Sing Me Someone Famous Trivia Quiz

Answer: Kim Carnes

"Bette Davis Eyes" was written in 1974 by Jackie DeShannon and Donna Weiss. Jackie DeShannon originally recorded the song on her album "New Arrangement". Kim Carnes had a number one Billboard hit with this song in 1981. In fact it was Billboard's biggest hit for that year. At the 1982 Grammy Awards the song won both Record of the Year and Song of the Year. It also topped the charts in countries such as Australia, Italy, Germany, Japan and Brazil, just to name a few, but only rose to number ten in the UK. The song has been covered by such artists as Alvin and the Chipmunks, Courtney Love and Taylor Swift.

Kim Carnes was born in Los Angeles, California, on 20 July, 1945 and is a singer-songwriter. She originally wrote songs for other artists whilst working as a session musician. She joined the New Christy Minstrels with Kenny Rogers and Karen Black in 1965. She released her first solo album, "Rest on Me" in 1972. Her "big break" came after performing a duet with Kenny Rogers "Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer". In her memoir "This 'N That", Bette Davis said about the song "It was a thrill to become a part of the rock generation". At a tribute to Bette Davis held just before her death in 1989, Carnes performed the song live.

Answer: Jimmy Dean

"PT-109" was a Patrol Boat on which Lieutenant John F Kennedy served during the Second World War. The song lyrics tell the story of what happened in 1943 when a Japanese destroyer cut the PT in half and how Kennedy and the crew were finally rescued. The song, recorded by Jimmy Dean, was number two on the Billboard Easy Listening Chart, number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the Billboard Hot Country Singles Chart.

Here are some of the lyrics:

"Now who could guess or who could possibly know
That this same man named Kennedy
Would be the leader of the nation, be the one to take command
The PT 109 was gone but Kennedy lived to fight again".

Jimmy Ray Dean was born in Plainview, Texas, on 10 August 1928. He was a country music singer, TV personality and actor. He is famous for creating the "Jimmy Dean" brand of sausages. He had his own TV show and appeared in several Hollywood movies. His biggest hit record was "Big Bad John" in 1960. He died on 13 June 2010, aged 81. He was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Answer: 16

"Vogue" appeared on Madonna's album "I'm Breathless" and was released as a single in March, 1990. It topped the charts in about 30 countries, some of them being the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and Japan. It was the best-selling record of the 1990s, selling over six million copies. The sixteen celebrities named in the song are: Greta Garbo, (Marilyn) Monroe, (Marlene) Dietrich, (Joe) DiMaggio, Marlon Brando, Jimmy Dean, Grace Kelly, Jean Harlow, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rodgers, Rita Hayworth, Lauren (Bacall), Katherine (Hepburn), Lana (Turner) and Bette Davis.

Madonna Louise Ciccone was born in Bay City, Michigan, USA, on 16 August, 1958. She is a singer-songwriter and actress. She holds the Guinness World Record for the top-selling female recording artist, selling more than 300 million records worldwide. She also holds the record for the most number one hits on Billboard charts, numbering 156, which includes 12 Billboard Hot 100, and 43 Hot Dance Club Songs. She has also had 138 top-ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100. She has appeared in several Hollywood movies including "Desperately Seeking Susan" (1985), "Dick Tracy" (1990), "A League of Their Own" (2002) and "Evita" (1996). Madonna has been nominated for and won many awards and accolades, including American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, Billboard Music Video Awards, Brit Awards, Golden Globe Awards (including one for Best Actress for "Evita"), and many Grammy Awards.

Answer: Brad Pitt

"That Don't Impress Me Much" was a world-wide hit for Shania Twain. It was number one in Belgium, Ireland, Norway, and New Zealand, number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, number three on the UK Singles chart, reached number two in Australia, Canada and the Netherlands, and was in the top-ten in numerous other countries. It was her third must successful single on the Billboard Hot 100.

Eileen Reina Edwards (Shania Twain) was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, on 28 August, 1965. Her nickname is the "Queen of Country Pop" and she has sold in excess of 85 million albums. She has received at least five Grammy Awards and has stars on Canada's Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and she has been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. She retired from singing in 2004 due to problems with her voice, but returned to the stage in 2012.

Answer: Peter Sarstedt

"Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)" was a number one hit for Peter Sarstedt on the UK Singles Chart. The song was awarded the 1969 Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically. However, in the US the song only managed to reach number 61 on the Cash Box Top100 Singles and number 70 on the Billboard Hot 100. Some of the celebrities mentioned in the song are Marlene Dietrich, The Rolling Stones, Sacha Distel, Picasso, and the Aga Khan.

Peter Eardley Sarstedt was born in Delhi, India, on 10 December, 1941. He is an Indian born British singer-songwriter and plays multiple instruments. Over the years Sarstedt has released many albums and singles, but none had the success of "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)". During the 1980s and 1990s he toured the UK with the "Solid Silver 60s" tours. He is still recording today.

Answer: We Didn't Start the Fire

"We Didn't Start the Fire" lists many famous people, some of whom are Harry Truman, Doris Day, Johnny Ray, Richard Nixon, Liberace, Joseph Stalin, Toscanini, Einstein, Davy Crockett, Peter Pan, Elvis Presley, Ho Chi Minh, and many, many more. In all the song refers to in excess of 100 headline events that took place between 1949 and 1989. The song rose to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989 and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Record of the Year.

Joel said: "I had turned forty. It was 1989 and I said 'Okay, what's happened in my life?' I wrote down the year 1949. Okay, Harry Truman was president. Popular singer of the day, Doris Day. China went Communist. Another popular singer, Johnnie Ray. Big Broadway show, 'South Pacific'. Journalist, Walter Winchell. Athlete, Joe DiMaggio. Then I went on to 1950. It's one of the worst melodies I've ever written. I kind of like the lyric though."

William Martin Joel was born in the Bronx, New York, on 9 May 1949. He is a singer-songwriter and composer. His father was a classical pianist and the young William learned piano from an early age. Before he began his musical career, he had some success as a boxer, winning twenty-two bouts on the "Golden Gloves" circuit. His first hit, in 1973, was "Piano Man". He had 33 Top 40 its in the US during the 70s, 80s and 90s, all written by him. He has been nominated for many Grammy Awards and won at least six, and sold over 150 million records world-wide. He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He has also received many other honours and accolades. Some of his biggest hits are "Just the Way You Are", "She's Always a Woman", "My Life", "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me", "The Longest Time", and many, many more.

Answer: America

"Right Before Your Eyes" was moderately successful for the band America in 1982, rising to number 16 on the Adult Contemporary chart and number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100. It appeared on America's 1982 album "View From the Ground".

America formed in London in 1970, sons of American servicemen who had married English girls. They had their first number one hit in 1972. The group consisted of Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek. They also won a Grammy that year for best new musical artist. George Martin (of the Beatles' fame) produced several of America's albums from 1974 to 1979. In 1977 Peak left the group for a solo career, and the other two carried on. Some of their biggest hits are "A Horse With No Name", "Sister Golden Hair", "Lonely People", and "You Can Do Magic".

Answer: Glenn Miller and Cole Porter

Glen Miller and Cole Porter are the famous people mentioned in the lyrics of "Reminiscing". This song was released in 1978 by Australia's Little River Band. It rose to number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and number ten on the Easy Listening chart. It has been covered by Barry Manilow and k d lang, among others.

The name "Little River Band" was taken from a road sign pointing to the small town of Little River in the Australian State of Victoria, when it formed during the early 1970s. Over the years old members left and new members joined the band and they gained an American audience when they toured the US in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Now the Little River Band consists of almost all American musicians and still tours.

Here are some of the lyrics that refer to Miller and Porter:

"That's the way it began
We were hand-in-hand
Glenn Miller's band
Was better than before
We yelled and screamed for more

And the Porter tune (Night and Day)
Made us dance across the room
It ended all too soon
And on the way back home
I promised you'd never be alone"

Answer: Napoleon

ABBA recorded "Waterloo" in 1974 and won ABBA the Eurovision Song Contest in April that year. The song rose to number one in the UK, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, and South Africa. It made it to number six on the US Billboard Hot 100. In 2005 at the 50th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest "Waterloo" was named as the best song in the contest's history. This song made ABBA world famous.

Swedish pop group ABBA was formed in 1972 in Stockholm. The group consisted of Agnetha Faltskog, BjornUlvaeus, Benny Andersson, and An-Frid Lyngstad. ABBA is an acronym of the initials of the band members' first names. They are one of the best-selling groups of all time, having sold over 300 million albums and singles world-wide. The group dissolved in 1982. Their music was adapted into a musical "Mamma Mia!" and went on to become a popular movie of the same name in 2008, starring Meryl Streep. ABBA were inducted into the rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. The Swedish Government issued two postage stamps honouring ABBA, the first in 1983 and then again in 2000.

Answer: Vincent van Gogh

Don McLean's 1971 song "Vincent", sometimes also known as "Starry, Starry Night", was written by McLean in tribute to the artist, Vincent van Gogh. "Starry, Starry Night" is a reference to Van Gogh's painting "The Starry Night". The song rose to number one on the UK Singles Chart, and number twelve on the Billboard Hot 100, and number two on the US Easy Listening chart.

Donald McLean was born in New York, USA, on 2 October, 1945. He is a singer-songwriter, most famous for the song "American Pie". He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of fame in 2004.

Vincent Willem van Gogh was born in the Netherlands on 30 March, 1853, and died on 29 July 1890, at age 37 from a gunshot wound. He was not famous during his life, but today his paintings sell for millions of dollars each. For instance, in May 1990 his painting "Portrait of Dr Gaches" sold for $82.5 million (in today's value it would be worth $151.4 million); "Irises" sold in 1987 for $53.9 million (today's worth $110.1 million). These are just an example of two of his paintings.