"Signature Songs" of Singers or Groups-Part 10 Quiz

Answer: Johnnie Ray

Johnnie Ray was enormously popular in the 1950's, when he recorded over 65 singles. When "The Prince of Wails" recorded "Cry", his backup singers were a new group called The Four Lads, who would also back him on four other tunes. As big as he was in America, he was also very popular overseas, especially in England and Australia. Johnnie Ray was the opening act for Judy Garland in Sweden and Denmark in 1959, and in 1969 he was the best man at Ms. Garland's marriage to entertainer and night club owner Mickey Deans. "Cry" was at the top of "Cash Box" magazines best seller chart from February 2, 1952-March 22, 1952, and was numero uno on the "Billboard" magazine chart for 10 weeks, December 29, 1951-March 8, 1952.

The "B" side, "The Little White Cloud That Cried", reached number two on the "Billboard" chart.

Other well known singers who have recorded "Cry" include Brenda Lee, Ray Charles and Connie Francis.

Answer: Mary Wells

Mary wells summarized her feeling for her man by singing:

"He may not be a movie star
But when it comes to being happy, we are
There's not a man today
Who could take me away from my guy".

"My Guy" was written by Smokey Robinson, and the song was on the top of the Billboard list from May 16-May-29, and for seven weeks it topped the "Cash Box" Rhythm & Blues chart. During her thirty-year career, Mary Wells recorded over fifteen albums and more than forty singles. "My Guy" earned induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. Mary Wells had been taken by cancer seven years earlier at age 49. Smokey Robinson delivered a eulogy at her funeral.

Interesting fact: In 1962 Mary Wells became the first of the Motown singers to receive a nomination for a Grammy Award. The nomination was for her, "You Beat Me to the Punch" (1962), a Number one hit on the Rhythm & Blues charts.

Answer: The Elegants

Founded in 1958, in Staten Island, N.Y., The Elegants were a quintet of teenaged doo-woppers. "Little Star", written by group members Arthur Venosa and Vito Picone was their only million selling song, and their only song to ever chart. Here's a little bit of it (with many "doo-wops" omitted):

"Where are you little star?
(Where are you?)

Twinkle, twinkle little star
How I wonder where you are
Wish I may, wish I might
Make this wish come true tonight
Searched all over for a love
You're the one I'm thinkin' of

Twinkle, twinkle little star
How I wonder where you are
High above the clouds somewhere
Send me down a love to share

Oh, there you are
High above
Oh, oh, God
Send me a love

Oh, ra, ta, ta
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
There you are little star".

Fame came early in the lives of The Elegants, who later became back-up singers and opening acts for performers such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly.

Answer: Paul Anka

Paul Anka also wrote the lyrics to "Diana" (1957), when it became a mega-hit around the globe. It reached Number One on the following charts: U.S. "Billboard" Best Sellers in Stores, "Billboard" Rhythm & Blues, the Canadian Singles, the Australian Singles, and "Diana" sat at the top of the U.K. Singles chart for nine weeks. Worldwide sales of "Diana" are estimated at over ten million copies. Born in the Canadian capital of Ottawa, Paul Anka became a U.S. citizen in 1990. In over a quarter of a century, between 1957-1984, he recorded over 25 albums and 65 singles. Three of his singles rose to number one. In addition to "Diana", "Lonely Boy" (1959) and "(You're) Having My Baby" (1974), topped the Billboard Hot 100 list. Paul Anka also wrote the theme song for "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson", and "The Times of Your Life" (1975), which the Kodak Camera Company adopted as its advertising jingle. A Vegas regular during the 1960's, he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1984. His autobiography, "My Way" was released in April 2013.

Interesting fact: Among the many songs he penned the lyrics to, perhaps none was bigger than the one he wrote for Francis Albert Sinatra, "My Way", which became "Old Blue Eyes" "anthem", (released December 30, 1968). He also wrote "She's a Lady", (1971), which Tom Jones took to number two on the "Billboard" Hot 100 list and to number one on the Canadian charts.

Answer: The Teddy Bears

The Teddy Bears were a bunch of California high school graduates who released "To Know Him is to Love Him" in the fall of 1958. It climbed all the way to Number One on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart, where it resided for three weeks in December, 1958. So popular was the song that it remained on the chart for over five months. The song's writer was 19 year old Phil Spector, himself a member of the only musical group in which he was a performer. Later Spector would go on to become a famed record producer, working with the likes of Ike & Tina Turner, The Righteous Brothers, and some band from England called The Beatles. The Teddy Bears lead singer, Annette Kleinbard, who wisely changed her professional name to Carol Connors, co-wrote "Gonna Fly Now", the theme song from the Sylvester Stallone film, "Rocky", which won the Academy Award for Best Picture (1976).

Interesting fact: In 2009 Phil Spector was sentenced to from nineteen years to life in prison for the second degree murder of actress Lana Clarkson, who had made her film debut in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (1982).

Answer: Kim Carnes

Kim Carnes took home a brace of Grammy Awards for "Bette Davis Eyes". One was for Song of the Year and the other was for Record of the Year. When she was barely out of her teens, she was singing in night clubs as part of The New Christy Minstrels, alongside Kenny Rogers. Before being released as a single, "Bette Davis Eyes" was track one on Ms. Carnes album, "Mistaken Identity". The single was Kim Carnes only Billboard Hot 100 Number One song (May 2, 1981-May 15, 1981, and the album was numero uno for a month. "Rolling Stone" magazine placed "Bette Davis Eyes" behind only "Physical" (Olivia Newton-John, 1981), as the second biggest hit of the decade.
Between 1971-2011, Kim Carnes recorded over 15 albums and more than 25 singles.
Here are the closing lyrics to her Grammy winning song:

"And she'll tease you, she'll unease you
All the better just to please you
She's precocious, and she knows just
What it takes to make a pro blush
All the boys think she's a spy
She's got Bette Davis eyes". (Not Rod Stewart eyes:-)

Interesting fact: Bette Davis sent Kim Carnes a letter telling her how much she liked the song and the note sparked a friendship between the two which resulted in Ms. Carnes occasionally visiting Ms. Davis at her abode. Kim Carnes sang her signature song at an affair honoring the long time actress just before Bette Davis passed away in 1989, at the age of 86.
There wasn't a dry eye in the house.

Answer: Edd Byrnes

Edward Breitenberger changed his name to the more marquee-friendly Edd Byrnes at the age of 13. He is best remembered for his role of the wise-cracking restaurant parking valet, Gerald Lloyd "Kookie" Kookson III, on the popular TV series "77 Sunset Strip". The show which starred Efrem Zimbalist Jr. and Roger Smith ran from 1958-1964. Byrnes later made over two dozen movies, including "Marjorie Morningstar", with Natalie Wood (1958), "Up Periscope" (1959) which featured James Garner, and "Kookie Byrnes" was dance show host Vince Fontaine in the iconic flick, "Grease" (1978), which starred Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta. His autobiography, published in 1996, is titled "Kookie No More".
His female singing partner on "Kookie, Kookie--Lend Me Your Comb" was Connie Stevens, who would later star on another copper-caper TV show, Hawaii 5-0 (1959-1962).
I always like to include a couple of the better/more memorable lyrics from my singer's signature songs to bring back memories from back-in-the-day, but in this case, I'll make an exception since (in my opinion), excluding the title, there are none:-).

Interesting fact: In 2005, TV Guide published its list of the 25 Greatest Teen Idols...good ole' "Kookie" came in third.

Answer: Mickey and Sylvia

Although they disbanded in 1960, they occasionally sang together as late as 1965. They had met when Sylvia Vanderpool was a music student of guitarist Mickey Baker. Their one big hit, "Love is Strange", was co-written by Bo Diddley. After marrying and changing her name to Sylvia Robinson, in 1972, she had a song, "Pillow Talk" (1973), perch atop the Best Selling Soul singles chart, and reach number three on the Billboard Hot 100 list. Mickey had moved to Europe where he played backup for many bands. They passed away within a year of each other, Sylvia in 2011, and Mickey the following year.
See if you remember some of the lyrics to their signature song, sung in tandem:

MICKEY:
Silvia...
SILVIA:
Yes Mickey?
MICKEY:
How do you call your loverboy?
SILVIA:
Come 'ere loverboy!
MICKEY:
And if he doesn't answer?
SILVIA:
Ohh loverboy!
MICKEY:
And if he STILL doesn't answer-
SILVIA:
I simply say
Baby,
Ohhh baby
My sweet baby
You're the one.

Answer: America

America's guitarist, Dewy Bunnell, wrote "A Horse With No Name" for the band which was actually founded in England in 1971, by three teenagers who went to the same London high school.(Bunnell was the only one of the trio born in the U.K). It was their very first single and turned out to be the best selling of the more than 45 singles they released from 1971-2008 (along with more than 25 albums).

It sold over a million copies and reached Number One on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart March 25, 1972. "A Horse With No Name" was also numero uno in Canada, the U.K., and Ireland, and earned America a Grammy Award for Best New Musical Artist (1972). Prior to their big hit, America had performed as the opening act for, among others, Elton John and The Who. America had one other song reach the top of the chart in that period of 37 years, "Sister Golden Hair" (1975), which was track ten on their album "Heart".

In 2012, America was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Answer: Shania Twain

Shania Twain entered the world in Ontario, Canada as Eileen Edwards on August 8, 1965. Raised in a family with very little do-re-mi, she was helping out by warbling in bars and clubs by age eight, and by 13 was a full fledged member of a band, "The Longshots". She would go on to earn multiple Grammy Awards and be named the C.C.M.A (Canadian Country Music Association's) Female Vocalist of the Year five times between 1995-2003. Her "Come on Over" album featured, "Man! I Feel Like A Woman", "You're Still the One", "That Don't Impress Me Much" as well as the eponymous title tune. The album reached as high as number two during its two years on the chart. Shania Twain has sold over 75 million albums worldwide. Her song "I'm Gunna Getcha Good" from her 2002 album, "Up", reached the top spot on charts in the U.S, Canada, Australia, Germany and New Zealand, selling over 20 million copies. In 2011, Shania Twain was rightfully awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. If you'd like to read some more about the amazing life and career of this remarkable lady, her biography "From This Moment On", was published in 2012.

Interesting fact: Shania Twain was given the honor of carrying the Olympic Torch on January 1, 2010, on its way to the Winter games held in Vancouver, British Columbia, in her home country.