Take a Trip on Route 66 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Nat King Cole

The year 1946 was a banner year for Nat King Cole. He released "The Christmas Song" as The King Cole Trio as well as standards such as "Paper Moon" and "(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66". He released four albums as the King Cole Trio between 1944 and 1949. In 1956 he debuted "The Nat King Cole Show", becoming the first black artist to host a television variety show.
Nat had a unique voice that he attributed to smoking up to three packs of menthol cigarettes per day. He was only 45 when he passed due to lung cancer in 1965.
Perry Como had a big hit in 1946 with "Prisoner of Love". "Sioux City Sue" was a 1946 release by Bing Crosby and The Jesters and "Day By Day" was done by Ol' Blue Eyes the same year.

Answer: Chicago

They lyrics indicated that "It winds from Chicago to LA". The official beginning of the road was by the shores of Lake Michigan and passed through the communities of Cicero and Berwyn. The road also passed through Springfield. The last town a traveler would hit as he went through Illinois would have been Mitchell. Route 66 did not go through or near Detroit, Cleveland or Columbus.

Answer: Timely

The third verse advised "Won't you get hip to this timely tip". The clever lyrics connected the listener to the singer, as if the singer was giving him advice directly.

Answer: St. Louis and Joplin

Although Jefferson City is the capitol of Missouri, the song advised that Route 66 went through St. Louis and Joplin. St Louis was the first major city in Missouri that a driver would encounter. It was also where the highway crossed the Mississippi River. Although the route went by Springfield, it was not mentioned in the song. After winding through the state the final major city in Missouri would have been Joplin.
Chuck Berry was born in St. Louis and remained a resident of the city all his life. In 1961 he recorded a version of "Route 66" on his "New Juke-Box Hits" album.

Answer: Arizona

Winona is located in Arizona. "Don't forget Winona" was most likely the only town that the composer could rhyme with "Flagstaff, Arizona". Winona was a very small community north of Flagstaff.
Christina Claire Ciminella changed her name to Wynonna Ellen Judd when she heard of the town while listening to "Route 66". The town is also named in the song, "Arizona Yodeler".

Answer: Amarillo

Route 66 went through the panhandle of Texas so Amarillo was the only possible city out of the choices. Amarillo was originally named Oneida. The Cadillac Ranch and Big Texan Steak Ranch were some of the attractions in Amarillo along old Route 66 that remained in existence into the 21st century. Amarillo means yellow in Spanish, and the region is often covered with yellow wildflowers.

Answer: False

The producers of "Route 66" commissioned a specific theme song for the television show to avoid having to pay royalty payments for Troup's composition. Nelson Riddle wrote the score, which reached the US Billboard Top Forty. The series ran on CBS from 1960 to 1964, originally starring Martin Milner as Tod Stiles and George Maharis as Buz Murdock.

It featured several guest stars through its run including Alan Alda portraying a surgeon before his tenure on "M*A*S*H.

Answer: George Maharis

In 1962 "(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66" was recorded by George Maharis on Epic Records. He began his acting career on "Search for Tomorrow" before being cast in "Route 66". Between 1962 and 1966 he released seven albums. His highest charting US single was "Teach Me Tonight" in 1962.
Martin Milner did not embark on a singing career but starred in shows such as "Adam 12". Milner made his first TV appearance in 1950 in an episode of "The Lone Ranger".
Glenn Corbett replaced Maharis for the 1963-1964 season of the series when Maharis had to leave because of illness. David Janssen was not a regular, but guest starred in an episode of the show.

Answer: The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones' version of "Route 66" was released as a single, but only charted in Australia. The "England's Newest Hit Makers" album consisted primarily of cover tunes.
"Tell Me (You're Coming Back)" was an original tune and "Now I've Got a Witness" was contributed to Nanker Phelge, a pseudonym for the collective members of the band. "Tell Me (You're Coming Back)" was the highest charting US single from the album.
In 1964 "The Manfred Mann Album" was the first LP released by the band in the US. The Animals released their eponymous debut album the same year and "Herman's Hermits" was released the following year.

Answer: Gallup

Gallup, New Mexico, is in the lyrics of the song; "You'll see Amarillo, and Gallup, New Mexico". The rugged terrain around Gallup was popular with Hollywood filmmakers so several Western movies were shot there during during the forties and fifties. Many of the actors stayed at the historic El Rancho Hotel and Motel while the movies were bring shot, making the landmark hotel a popular destination along the route.

In 1861 the town was named for David Gallup, an employee of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. Route 66 originally ran through Albuquerque along Fourth Street.

In 1937 it was realigned along Central Avenue. Santa Fe's full name when founded was "La Villa Real de la Santa Fé de San Francisco de Asís". In the fifties 1950s Clovis was where the Norman Petty Recording Studio was located, famous for recording Buddy Holly and The Crickets.