Oldies for Oldies: Vol.2 Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Stargazers

"Broken Wings" written by John Jerome/Bernard Gunn was number one for one week on the UK Singles Chart for The Stargazers in 1953. It did not chart in the USA.

The Stargazers were founded in 1949 and the original members were Cliff Adams, Marie Benson, Fred Datchler, Dick James and Ronnie Milne. They were the first British act (and first British group) to top the UK Singles Chart. Their chart career did not last long and the group members moved on to different things.

Between 1953 and 1955 they had eight Top 20 hits of which five were Top 10 hits including the three number one hits "Broken Wings" (1953), "I See The Moon" (1954) and "The Finger Of Suspicion" (with Dickie Valentine 1954).

Answer: David Whitfield

"Cara Mia" written by Lee Lange/Tulio Trapani was number one for 10 weeks on the UK Singles Chart for David Whitfield in 1954. It peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Pop chart the same year.

David Whitfield was born in Hull, Yorkshire, England, in 1925. After serving in the Royal Navy during the war, he appeared on the talent show "Opportunity Knocks" on the English language radio station Radio Luxembourg. He had his first UK chart entry with "Bridge Of Sighs" in 1953.

Between 1953 and 1958 he had 20 Top 20 hits on the UK Singles Chart which included 12 Top 10 hits, two of which were number one hits "Answer Me" (1953) and "Cara Mia" (1954). He was the first British male singer to reach the Top 10 of the Billboard Pop chart and sell over a million copies of a record in the USA.

David Whitfield died of a brain haemorrhage in Sydney, Australia, in 1980 age 54.

Answer: Frank Sinatra

"Learnin' The Blues" written by Dolores Vicki Silvers was number one for two weeks on the Billboard Pop chart for Frank Sinatra in 1955. It peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart the same year.

Singer/actor/producer Francis Albert Sinatra was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA, in 1915. He was a member of The Hoboken Four then joined The Harry James Band, then The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, with whom he sang on the number one single of the first US pop chart, "I'll Never Smile Again" with The Pied Pipers in 1940.

"Learnin' The Blues" hit the number one spot on the Billboard pop chart on the 7 May 1955 and replaced "(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley and His Comets. Although Sinatra was one of the greatest singers in the world he had to wait exactly 11 years to the day before his next number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100. "Strangers In The Night" hit the number one spot on 7 May 1966 and replaced "Paperback Writer" by The Beatles.

Frank Sinatra died after a heart attack, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, USA, in 1998 aged 82.

Answer: Anne Shelton

"Lay Down Your Arms" written by Leon Land/Åke Gerhard/Paddy Roberts was number one for four weeks on the UK Singles Chart for Anne Shelton in 1956. It peaked at number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100 the same year.

Anne Shelton was born Patricia Jacqueline Sibley in Dulwich, London, England, in 1923. During WWII she performed at UK military bases and had a radio programme "Calling Malta", which was broadcast by the BBC from 1942 to 1947. She had been recording since 1940 and had two minor hits in the USA in 1949, "Be Mine (number 25) and " Galway Bay" (number 27).

The UK Singles Chart began in 1952 and her first UK chart hit was "Arrivederci Darling" which peaked at number 17 in 1955. Between 1955 and 1961 she had four Top 20 hits of which two were Top 10 hits. She was awarded the OBE for her work with the "Not Forgotten Association" in 1990. It is a charitable organisation for disabled former service personnel from all wars.

Anne Shelton died of a heart attack in Herstmonceux, Sussex, England, in 1994 aged 70.

Answer: Lonnie Donegan and his Skiffle Group

"Cumberland Gap" written by Lonnie Donegan (Trad. arr) was number one for five weeks on the UK Singles Chart for Lonnie Donegan and His Skiffle Group in 1957. It did not chart in the USA.

Lonnie Donegan was born Anthony James Donegan in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1931. He formed the Tony Donegan Jazzband in 1952 and in June that year they opened for the blues musician Lonnie Johnson at the Royal Festival Hall, London, England. Donegan adopted Johnson's first name as a tribute to him.

Between 1956 and 1962 Lonnie Donegan had 28 successive Top 30 hits on the UK Singles Chart, 17 of which were Top 10 hits including the three numnber one hits "Cumberland Gap" (1957), "Gamblin' Man"/"Putting On The Style" (1957) and "My Old Man's A Dustman" (1960). He was the first British male singer to have two Top 10 hits on the Billboard pop chart, "Rock Island Line" (1956) and "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavour (On The Bedpost Over nigh)" (1961). He became known as the King of Skiffle.

Lonnie Donegan died after a heart attack in Market Deeping, Lincolnshire, England, mid-way through a UK tour in 2002 aged 71.

Answer: Debbie Reynolds

"Tammy" written by Jay Livingston/Ray Evans was number one for five weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 for Debbie Reynolds in 1957. It peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart the same year.

Debbie Reynolds was born Mary Frances Reynolds in El Paso, Texas, USA, in 1932. In 1948 Warner Brothers signed her up after a coin toss with MGM. After two years with them she signed up with MGM and appeared in musicals. In 1952 she was given a co-starring role in "Singing In The Rain" with Gene Kelly, who she said "Made her a star".

She starred as Tambrey "Tammy" Tyree in "Tammy and the Bachelor" with Leslie Nielsen (1957), it was the first of a series of four "Tammy" movies. She was replaced by Sandra Dee in the the next two and by Debbie Watson in the fourth one.

Debbie Reynolds died of intracerebral hemorrhage, with hypertension a contributing factor, in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA, in December 2016 aged 84. This was five days after her daughter actres Carrie Fisher died aged 60.

Answer: Ricky Nelson

"Poor Little Fool" written by Sharon Sheeley was number one for four weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 for Ricky Nelson in 1958. It peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart the same year.

Musician/singer/songwriter/actor Ricky Nelson was born Eric Hilliard Nelson in Teaneck, New Jersey, USA, in 1940. From the age of eight he starred with the rest of his family in the radio and TV series "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet". He began his musical career in 1957 and between then and 1972 he had 27 Top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, of which 19 were Top 10 hits which included two number one hits, "Poor Little Fool" (1958) and (Travelin' Man" (1961). He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

On the UK Singles Chart between 1958 and 1964 he had 11 Top 20 hits of which four were Top 10 hits. In 1961 after the single "Travelin' Man"/"Hello Mary Lou" he dropped the y from his name to become the grown up Rick Nelson.

Rick Nelson was killed in a plane crash flying from Guntersville, Alabama, on his way to Dallas, Texas, for a concert on New Year's Eve in 1985, he was 45 years old.

Answer: The Teddy Bears

"To Know Him, Is To Love Him" written by Phil Spector was number one for three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Teddy Bears in 1958. It peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart the same year. On re-issue in the UK and coupled with "Endless Sleep" by Jody Reynolds it peaked at number 66 in 1979.

The Teddy Bears were Carol Connors, Marshall Leib and Phil Spector. "To Know Him, Is To Love Him" was their only Top 40 hit in the USA and UK. Phil Spector became a major influence in popular music as a writer, producer and owner of Philles Records, He was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer in 1989.

In 2009, Phil Spector was sentenced to 19 years to life in the California state prison system for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson and for using a firearm in the commission of a crime.

Answer: Paul Anka

"Lonely Boy" written by Paul Anka was number one for four weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 for Paul Anka in 1959. It peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart the same year.

Singer/songwriter/actor Paul Anka was born Paul Albert Anka in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, in 1941. He recorded his first single "I Confess" in 1956 aged 14. His break through came with a song called "Diana" about a girl at his local church who he hardly knew. It was a world wide number one hit and one of the best selling singles ever by a Canadian recording artist.

Between 1957 and 1975 he had 22 Top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 of which 12 were Top 10 hits. these included three number one hits "Diana" (1957), "Lonely Boy" (1959) and "(You're) Having My Baby" (1974.

On the UK Singles Chart between 1957 and 1974 he had eight Top 20 hits of which seven were Top 10 hits, these included one number one hit "Diana" (1957).

Answer: Craig Douglas

"Only Sixteen" written by Sam Cooke was number one for four weeks on the UK Singles Chart for Craig Douglas in 1959. It did not chart in the USA.

Former Isle of Wight milkman Craig Douglas was born Terence Perkins in Newport, Isle of Wight, UK, in 1941. He was voted "Best New Singer" in the British music magazine NME, in 1959. Between 1959 and 1962 he had nine Top 20 hits on the UK Singles Chart, of which seven were Top 10 hits including the number one hit "Only Sixteen" which outsold the original version by Sam Cooke in the UK.

Eight of his hits were cover versions and he had the unusual distiction of having four consecutive number nine hits on the UK Singles Chart in 1961/62.