Will Power Trivia Quiz

Answer: Andy Williams

Andy Williams had a relaxed singing style and personality who did not require a moonwalk nor a costume made of meat to please his fan bases. His signature song was "Moon River" from "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961). From 1962 to 1971 he had his own network variety program. In 1991 he opened his own theater in Branson, Missouri where he performed until 2011 and died shortly after.

Answer: Esther Williams

There is a parade of athletes who later became successful actors. Esther Williams was a noted amateur swimmer who dreamed of the 1940 Olympics that were cancelled due to World War Two. But her beauty was an additional asset. Although she was to make a number of acting appearances, she is most remembered for the specially scripted films that showcased her swimming talents.

Answer: Hank Williams

Hank Williams died in the backseat of a rented car on New Year's Day in 1953. Although the official cause of death was heart failure, Williams, on a singing tour, had ingested an unknown amount of alcohol in addition to chloral hydrate and morphine. Today he is regarded as one of the founding fathers of country music. "Your Cheatin' Heart", "Jambalaya", and "Honky Tonkin" are a few of the classics he left behind.

The song, I think, that delved deep into his soul is "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry":

"Hear that lonesome whippoorwill
He sounds too blue to fly
The midnight train is whining low
I'm so lonesome I could cry.

I've never seen a night so long
When time goes crawling by
The moon just went behind the clouds
To hide its face and cry.

Did you ever see a robin weep
When leaves began to die?
Like me, he's lost the will to live
I'm so lonesome I could cry.

The silence of a falling star
Lights up a purple sky
And as I wonder where you are
I'm so lonesome I could cry".

Answer: Robin Williams

Perhaps the suicide of Robin Williams came as a shock to his fans. Beginning with his stand-up comic routines in the San Francisco area to his portrayal of an alien in "Mork and Mindy" (1978-1982), he built an acting career, then blossomed into an acclaimed performer.

Many of his films reflect his manic stage performances but many show his ability to perform in character. His ability to act would not be surprising if you knew he studied acting at Julliard where his fellow students were Christopher Reeve, William Hurt, and Mandy Patinkin.

He won or was nominated for many Golden Globes and Emmy awards and won the best supporting actor for the psychologist/teacher in "Good Will Hunting" (1997). He hanged himself after learning he had dementia.

Answer: William of Ockham

William of Ockham (1287-1347) was among the most prominent figures in philosophy during the Middle Ages. Today he his most known for "Ockham's Razor" that says the simplest solution, the one with the fewest assumptions, is probably the correct solution.

But Ockham also was influential also in medieval philosophy-logic, physics or natural philosophy, theory of knowledge, ethics, and political philosophy, as well as in theology.

Answer: Ted Williams

Ted Williams was one of the greatest 'pure' hitters in the history of baseball. In 1941 he won the batting title with .406 batting average that has not been duplicated or surpassed since. It is legend that he could count the laces on a 90 mph pitch. Counting walks, he got on base .480 of the time. Although his career was interupted by World War Two and the Korean Conflict, he amassed a .344 lifetime batting average with 521 home runs and 1839 runs batted in.

Answer: Serena Williams

Serena Williams, along with her sister Venus, have been dominant forces in women's tennis. Serena was a child prodigy beginning tennis at the age of three. By the time she was 14 she was flirting with professionalism.

Serena Williams went on to be leading women's tennis player of the 2000s. In 2002-03 she won the "Serena Slam" by holding all four grand slam titles at once: the French Open, Wimbledon, U.S. Open, and Australian Open. She has won all these titles more than once. She has battled injuries during her career. After the birth of her child in 2017, she returned to competitive tennis.

Answer: John Williams

John Williams is best known for his compositions as theme music for films - the "Star Wars" series, "Jaws", "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", "Superman", "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial", the "Indiana Jones series", the first two "Home Alone" films, "Hook", the first two "Jurassic Park" films, "Schindler's List", and the first three "Harry Potter" films. He also contributed music for "Gilligan's Island".

Williams has 24 Grammy Awards, seven British Academy Film Awards, five Academy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. With 51 Academy Award nominations, Williams is the second most-nominated individual, after Walt Disney.

Answer: Wendy Williams

Wendy Williams is an American television host, actress, author, fashion designer, and radio/television personality. During her radio career she was known as a "shock jockette" as she engaged in disputes with guests, particularly celebrities. Since 2008 she has hosted a syndicated television talk show. Williams has authored seven books, three non-fiction and four fiction, most with the help of co-writers. She initiated her own fashion and jewelry lines. She starred as Matron "Mama" Morton in a revival of the musical "Chicago" in 2013. She was named in 2009 to the National Radio Hall of Fame.

Sexism in the work place and society is one of her major themes.

Answer: Vanessa Williams

Vanessa Williams was the first Black Miss America in 1984, however, her reign was short. "Penthouse Magazine" without her consent published nude pictures of her and she was forced to relinquish the honor. The scandal was well publicized but she built a career with her singing and acting skills. Since then, she has been a steady performer with her recordings and her television and acting appearances.

Vanessa has multiple Emmy nominations, a Tony Award nomination, seven NAACP Image Awards, and four Satellite Awards. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007.