American Celebrities Born Along Route 66 Quiz

Answer: Red Foxx

Red Foxx was born in St. Louis and raised in the South Side of Chicago. He frequently mentioned having come from St. Louis on "Sanford and Son". He took his last name from baseball player Jimmie Foxx and was called Red because of a red tint in his hair.
Red was doing night club work when Dinah Washington urged him to relocate to Los Angeles where he recorded his night club jokes and eventually landed the lead role in "Sanford and Son". He was also one of the first black entertainers to work on the Vegas strip. In 1991 he died from a heart attack while rehearsing for "The Royal Family".
John Goodman was born in Affton, Missouri. Scott Bakula was on "Quantum Leap" (1989) and Fred Berry appeared on "What's Happening! (1976).
Other actors who hailed from St Louis include Vincent Price and Joe Besser of The Three Stooges. Some notable actresses from St. Louis include Mary Frann, Dorothea Kent, Marsha Mason, Shelley Winters and Mary Wickes.

Answer: Kathleen Turner

Kathleen Turner also appeared in such films as "Body Heat" (1981), "Peggy Sue Got Married" (1986) and "Romancing the Stone" (1984).
She was born in Springfield, Missouri, then traveled throughout the world as a result of her dad's work as a Foreign Service officer. Her family was stationed in Cuba when Castro severed relations with the US.
In 1972 Kathleen graduated from the American School in London. She returned to Springfield to attend Southwest Missouri State University and went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Maryland Baltimore. After appearing on Soap Operas she was cast in "Body Heat", propelling her into a series of starring roles in films.
In 1986 Kelly McGillis starred in "Top Gun". Susan Sarandon starred with Jack Jack Nicholson in "The Witches of Eastwick". Elisabeth Shue was in the 1988 film" Cocktail".

Answer: Gunsmoke

Dennis portrayed Chester B. Goode from 1955 to 1964 on "Gunsmoke". He left to star in a series about a veterinary doctor titled "Kentucky Jones" that aired for one season in 1964.
He attended the University of Oklahoma where he set records in several track events while he studied drama. He became a Navy pilot during WWII and tried out for the Olympics upon discharge. When his trials failed to earn him a slot he decided to try acting. He met Shelley Winters through the Actor's Studio in New York who encouraged him to go to Hollywood.
After landing parts in movies he got the role on "Gunsmoke", earning a Best Supporting Actor Emmy in 1959. He also received two Emmy Award nominations for his work in "McCloud" and served as president of the Screen Actor's Guild from 1973 to 1975.
Weaver died from Lung Cancer in February, 2006, on the same day that actor Don Knotts passed away.

Answer: Rascal Flatts

Rascal FLatts' guitarist Joe Don Rooney was born September 13, 1975, in Baxter Springs, Kansas. Gary LeVox and Jay DeMarcus were in a band performing in a club when their guitar player didn't show up. DeMarcus invited Rooney to play with them and the combination was a favorite with the crowd.

The band adopted their name shortly after that gig, signed to Lyric Street Records and have been cranking out Country hits ever since. Their first single, "Prayin' for Daylight", reached number three on the US Country charts. Lonestar formed in Nashville in 1992, Diamond Rio also formed in Nashville in 1984 and Sons of the Desert was founded in 1989 in Waco, Texas, by brothers Drew and Tim Womack.

Answer: Dr Phil

Dr. Phillip Calvin McGraw began hosting "Dr. Phil" in 2002. He was born in Vinita, Oklahoma, and grew up in Texas. After obtaining his Ph.D. at the University of North Texas Phil joined his father's practice in Wichita Falls, Texas. In the mid-nineties Oprah retained the firm as part of her defense regarding the Amarillo Texas beef trial.
When the case concluded in 1998 Oprah was so impressed with Dr. McGraw that she booked him frequently on her show which led to developing "Dr. Phil" and other spin-off programs.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta has gained exposure through his shows and regular slots on CNN. Dr. Drew Pinsky moderates VH1's "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" among other radio and television shows. Dr. Oz is a heart surgeon and author who hosts "The Dr. Oz Show".

Answer: Bread

David Gates was a founding member of Bread. The band released their debut album, "Bread" in 1969. Their second album, "On the Waters" contained the single, "Make It with You", which went to number one in the US. They followed with seven more gold records. The band has occasionally reformed for reunion shows.
Other notable Tulsa natives in the music field include Elvin Bishop, Carl Radle (of Derek and the Dominos) and Hanson. Leon Russell hailed from nearby Lawton, Oklahoma.
Climax Blues Band formed in 1968 in Stafford, England. Air Supply is an Australian duo and Ambrosia formed in southern California in 1970.

Answer: Neal Schon

Neal Schon's dad was a sax player who agreed to let Neal join Santana even though he had not finished high school. He was asked to be a member of Derek and the Dominos, but Santana had invited him first. His first project with Santana was "Santana III" (1971). Two years later he became a founding member of Journey, with a brief tenure with Azteca in between.

He played on 14 studio albums with Journey and has released five solo efforts. Bernie Leadon was a founding member of The Eagles. Paul Kantner was a guitarist for Jefferson Airplane and guitarist Bill Kirchen was an early member of Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen.

Answer: Neil Patrick Harris

Neal Patrick Harris was an Albuquerque native. He was discovered by Mark Medoff while attending a Drama Camp in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He was cast in "Clara's Heart" with Whoopi Goldberg in 1988. The following year he landed the lead role in "Doogie Howser, MD" where he remained for four years. Since the conclusion of the series he has been cast in several television, Broadway and movie roles.
Kirk Cameron began his role on "Growing Pains" in 1985. Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Dustin Diamond both starred in "Saved By the Bell" (1989).

Answer: Andy Devine

Andy Devine was born in Flagstaff. His family relocated to Kingman, Arizona, when he was a baby. Kingman was also along the old Route 66. Andy had a desire to act but believed that his raspy, unique voice would be a detriment. It turned out to be his trademark.
He began getting minor roles until he was cast with John Wayne in "Stagecoach" in 1939. He would work with Wayne again in "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" (1962). He made the transition from movies to television, guest-starring in several shows and as a regular sidekick on "The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok".
Jim Bannon played Red Ryder in 1949. Gabby Hayes worked with Roy Rogers on his television show for several years. Academy Award winner Walter Brennan was born in Lynn, Massachusetts, and appeared in diverse movies roles including numerous Westerns.

Answer: Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle

After his role in 1967 playing Buck Barrow in "Bonnie and Clyde" Gene Hackman landed a starring role as "Popeye" Doyle in "The French Connection". He resurrected the role in 1975 in "French Connection II". These roles launched an impressive career that included roles in the Superman films of the seventies.
Hackman joined the Marine Corps and set his sights on acting upon discharge. He befriended Dustin Hoffman at the Pasadena Playhouse. Hoffman and Hackman were both voted "Least likely to succeed".
"The Turk" Virgil Sollozzo was played by Al Lettieri in "The Godfather" (1972). In 1976 Burgess Meredith portrayed Mickey Goldmill in "Rocky". Police Chief Martin Brody was played by Roy Scheider in "Jaws" (1975).