Surprisingly, John Denver was not born in Colorado or West Virginia. He was born in Roswell, New Mexico. His birth name was Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. He legally changed his name to John Denver because he loved Colorado because of the beautiful mountains. He then wrote a song called "Rocky Mountain High" which became Colorado's official state song. Before "Rocky Mountain High," he wrote "Take Me Home Country Roads" which became West Virginia's official state song. That song was inspired by Denver's time living in the eastern part of the United States.
John Denver sold over 33 million albums worldwide. His hit songs include "Thank God I'm a Country Boy," "Calypso," "Leaving on a Jet Plane," and "Annie's Song."
2. New York
Answer: Paul Stanley
Paul Stanley is the frontman of KISS. They have sold over 80 million albums worldwide and have 13 gold albums, 14 platinum albums, and three multi-platinum albums. They are famous for their live shows, which featured four men wearing make-up, each of them having a different design on their face. The live shows also featured fire-breathing, blood-spitting, fireworks, a siren, and Stanley riding on a trapeze. Stanley talks to the audience a lot. I've never seen anyone who's better at talking to the audience than he is.
Stanley wrote and sang "Detroit Rock City," which is usually voted THE fan favorite KISS song on polls in KISS-related groups on the subject. The song tells a true story of an incident that happened in Charlotte, North Carolina, but they wrote it about Detroit because that is the first city where KISS became popular. He also wrote "I Was Made For Lovin' You," which charted at number one in multiple countries. At some shows, he flies on a trapeze to a small stage in the middle of where the audience sits when they do this song. He also wrote "Firehouse," the song with the siren and the fire-breathing. He also wrote "God of Thunder" even though his bandmate Gene Simmons is the one who sings it and is known by that name.
3. North Carolina
Answer: Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Monk is one of the most famous jazz keyboard players of all time. He is the second-most-recorded jazz composer of all time, behind only Duke Ellington.
He is famous for his unique way of playing the keyboard. Most keyboard players curve their fingers when playing. He played with his fingers flat. He also always played staccato, which means he hit the keys and then let go immediately. He very rarely used legato, a style where players hold onto notes for a little longer before going to the next note, implying that the notes go together. Sometimes, he hit the same key with multiple fingers, something almost no one else ever does. He was known for playing notes that sounded wrong and hitting the notes seemingly later than he should have. Yet somehow, it all worked.
Some of his most famous songs are "Round Midnight," "Blue Monk," Straight No Chaser," and "Well You Needn't."
4. North Dakota
Answer: Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee was a jazz singer and songwriter. She wrote or co-wrote 270 songs. She sang thousands of songs. She is best known now for writing most of the songs for the Disney movie "Lady and the Tramp." She sang over 50 songs that charted on the Pop chart or the Adult Contemporary chart.
Her hits include "Manana," "Fever," "Golden Earrings," and "Lover." She was an influence on many later musicians such as Paul McCartney, Madonna, Beyonce, and Elvis Costello.
5. Ohio
Answer: Dave Grohl
Dave Grohl is highly famous for two bands. He first earned fame as the drummer for Nirvana. When Kurt Cobain died and that band disbanded, he started the Foo Fighters.
The Foo Fighters started off as just him. He recorded almost all the instruments on the first album. When that album became successful, he added other members and turned the Foo Fighters into a full-fledged band. They were still playing sold-out stadiums over 30 years after Grohl started the band. Both Nirvana and the Foo Fighters were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. He was given the key to the city of Warren, Ohio, where he was born.
6. Oklahoma
Answer: Garth Brooks
Garth Brooks has sold over 170 million albums worldwide. He is the first musician in history to have at least nine albums that have been certified diamond or better. He won 17 American Music Awards. He was inducted into the Songwriters' Hall of Fame in 2011, the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2012, and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2016.
He is known as a country musician, but he is famous for among those musicians to blend country music with other styles, such as rock and pop. His hit songs include "Friends in Low Places," "The Dance," "The Thunder Rolls," "The River," and "Callin' Baton Rouge."
7. Oregon
Answer: Tommy Thayer
Tommy Thayer is best known as the lead guitarist of KISS from 2002-2023. Ace Frehley left the band in 2002 to pursue a solo career. Thayer stepped in and kept KISS going for another 20+ years. He recorded two studio albums with KISS: "Sonic Boom" and "Monster." He sings the songs "When Lightning Strikes" and "Out of This World" on those albums.
Before KISS, he was the lead guitarist of a band called Black 'n Blue. They are best known for their song "Hold on to 18," which charted at number 50 on the U.S. Top Rock Tracks chart. Their song "Nature of the Beach" appeared in the film "Vision Quest." They opened for Aerosmith in 1985 and they opened for KISS shortly thereafter. Thayer became forever tied with KISS after Black 'n Blue opened for them. Gene Simmons produced the Black 'n Blue albums "Nasty Nasty" and "In Heat." Thayer then ended up working some odd jobs for Simmons before finally becoming a full-fledged member of KISS.
8. Pennsylvania
Answer: Tom Keifer
Tom Keifer was the lead singer and songwriter of the band Cinderella. They had two albums that were certified triple platinum in the U.S. and a third album that was certified platinum. They were known as "hair metal" because of their image, but their music was blues music, rather than the pop music of most bands that were known as "hair metal." Their hit songs include "Don't Know What You Got ('Til it's Gone)," "Nobody's Fool," "Comin' Home," "Gypsy Road," and "Somebody Save me."
9. Rhode Island
Answer: Jeffrey Osbourne
Osbourne is a rhythm and blues singer. He was inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame in 2024. He started off as the lead singer of L.T.D. They recorded hit singles such as "(Every Time I Turn Around) Back in Love Again," "Love Ballad," and "Holding On (When Love Is Gone)." He then departed that band to have a solo career.
His solo hits include "You Should be Mine," "On the Wings of Love," and "I Really Don't Need No Light."
10. South Carolina
Answer: James Brown
James Brown is known as "The Godfather of Soul." He has 17 songs that reached number one on the Billboard R and B chart. He holds the record for most singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart that did not reach number one. He was one of the first-ever inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
He was also inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame. His hit songs include "I Got You (I Feel Good)," "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," "Say it Loud I'm Black and I'm Proud," and "Living in America."
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
