. Finally, on New year's Eve 1959, he died in the back seat of a car he had hired to get him to his next booking. There is a brilliant musical called "Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave", written by Canadian musician Sneezy Waters. There is also a 2016 movie called "I Saw the Light" that deals with the life of Hank Williams.

Answer: Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash was born in Arkansas in 1932 and christened J.R. Cash. When he enlisted in the military he was told he could not use just initials, so he changed his name to John R. Cash, and later adopted Johnny Cash as his stage name.

He had a lengthy and successful musical career, recording over 1500 songs, ranging from his own compositions to those of Bruce Springsteen ("Johnny 99") and Leonard Cohen ("Bird on a Wire"). He was particularly well-known for his support of marginalized groups, such as prisoners, Native Americans and the poor. He dressed in black when he performed as a sign of solidarity with such people.

Johnny Cash developed problems with drugs and alcohol early on in his career, which plagued him his whole life. He died of complications from diabetes in 2003, and is still missed by his many fans.

Answer: Brenda Lee

Brenda Lee had a monster hit with "I'm Sorry" in 1960, but she was already a seasoned trouper, having sung on many, many occasions as a child performer, and having had bit hits with some of her fifties releases. She never grew taller than 4ft. 9in., and the music press knew her as "Little Miss Dynamite".

Brenda Lee had a long string of hits around this time. None is perhaps better known than the seasonal favorite "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree", beloved of almost all pop music radio stations when December rolls around. In fact, this recording was originally released in 1958 and again in 1959, but did not generate any excitement until 1960 (third time lucky). The single went on to sell about four million copies. She went on to record more hits.

After five decades spent working in the music industry, having been the recipient of countless awards, notably her induction into the Rock and Roll, Country Music and Rockabilly Halls of Fame, Brenda Lee decided to take it easy. She developed cysts on her vocal cords, and decided it was time to rest and enjoy her grandchildren, although she remains quite active in the administration of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Answer: Elvis Presley

Of course the correct answer to this one is "Elvis the Pelvis", as some wag of a disc jockey dubbed him during this era. He galvanized American youth of the fifties like no other musician had ever done, and he racked up a huge number of hits. Elvis appeared on many of the TV variety shows popular at the time, "The Ed Sullivan Show", "The Steve Allen Show", and their imitators. The only place where he bombed and was told "Go back to driving a truck", was at the Grand Ole Opry.

An interview tape that has survived from those early days has Elvis talking to one Hy Gardner, who had a TV show built around talking with celebrities (sound familiar?) In the interview, Gardner tried to make Elvis admit that he "hit the bottle, or smoked marijuana" in order to get worked up for his shows. These allegations were denied by Elvis, and in fact his troubles with prescription drug abuse came much later in his life. Gardner also asked Elvis what he would say to those critics who thought rock and roll was a bad influence; would he stop performing as he did because of such people?

Naturally, Elvis had no intention of quitting the music business or of changing his style. He is on record as saying that he did not see that these critics had a point. He says on the tape, "It's only a music..." but what a music!