Intriguing and Outlandish Trivia Quiz

Answer: Madonna

Madonna Louise Ciccone was born in Bay City, Michigan, USA in 1958, and began her singing and recording career in 1979. Her list of awards won includes a number of Grammys, a Golden Globe for Best Actress (Musical or Comedy) for "Evita" and, at the other end of the scale, some Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Actress.

Her 14th studio album, "Madame X" was released in 2019. She has been married to Sean Penn and director Guy Ritchie, and is mother to several children. Her famous cone bra first appeared in 1990 during her "Blond Ambition" tour, and was retired a few years later in favour of more conservative attire.

Answer: RuPaul

Born in 1960 in San Diego, California, USA, RuPaul Andre Charles was a successful nightclub performer before success in television in the 1990s, first with a self-named talk show and later with "RuPaul's Drag Race" (and many spin-offs). His intriguing costumes are made even more striking by his 6'4" (1.93 m) height, and the prime time Emmy count has risen to double digits.

Answer: Alyssa Edwards

Justin Dwayne Lee Johnson, whose alter ego is Alyssa Edwards, was born in 1980 in Mesquite, Texas, USA, which is also the location of his dance studio, Beyond Belief Dance Company. Edwards has appeared on various seasons of "RuPaul's Drag Race" as either contestant or choreographer and has won or contended for a number of pageant titles.

Answer: Carmen Miranda

Born near Porto, Portugal, in 1909 Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha moved with her family to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as a small child. She began her career singing and acting in Brazil, before eventually being "discovered" by Hollywood where she made a number of movies and established her trademark fruit-filled hat.

In 1955, aged only 46, she suffered a heart attack and died in Los Angeles, California. She was taken home to Brazil for burial, where a period of national mourning was observed in her honour.

In 1960 she received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, posthumously.

Answer: Elton John

Pinner, Middlesex, England, where Reginald Kenneth Dwight was born in 1947 has since become recognised as part of London. He was a talented pianist from a very early age, but his career really took off after he teamed up with lyricist Bernie Taupin in the late 1960s.

His list of honours include Grammys, Oscars, and a Tony, and a knighthood bestowed in 1998 for his charitable work. He married his long-time civil partner David Furnish in 2014.

Answer: Kalen Allen

Born in 1996 in Kansas City, Kansas, USA, comedian Kalen Allen came to the attention of talk show host Ellen DeGeneres by way of his food reaction posts on YouTube. He was invited to appear on "Ellen" and even to serve as a guest host when she herself was unavailable on at least one occasion. His own show, "OMKalen" on EllenTube was a result of their meeting.

Answer: Lady Gaga

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta was born in 1986 and embarked on her career whilst still in her teens. Her long list of awards includes a number of Grammys and an Oscar for Best Original Song ("Shallow" from "A Star Is Born"). She wore the outfit made of raw beef, including hat, boots and purse as accessories to the dress to the 2010 MTV Music Video Awards. On other occasions she has worn a plastic bubble dress and impossibly high high-heels.

She is also well-known for her philanthropy and advocacy for youth empowerment, mental health and anti-bullying.

Answer: Charo

María (del) Rosario (Mercedes) Pilar Martínez Molina Baeza (as her name is variously given in different sources) was born in 1951 (or possibly earlier) in Murcia, Spain and studied the guitar under the virtuoso Spanish classical guitarist, Andres Segovia.

Whilst (probably) still a teenager, she married the much older band leader, Xavier Cugat, with whose band she made a number of appearances on television. She also guest starred in a number of American TV shows, becoming known for her thick Spanish accent and trade mark catchphrase "cuchi-cuchi".

Her stage name is taken from a Spanish nickname for Rosario.

Answer: Liberace

Wladziu Valentino Liberace, known also by the first names Lee and Walter, was born in West Allis, Wisconsin in 1919 and was a child prodigy on the piano, performing difficult pieces in public at a very early age. During his career he showed the ability to play across all genres, from classical to pop.

His syndicated "The Liberace Show" on tv in the 1950s was extremely popular, remembered for not only the flamboyant performer himself, but for the candelabra always placed on his piano, appearances by his brother George, and the flip of the tails of his coat as he took his seat at the piano. (I was one of the many who watched, and remember all of this well.) His awards included Emmys and two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

He died of AIDS-related pneumonia in 1985, at the age of 67.

Answer: Billy Porter

Billy Porter was born in 1969 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA and graduated from the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in that city. His awards include a Tony for his performance in "Kinky Boots" and a Grammy for the album resulting from the same show. He has become a favourite on the many red carpets of "award season" for his always interesting choices of apparel.