Oldies for Oldies Trivia Quiz

Answer: Rosemary Clooney

"Mambo Italiano", written by Bob Merrill, peaked at number nine on the Billboard Pop Chart for Rosemary Clooney in 1954. It was number one for three weeks on the UK Singles Chart in 1955.

Rosemary Clooney was born in Maysville, Kentucky, USA, in 1928. Between 1951 and 1957 she had eight Top Ten hits on the Billboard Chart which included four number one hits, "Come On-a My House" (1951), "Half As Much" (1952), "Hey There" (1954) and "This Ole House" (1954).

Between 1952 and 1955 Rosemary Clooney had six Top Ten hits on the UK Singles Chart which included two number one hits, "This Ole House" (1954) and "Mambo Italiano" (1955).

Rosemary Clooney was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2001. After surgery she died in Beverly Hills, California, USA, in 2002 aged 74.

Answer: Alma Cogan

"Dreamboat", written by Jack Hoffman, was number one for two weeks on the UK Singles Chart for Alma Cogan in 1955. It did not chart in the USA.

Alma Cogan was born Alma Angela Cohen in Whitechapel, London, England, in 1932. She was known as the girl with the giggle in her voice. She had many UK chart hits in the '50s which included four Top Ten hits. By the time The Beatles arrived she was perceived as old fashioned and the hits dried up. She was still popular abroad and had number one hits in Sweden in 1964 and 1965. John Lennon used to mimic her when he was at the Liverpool College of Art but after meeting her in the '60s it was rumoured that they had an affair, long before he met Yoko.

Alma Cogan died of ovarian cancer at the Middlesex Hospital, London, England, in 1966 aged 34.

Answer: Dickie Valentine

"Christmas Alphabet", written by Buddy Kaye/Jules Loman, was number one for three weeks on the UK Singles Chart for Dickie Valentine in 1955. It did not chart in the USA.

Dickie Valentine was born Richard Maxwell in Marylebone, London, England, in 1929. Between 1953 and 1959 he had 14 Top 20 hits on the UK Singles Chart which included eight Top Ten hits two of which reached number one, "The Finger Of Suspicion" (with The Stargazers 1955) and "Christmas Alphabet" (1955/56) which was the first Christmas song to top the UK Singles Chart. 1955 was a good year for him; he won the male vocalist category in the NME poll and topped the bill at the London Palladium for two weeks.

Dickie Valentine died in a car crash at Glangrwyney, near Crickhowell, Wales, in 1971 aged 42.

Answer: Ronnie Hilton

"No Other Love", written by Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II, was number one for six weeks on the UK Singles Chart for Ronnie Hilton in 1956. It did not chart in the USA.

Ronnie Hilton was born Adrian Hill in Hull, Yorkshire, England, in 1926. He turned professional under his new name in 1954 and had his first hit "I Still Believe" that year. He did what a lot of British singers did at the time and copied American songs. Between 1954 and 1959 he had 11 Top 20 hits on the UK Singles Chart of which five were Top Ten hits.

His last chart entry was "A Windmill In Old Amsterdam" which peaked at number 23 in 1965. After recovering from a stroke in 1976 he presented "Sounds of the Fifties", for BBC Radio 2. In 1989 he was awarded a gold medal for services to popular music by The British Academy of Song Composers and Authors.

Ronnie Hilton died of a stroke in Hailsham, East Sussex, England, in 2001 aged 75.

Answer: Perry Como

"Round And Round" written by Joe Shapiro/Lou Stallman was number one for two weeks on the Billboard Top 100 for Perry Como in 1957. It did not chart in the UK.

Barber/singer/actor/TV personality Perry Como was born Pierino Ronald Como in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, USA, in 1912. In 1933 he joined Freddy Carlone and his Orchestra, three years later he joined The Ted Weems's Orchestra. In the '30s he recorded many songs for Decca records but in 1943 he signed with RCA Victor, a relationship that would last for 44 years.

Even after Rock and Roll hit the charts with "Rock Around The Clock" the hits kept coming. On the Billboard Pop chart between 1954 and 1970 he had 22 Top 20 hits of which 13 were Top Ten hits, that included three number one hits, "Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom)" (1956), "Round And Round" (1957) and "Catch A Falling Star" (1958).

Perry Como died in his sleep in Jupiter Inlet Colony, Florida, USA, in 2001 aged 88.

Answer: April

"April Love", written by Sammy Fain/Paul Francis Webster, was number one for six weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 for Pat Boone in 1957. It peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart the same year.

Singer/composer/actor/writer/TV personality/motivational speaker/spokesman Pat Boone was born Patrick Charles Eugene Boone in Jacksonville, Florida, USA, in 1934. Between 1955 and 1962 he had 23 Top 20 hits of which 18 were Top Ten hits which included six number one hits "Ain't That A Shame" (1955), "I Almost Lost My Mind" (1956), "Don't Forbid Me" (1957), "Love Letters In The Sand" (1957), "April Love" (1957) and "Moody River" (1961.

His last Top Ten hit in the USA and the UK was "Speedy Gonzales" featuring the voice of Mel Blanc, in 1962.

Answer: Michael Holliday

"The Story Of My Life", written by Burt Bacharach/Hal David, was number one for two weeks on the UK Singles Chart for Michael Holliday in 1958. It did not chart in the USA.

Michael Holliday was born Norman Alexander Milne in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, in 1924. According to singer Elvis Costello, his mother used to sell US jazz records that Holliday smuggled into the country when he was in the merchant navy. While he was in the merchant navy he won a talent contest at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. He also won a talent contest, 'New Voices of Merseyside', at the Locarno Ballroom in Liverpool.

Between 1956 and 1960 he had six Top 20 hits of which three were Top Ten hits that included two number one hits, "The Story Of My Life" (1958) and "Starry Eyed" (1960). Throughout his career he had a problem with stage fright and had a mental breakdown in 1961.

Michael Holliday died of a suspected drug overdose in Croydon, Surrey, England, in 1963 aged 38.

Answer: Connie Francis

"Who's Sorry Now", written by Ted Snyder/Bert Kalmar/Herman Ruby, peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 for Connie Francis in 1958. It was number one for six weeks on the UK Singles Chart the same year.

Connie Francis was born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero in Newark, New Jersey, USA, in 1930. Her first single "Freddy" (1955) failed to chart, as did her next eight singles. Between 1958 and 1963 she had 22 Top 20 hits of which 15 were Top Ten hits which included three number one hits "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" (1960), "My Heart Has A Mind Of It's Own" (1960) and "Don't Break The Heart That Loves You" (1962).

In the UK between 1958 and 1962 she had 18 Top 20 hits of which ten were Top Ten hits that included two number one hits, "Who's Sorry Now" and "Carolina Moon"/"Stupid Cupid". She was the first female teenager to have a number one hit in the UK and the first female solo artist to top the UK album chart with "20 All Time Greats" in 1977.

Answer: Shirley Bassey

"As I Love You", written by Jay Livingston/Ray Evans, was number one for four weeks on the UK Singles Chart for Shirley Bassey in 1959. It did not chart in the USA.

Shirley Bassey was born Shirley Veronica Bassey in Tiger Bay, Cardiff, Wales, in 1937. Her first single, "Burn My Candle" was released in 1956; it did not chart in the UK. It was also banned by the BBC for having suggestive lyrics. Then came her first hit, "The Banana Boat Song", it peaked at number eight on the UK Singles Chart in 1957. Between 1957 and 1997 she had 13 Top 20 hits of which 11 were Top Ten hits that included two number one hits, "As I Love You" (1959) and "Reach For The Stars"/"Climb Ev'ry Mountain" (1961).

In the USA she only had one Top 20 hit when "Golfinger" peaked at number eight in 1965. She has recorded three theme songs to the "James Bond" movies "Goldfinger" (1964), "Diamonds Are Forever" (1971), and "Moonraker" (1979).
Dame Shirley Bassey was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2000, for services to the performing arts.

Answer: Guy Mitchell

"Heartaches By The Number", written by Harlan Howard, was number one for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 for Guy Mitchell in 1959. It peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart the same year.

Singer/actor Guy Mitchell was born Albert George Cernik in Detroit, Michigan, USA, in 1927. He served in the United States Navy for two years during WWII. He then sang with Carmen Cavallaro's Big Band but after recording for Decca Records with them in 1947, he left the band because of food poisoning. Between 1950 and 1960 he had 15 Top 20 hits which included nine Top Ten hits, two of which were number one hits, "Singing The Blues" (1956) and "Heartaches By The Number" (1959).

In the UK between 1952 and 1959 he had 19 Top 20 hits which included 14 Top Ten hits, four of which were number one hits, "She Wears Red Feathers" (1953), "Look At That Girl" (1953), "Singing The Blues" (1956) and "Rock-A-Billy" (1957).

Guy Mitchell died of complications from cancer surgery in Desert Springs Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, in 1999 aged 72.