You're the Inspiration Trivia Quiz

Answer: John Denver

John Denver, born Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. in 1943, married Ann Martell in 1967. He came up with the outline for "Annie's Song" in about ten minutes on a ski lift in Aspen. The song was a big hit single - reaching number one in several countries.

The marriage hit difficulties, with Denver allegedly attacking his wife and cutting up a bed with a chainsaw, and they divorced in the early 1980s.

Answer: Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven's "Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Opus 55", was inspired by Beethoven's hero worship of Napoleon Bonaparte. He originally planned to dedicate it to Napoleon, but (in order not to lose out on his fee from a patron), expressed his regard for the Frenchman by entitling it "Buonaparte".

However, on hearing that Napoleon had styled himself "Emperor" in 1804, Beethoven, enraged, tore up the title page. The symphony was then renamed "Sinfonia Eroica", meaning "Heroic Symphony".

Answer: The Beatles

The Mahrishi became a kind of spiritual advisor to The Beatles in 1967 and they travelled to India in early 1968 to study with him. Things didn't work out as well as expected, and there were lurid rumours about his behaviour. John Lennon wrote the song "Sexy Sadie" about the experience - he changed the title from "Maharishi" at George Harrison's request. It appeared on the album "The Beatles" aka "The White Album" in 1968.

"Sexy Sadie you'll get yours yet, However big you think you are".

Answer: Elgar

Edward Elgar's "Variations, Op. 36", commonly referred to as the "Enigma Variations", is an orchestral work written in 1898 and 1899. Each variation on a theme was inspired by a friends or family member or himself, and given a cryptic description. For instance, "Dorabella" mimics Dora Penny's stutter. And "Nimrod" is a play on words - Nimrod was a Biblical hunter, and Jaeger is German for hunter.

Answer: Van Gogh

"Vincent" was written by McLean in 1971, inspired by reading a book about Van Gogh. It hit number one in the UK the following year and was a top twenty hit in the US. The song has been covered by many artists, including Nana Mouskouri and Josh Groban.

There is a Van Gogh picture of daffodils in a vase, but he is better known for other subjects.

Answer: Lowry

Part of Status Quo's psychedelic phase, "Pictures of Matchstick Men" was written by Francis Rossi in 1967. It reached the top ten in the UK and the top twenty in the US.

Lancashire-born L. S. Lowry's distinctive figures also inspired Brian and Michael's hit single "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs".

Answer: Paul Simon

Paul Simon was residing in the UK in 1964 when he met Kathleen Chitty. He wrote several songs while they were in a relationship, including "Homeward Bound" when he was in a station on his way from Widnes to see her, and "America", in which she was mentioned: "'Kathy', I said, As we boarded a Greyhound in Pittsburgh, 'Michigan seems like a dream to me now'".

He wrote "Kathy's Song" while pining for her in New York. "And from the shelter of my mind, Through the window of my eyes, I gaze beyond the rain-drenched streets. To England where my heart lies." It featured on a solo album, "The Paul Simon Songbook", in 1965 and subsequently the Simon and Garfunkel album "Sounds of Silence" in 1966.

They broke up in the mid-1960s after Simon moved back to the US.

Answer: Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye

Walter Orange, Dennis Lambert and Franne Golde wrote "Nightshift" as a tribute to the two great soul stars. Marvin Gaye, whose hits included "What's Going On" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", was shot by his father and died at the age of 44. Jackie Wilson, who finally passed away aged 49 after being in a coma for most of the previous nine years, was known for his extraordinary vocal range on hits like "Reet Petite" and "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher".

"Nightshift" marked a return for The Commodores to the top ten of the US charts for the first time since 1981 when Lionel Richie was the band's leader.

Answer: Lester Young

Mingus recorded the tune for his album "Mingus Ah Um" in May 1959. The title comes from Lester Young's habitual wearing of a pork pie hat. A jazz standard, it has been consistently popular, recorded by many artists and both Joni Mitchell and Rahsaan Roland Kirk writing lyrics for it.

Lester Young was one of the most influential jazz musicians, working with Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Nat "King" Cole and Charlie Parker. He is also said to have been a prime mover in the popularisation of slang terms like "cool" for trendy or "bread" for money.

Answer: Warhol and Dylan

"Hunky Dory" was Bowie's fourth album.

"Andy Warhol" is dedicated to one of Bowie's great heroes, who Bowie got to play in the 1996 movie "Basquiat".

"Song for Bob Dylan" seems to be a call for Dylan to harness the forces of music to put the world to rights.