No Country for Old Country Hits Quiz

Answer: Rose Marie

Slim Whitman had a number one hit for 11 weeks on the UK chart with "Rose Marie" in 1955. It reached number four on the Billboard Country chart in 1954. The words and music were written by Rudolf Frimi/Herbert Stothart/Otto Harbach/Oscar Hammerstein II for the 1924 Broadway show "Rose Marie".

Slim Whitman was born Ottis Dewey Whitman Jr. in Tampa, Florida, USA, in 1924. After an accident in which his left hand was severely damaged, he became the first left handed guitarist to top the UK chart. "Rose Marie" held the record for weeks at number one on the UK chart until 1991, when Brian Adams spent 16 weeks at number one with "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You". Whitman who had always been popular in Europe appeared in a TV commercial in 1979 (the first of many), advertising his "All My Best" greatest hits album. It went on to sell over 1.5 million copies. A second commercial in 1980 for his "Just For You" album, claimed that Slim Whitman had been number one in the UK longer than Elvis Presley or The Beatles. This method of selling his records led to a revival of his career in the US and new singles and albums on major record labels. All of the alternative answers were UK top 10 hits for Slim Whitman in the '50s.

Answer: Coal

"Sixteen Tons" was number one for four weeks on the UK chart for Tennessee Ernie Ford in 1956. It was number one for 10 weeks on the Billboard Country chart and number one for eight weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1955. The song was written by country musician/singer/songwriter Merle Travis in 1947. Folk singer/songwriter/disc jockey and ex-coal miner George S. Davis also claimed the songwriting credit for "Sixteen Tons". He claimed that Merle Travis had based "Sixteen Tons" on his song "Nine-To-Ten Tons" written in the 1930's.

Tennessee Ernie Ford was born Ernest Jennings Ford in Bristol, Tennessee, USA, in 1919. He died in hospital in Reston, Virginia, USA, in 1991 aged 72. A few weeks earlier he had been taken ill at Dulles airport with severe liver failure after a White House dinner with President George H. W. Bush. He had three UK chart hits, one number one hit in 1955 "Give Me Your Word" and a number one hit "Sixteen Tons" and number three hit "The Ballad Of Davy Crockett" in 1956. He charted over 25 hits on the US country chart between 1949 and 1976 and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1990.

Answer: Leroy Van Dyke

Leroy Van Dyke had a number five hit on the UK chart with "Walk On By" in 1962. It was number one for 19 weeks on the Billboard Country chart and reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961. "Walk On By" was written by Kendall Hayes/Gary Walker.

Leroy Van Dyke was born Leroy Frank Van Dyke in Mora, Missouri, USA, in 1929. He first found fame in 1956 with a song called "The Auctioneer", it sold over 2.5 million copies. He co-wrote the song with Buddy Black about his cousin and fellow Missourian, auctioneer Ray Simms. Van Dyke appeared in the movie "What Am I Bid" (1967) as a country music singer with his cousin Ray Simms playing himself as an auctioneer. In 1994 the record "Walk On By" was voted the biggest country music single of all time by Billboard magazine, it sold over 1.5 million copies.

Answer: Bobbie Gentry/Glen Campbell

Bobbie Gentry & Glen Campbell had a number three hit on the UK chart with "All I Have To Do Is Dream" in 1969. It reached number six on the Billboard Country chart and number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970. "All I Have To Do Is Dream" was written by husband & wife songwriting team Felice & Boudleaux Bryant.

Bobbie Gentry was born Roberta Lee Streeter in Chickasaw County, Mississippi, USA, in 1944. Her first hit was "Ode To Billy Joe" which was number one for four weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 17 on the Billboard Country chart in 1967. It reached number 13 on the UK chart the same year.
Glen Campbell was born Glen Travis Campbell in Delight, Arkansas, USA, in 1936. His first hit was was "Turn Around, Look At Me" which reached number 62 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961. It did not chart in the UK. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005. In 2011 Glen Campbell announced that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and had suffered from short term memory loss for a number of years.

Answer: Blanket On The Ground

Billie Jo Spears had a number six hit on the UK chart with "Blanket On The Ground" in 1975. It was number one for one week on the Billboard Country chart and it reached number 78 on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year. "Blanket On The Ground" was written by Roger Bowling.

Billie Jo Spears was born Billie Jean Spears in Beaumont, Texas, USA, in 1937. She died in Vidor, Texas, USA, of cancer in 2011 aged 74. Her first hit was "He's Got More Love On His Little Finger" which reached number 48 on the Billboard Country chart in 1968. It did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100 or the UK chart. Her success in the US tapered off in the '80s but she remained very popular in the UK even though she only had four UK chart hits, all in the '70s. She released some albums in the UK that did not chart or were not released in the US. "The Billie Jo Spears Singles Album" reached number seven on the UK album chart in 1979. The Album "Country Girl" reached number 17 on the UK album chart in 1981.

Answer: The Bellamy Brothers

The Bellamy Brothers had a number seven hit on the UK chart with "Let Your Love Flow" in 1976. It reached number 21 on the Billboard Country chart and was number one for one week on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year. After it was used in an advertising campaign in the UK in 2008 it was re-released and reached number 21 on the UK chart. "Let Your Love Flow" was written by Larry E. Williams the former roadie for Neil Diamond who turned the song down.

The Bellamy Brothers are Homer Howard Bellamy born in 1946 and David Milton Bellamy born in 1950 in Darby, Florida, USA. "Let Your Love Flow" was their first US chart hit but the only one to reach the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100. They have had 10 number one hits on the Billboard Country chart since 1979 when "If I Said You Had A Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me" was number one for three weeks.

Answer: Coward Of The County

Kenny Rogers had a number one hit for two weeks on the UK chart with "Coward Of The County" in 1980. It was number one for three weeks on the Billboard Country chart and it reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year. "Coward Of The County" was written by Roger Bowling and Billy Ed Wheeler.

Kenny Rogers was born Kenneth Donald Rogers in Houston, Texas, USA, in 1938. He first recorded in the '50s and was a member of groups such as The Bobby Doyle Trio, The Kirby Stone Four and The New Christy Minstrels. He formed The First Edition in 1967 and had his first chart hit with "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In), which reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968. It did not chart in the UK. As of 2001 he has had 21 number one hits on the Billboard Country chart, either solo, in collaboration or as guest singer.

Answer: Rainy

Eddie Rabbitt had a number 53 hit on the UK chart with "I Love A Rainy Night" in 1981. It was number one for one week on the Billboard Country chart and number one for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year. "I Love A Rainy Night" was written by Eddie Rabbitt, Even Stevens and David Malloy.

Eddie Rabbitt was born Edward Thomas Rabbitt in Brooklyn, New York, USA, in 1941. He died in Nashville Tennessee, USA, from lung cancer in 1998 aged 56. He started his career as a songwriter in 1968 in Nashville and had a big success when Elvis Presley recorded his "Kentucky Rain" in 1969. As a singer he had his first hit with "You Get To Me" which reached number 34 on the Billboard Country chart in 1974. It did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100 or the UK chart.

Answer: Willie Nelson

"Crazy" was a number 14 hit on the UK chart in 1990 for Patsy Cline nearly 30 years after it's original release in 1961. It reached number two on the Billboard Country chart and number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961. "Crazy" was written by Willie Nelson in 1961.

Willie Nelson was born Willie Hugh Nelson in Abbott, Texas, USA in 1933. Singer/songwriter/musician/actor/producer/activist Nelson, had his first chart hit with "Willingly" which reached number 10 on the Billboard Country chart in 1962. He had already written songs that were successful for other artists, such as "Hello Walls" (Faron Young), "Funny How Time Slips Away" (Billy Walker) and the 1963 Roy Orbison hit "Pretty Paper". He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993.
Patsy Cline was born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Winchester, Virginia, USA, in 1932. She died near Camden, Tennessee, USA, in a plane crash in 1963 aged 30. Her first chart hit was "Walkin' After Midnight" which reached number two on the Billboard Country chart and number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1957. It did not chart in the UK. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1973. "Crazy" was originally written for country singer Billy Walker but he turned it down. Initially Patsy Cline did not like the song but now it is forever linked with her.

Answer: The Mavericks

The Mavericks had a number four hit on the UK chart with "Dance The Night Away" in 1998. It reached number 63 on the Billboard Country chart the same year. It was written by Raul Malo.

The Mavericks were formed in Florida USA in 1989 by Raul Malo born Raul Francisco Martinez-Malo Jr. in Miami, Florida, USA, in 1965 and Robert Reynolds born Robert Earl Reynolds in Kansas City, Montana, USA in 1962. Paul Deakin born Paul Wylie Deakin in Miami, Florida, USA, in 1959 joined them later. Other members have been Ben Peeler, Nick Kane, David Lee Holt, Jamie Hanna, Eddie Perez and Jerry Dale McFadden. Their first chart hit was a cover version of the 1951 Hank Williams hit "Hey Good Lookin'" which reached number 74 on the Billboard Country chart in 1992. It did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100 or the UK chart.