Match The 1950s One Hit Wonders And Artists Quiz

Answer: Anton Karas

'The Third Man' is a 1949 British film noir starring Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles. Anton Karas, an Austrian zither player, wrote and performed the movie's music. The theme was a hit in England in 1949 then spent 11 weeks at Number One in the US in the spring and summer of 1950.

Answer: Johnny Otis Show

Johnny Otis was a bandleader, composer and talent scout in Southern California from the 1940s into the 21st century. He discovered and promoted artists such as Big Mama Thornton, Jackie Wilson, Little Willie John, Hank Ballard and Etta James.

'Willie and the Hand Jive' was Otis' biggest pop hit, reaching Number Nine in August, 1958. It had earlier topped Billboards's R&B chart. Johnny Otis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Blues Hall of Fame in 1994.

Answer: Terry Gilkyson and the Easy Riders

Originally spelled 'Mary Ann', the song was written in the 1940s by calypso artist Rafael de Leon (credited as 'Roaring Lion'). It became a calypso standard all around the Caribbean. In 1956 the US underwent a 'calypso craze' and several artists discovered and recorded 'Mary Ann,' changing the spelling to 'Marianne'. The Easy Riders' version was successful, reaching number four in April, 1957.

Who can forget Roaring Lion's catchy lyric?

"All day, all night, Miss Mary Ann
Down by the seaside, she sifting sand."

Answer: Debbie Reynolds and Carleton Carpenter

Arthur Fields and Walter Donovan wrote 'Aba Daba Honeymoon' in 1914. The Debbie Reynolds/Carleton Carpenter version was recorded for the movie 'Two Weeks With Love'. It was released as a single and reached the Number Three spot on Billboard's chart in 1951.

Answer: Joan Weber

Joan Weber introduced the song on the 'Studio One' TV show. With that push, 'Let Me Go, Lover' reached Number One early in 1955. Weber never made a dent in the charts again. In later years she became reclusive and died of heart failure in 1981 after being admitted to a mental institution. During the last several years of her life, her royalty checks from Columbia Records were returned marked 'Addressee Unknown'.

Answer: Kit Carson

Kit Carson was born Liza Morrow. Taking 'Band Of Gold' to Number 11 in 1956 was the peak of her career. A version recorded by Don Cherry had reached Number Five the year before. Cherry's version was played in the first episode of TV's 'Mad Men'.

This 'Band Of Gold' isn't Freda Payne's 1970 hit. Rather it's the 'Band Of Gold' that Mel Carter took into the Top 40 in 1966.

Answer: Tommy Facenda

Facenda began his career as one of The Blue Caps, backing Gene Vincent in 1957 and '58. He went solo with a couple of forgettable songs but in 1959 'High School U.S.A.' was released regionally in Facenda's hometown of Portsmouth, Virginia.

The song included mentions of a few dozen local high schools. Atlantic Records picked it up, had Facenda record 28 localized versions for various cities around the country plus a 'Nationwide' version. Teens loved hearing their school immortalized. Billboard lumped sales of all the versions together and 'High School U.S.A.' reached Number 28 on the Hot 100.

In 2012 a special committee of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inducted Facenda along with other members of The Blue Caps correcting the oversight of leaving them out when Gene Vincent was taken into the Hall.

Answer: Robert Q. Lewis

Robert Q. Lewis was a radio and television host and personality during the 1940s through the 80s. In 1951, 'Come On-A My House' was a hit for Rosemary Clooney. Lewis replied with a novelty spoof 'Where's-A Your House?' which peaked at Number 22.

Answer: Bobby Scott

Bobby Scott's Number 13 hit in 1956 wasn't the same song as Sam Cooke's 1960 release. Scott later co-wrote a couple of 20th century classics, 'A Taste Of Honey' for Herb Alpert and The Hollies hit 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother'.

Answer: Slim Whitman

The song was written in 1924 for 'Rose-Marie,' a Broadway musical, later a movie starring Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. In 1952, Slim Whitman, a cowboy singer and yodeler, recorded his version. Whitman reached Number One on Billboard's Country Chart and hit the Top Ten on the pop chart.