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Quiz about Famous DuosOne Person Short
Quiz about Famous DuosOne Person Short

Famous Duos...One Person Short Quiz


There have been a number of people who got their first taste of fame paired with someone else. Eventually, they passed by that partner on the way to fame and fortune. What do you know about the one left behind?

A multiple-choice quiz by Oddball. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
Oddball
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
303,662
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
9676
Awards
Top 5% quiz!
Last 3 plays: Guest 107 (6/10), xchasbox (10/10), ozzz2002 (8/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Multiple Oscar-winner Tom Hanks got his first big break in 1980 on a TV sitcom called 'Bosom Buddies', about two men who had to cross-dress to live in an all-girl apartment complex. Who was Hanks' former roommate? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. The original mastermind of the sideshow circuit, Phineas Taylor Barnum, was known for such quotes as 'There's a sucker born every minute'. He is also forever tied with transforming the old-time carnival into the three-ring extravaganza of today. Who was his lesser-known partner? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. It was in 1989 that two dudes named Bill and Ted went on a most excellent adventure chronicled in a hit movie and a subsequent sequel. You've obviously kept up with the actor who played Ted 'Theodore' Logan, Keanu Reeves...but who played Bill S. Preston, Esquire? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. For this former duo, it was kind of neck and neck for a few years, but even being elected mayor and U.S. congressman couldn't compare to winning a Grammy, an Emmy, an Oscar and three Golden Globes. With whom do people most remember as the other half of singer/actress Cher?

Answer: ( One Word .. first or second name accepted)
Question 5 of 10
5. Perhaps the biggest thing about the late-1970s sitcom 'Mork and Mindy' was the incredible improvisation of its comic star (and future Oscar-winner) Robin Williams as a space alien living on Earth, but to do that, he had to have a reliable sounding board off of his 'straight-person' co-star. What actress filled the role of 'Mindy'? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. During the 1960s, Carole King and her husband were one of the most sought-after songwriting duos in the music business. When Carole divorced him and released an album in her own right called 'Tapestry' in 1971, it seemed he was all but left in the dust. Who is he? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. A 2009 survey in "Forbes" magazine listed actor Will Smith as the most bankable actor in Hollywood. How many of you still remember he started in 1985 as one-third (later half) of a successful rap group, whose remaining partner made periodic appearances on Smith's hit TV show 'The Fresh Prince of Bel Air'? What is the real name of 'DJ Jazzy Jeff'? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Through a large part of the 1990s, George Michael set the standard for catchy music and risqué lyrics with mega-hit albums like 'Faith' and 'Listen Without Prejudice'. To get there, he started as one-half of the hit pop duo Wham! Who was his partner? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. For over a hundred years, one of the great business success stories in the USA was the catalog-based retail outlet chain started by entrepreneur Richard Warren Sears back in 1886. Before the turn of the century, he had acquired a partner and the two made their catalog a household essential. Strangely, the catalogs and many retail outlets to follow never carried any other name but Sears. Who was Sears' partner? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Among the many 'buddy sitcoms' of the 1970s was a spin-off from 'Happy Days', following the antics of Milwaukee pals Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney. 'Laverne' was played by Penny Marshall, the sister of director/producer Garry Marshall, who would go on in her own right to direct box office hit movies like 'A League Of Their Own', 'Awakenings' and 'Big', (which became the first female-directed film to gross over $100 million). Who played 'Shirley'? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 27 2024 : Guest 107: 6/10
Mar 26 2024 : xchasbox: 10/10
Mar 23 2024 : ozzz2002: 8/10
Mar 21 2024 : Guest 101: 10/10
Mar 21 2024 : Guest 50: 10/10
Mar 21 2024 : Guest 198: 9/10
Mar 18 2024 : Guest 86: 8/10
Mar 17 2024 : griller: 10/10
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Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Multiple Oscar-winner Tom Hanks got his first big break in 1980 on a TV sitcom called 'Bosom Buddies', about two men who had to cross-dress to live in an all-girl apartment complex. Who was Hanks' former roommate?

Answer: Peter Scolari

While Hanks went on to win Academy Awards for 'Philadelphia' and 'Forrest Gump' (and nominated for more), Scolari stayed busy going back and forth from the small screen, where he shone on the hit series 'Newhart', to the big stage, where he excelled in a production of 'Stop The World, I Want To Get Off'.

He did find time to reunite with Hanks for two productions, 'That Thing You Do' (1996), and 'The Polar Express' (2004).
2. The original mastermind of the sideshow circuit, Phineas Taylor Barnum, was known for such quotes as 'There's a sucker born every minute'. He is also forever tied with transforming the old-time carnival into the three-ring extravaganza of today. Who was his lesser-known partner?

Answer: James Bailey

James Anthony Bailey (born James McGuinness in 1847) was the man who truly defined what became the modern-day circus. Bailey had first started in the business with James Cooper before his first meeting with Barnum, which became the famous Barnum and Bailey Circus (it was Bailey who secured the rights to bring the giant elephant Jumbo to the USA in 1881). Bailey died in 1906, 13 years before a merger with the Ringling Brothers further cemented the circus' reputation as 'the Greatest Show on Earth'.
3. It was in 1989 that two dudes named Bill and Ted went on a most excellent adventure chronicled in a hit movie and a subsequent sequel. You've obviously kept up with the actor who played Ted 'Theodore' Logan, Keanu Reeves...but who played Bill S. Preston, Esquire?

Answer: Alex Winter

While Reeves went on to star in such films as 'Speed', 'The Replacements' and the 'Matrix' series, Alex Winter has been more of a force behind the camera. He directed several music videos for such groups as the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Helmet, as well as a number of animated features, including 'Ben-10' and 'Saul of the Mole Men'. His on-screen roles include 'The Lost Boys', 'Death Wish 3' and 'Rosalie Goes Shopping'.
For the record, Shor played Billy the Kid and Loomis was Sigmund Freud in the first movie, while William Sadler played the Grim Reaper in 'Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey'.
4. For this former duo, it was kind of neck and neck for a few years, but even being elected mayor and U.S. congressman couldn't compare to winning a Grammy, an Emmy, an Oscar and three Golden Globes. With whom do people most remember as the other half of singer/actress Cher?

Answer: Sonny Bono

Salvatore 'Sonny' Bono was working for producer Phil Spector when he met Cherilyn Sarkasian at a recording studio. As the duo of Sonny and Cher, they scored a number of hits like 'The Beat Goes On' and 'I Got You, Babe'. After a successful TV series (and a not-so-successful marriage) Bono became frustrated with opening a restaurant in Palm Springs, California and decided to run for mayor, where he served from 1988 to 1992.

A few years later, the re-married conservative Bono was elected Congressman for the 44th District of California.

While serving in that capacity, Bono was killed in a skiing accident in 1998. At his widow's request, first wife Cher delivered his eulogy.
5. Perhaps the biggest thing about the late-1970s sitcom 'Mork and Mindy' was the incredible improvisation of its comic star (and future Oscar-winner) Robin Williams as a space alien living on Earth, but to do that, he had to have a reliable sounding board off of his 'straight-person' co-star. What actress filled the role of 'Mindy'?

Answer: Pam Dawber

Dawber started as a fashion model for the famous Wilhelmina firm before landing her gig with Williams in 1979 (both Fairchild and Fabares had minor roles in the series). By the time the show ended in 1982, the main characters had married and were proud parents of a 'space baby' (played by Williams' mentor, legendary comic Jonathan Winters). Dawber later found success in another promising sitcom, 'My Sister Sam', which was tragically cut short following the murder of co-star Rebecca Shaeffer in 1989. Dawber married actor Mark Harmon in '87 and has been a long-standing spokesperson for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America.
6. During the 1960s, Carole King and her husband were one of the most sought-after songwriting duos in the music business. When Carole divorced him and released an album in her own right called 'Tapestry' in 1971, it seemed he was all but left in the dust. Who is he?

Answer: Gerry Goffin

Goffin and King, (who were married from 1960-68) were part of the famous 'Brill Building' musicians, where they wrote 'The Loco-Motion', 'Take Good Care Of My Baby', 'Up On the Roof' and 'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow' (which Carole later used on 'Tapestry'). Goffin continued to write hit songs post-breakup, including the Oscar-winning 'Theme from Mahogany' for Diana Ross in 1975 and 'Miss You Like Crazy' for Natalie Cole in 1989. Both Goffin and King were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as songwriters in 1990. Leiber and Stoller were another famous songwriting duo, penning hits for Elvis Presley, while Sedaka is a famous writer and performer in his own right.
7. A 2009 survey in "Forbes" magazine listed actor Will Smith as the most bankable actor in Hollywood. How many of you still remember he started in 1985 as one-third (later half) of a successful rap group, whose remaining partner made periodic appearances on Smith's hit TV show 'The Fresh Prince of Bel Air'? What is the real name of 'DJ Jazzy Jeff'?

Answer: Jeff Townes

Smith filled in for Townes 'hype man' at a dance party in Philadelphia and the two became partners and best friends since. As 'DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince', they scored the first ever rap Grammy Award for the hit 'Parents Just Don't Understand' in 1988. Despite Smith's success on the big screen with movies like 'Six Degrees of Separation', 'Independence Day' and the 'Men In Black' series, the two still occasionally record songs together (both performed for the premier of Smith's movie 'Hancock' in 2008).
Incidentally, the third member, beatboxer Clarence 'Ready Rock C' Holmes, started with the group, but left in 1990 due to creative differences with Smith. He tried to sue his bandmates for royalties, but the case was thrown out of court.
Drayton is better known by the name 'Flavor Flav' of Public Enemy and the 'Flavor of Love' cable series, while James Smith and Tracy Marrow both made names on-screen and in rap as LL Cool J and Ice-T, respectively.
8. Through a large part of the 1990s, George Michael set the standard for catchy music and risqué lyrics with mega-hit albums like 'Faith' and 'Listen Without Prejudice'. To get there, he started as one-half of the hit pop duo Wham! Who was his partner?

Answer: Andrew Ridgeley

Michael admittedly took the majority of Wham's success with his music and production skills, but Ridgeley set the image that placed them on par with the top acts of the day. Backed by another duo, Pepsi DeMacque and Shirlie Holliman, wearing oversized shirts with huge-lettered words, Michael and Ridgeley struck gold with 'Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go', 'Careless Whisper' and 'Freedom', all in 1984.
Following their breakup in '86, Ridgeley tried his hand at auto racing (he crashed) and surfing (he got sick from water sewage). He later became an environmentalist and business owner who still wrote songs under his own and other names.
Hatfield was one half of the 'Righteous Brothers' with Bill Medley, Dean Torrence was half of 'Jan and Dean' and Asher was half of 'Peter and Gordon'.
9. For over a hundred years, one of the great business success stories in the USA was the catalog-based retail outlet chain started by entrepreneur Richard Warren Sears back in 1886. Before the turn of the century, he had acquired a partner and the two made their catalog a household essential. Strangely, the catalogs and many retail outlets to follow never carried any other name but Sears. Who was Sears' partner?

Answer: Alvah Curtis Roebuck

When Richard Sears (1863-1914) came into possession of a load of unwanted watches, he moved to Chicago and hired A.C. Roebuck to help handle the load for resale. The two joined to create Sears, Roebuck and Company in 1893, but two years later Roebuck sold his share of the business to Sears for $20,000. Even out millions in revenue, A.C. kept finding his way back into the business for the next 45 years.

A famous saying attributed to Roebuck was when people asked him about his wages compared to partner's wealth, he would reply, 'He's dead. Me, I never felt better'. Roebuck would eventually die on June 18, 1948 at the age of 84. James Cash (J.C.) Penney, Sam Walton and Aaron Montgomery Ward would all make their stake in the retail business in their own time.
10. Among the many 'buddy sitcoms' of the 1970s was a spin-off from 'Happy Days', following the antics of Milwaukee pals Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney. 'Laverne' was played by Penny Marshall, the sister of director/producer Garry Marshall, who would go on in her own right to direct box office hit movies like 'A League Of Their Own', 'Awakenings' and 'Big', (which became the first female-directed film to gross over $100 million). Who played 'Shirley'?

Answer: Cindy Williams

Williams attended Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, California, along with financier Michael Milkin and actress Sally Field as classmates. Her first big break came after years in commercials and sitcoms with 'American Graffiti' in 1973, alongside Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfus and Harrison Ford.

She would also star in two episodes of 'Love American Style', which aired an episode that would flesh out years later into the show 'Happy Days'. Williams worked with Marshall from 1976 to '82, when she left to have her first child.

In later years, she hit the stage circuit, often with 'Laverne & Shirley' co-star Eddie Mecca. Moran, Silvers and Quatro all had roles on 'Happy Days'. Moran was the kid sister Joannie Cunningham, Silvers (daughter of actor Phil Silvers) was Joanie's friend Jenny Piccolo and singer Quatro played singer 'Leather' Tuscadero.
Source: Author Oddball

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