Hey! We Opened for The Beatles in the USA Quiz

Answer: Brenda Holloway

Brenda Holloway was asked by the Beatles to be part of their opening act. She had released "Every Little Bit Hurts" for Motown and followed up with the Top Forty single, "When I'm Gone".
She began her career in California playing the violin and singing in a Gospel choir as a youngster. In her teens she found work doing demos and singing backup for local groups. Berry Gordy heard her sing Mary Wells' "My Guy" and signed her to Motown. When "Every Little Bit Hurts" made the Top Twenty Brenda found herself part of Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars and appearing on various teen TV shows. Holloway left the Motown label in 1968 and retired from show business two years later.
Wells had a major hit in 1964 with "My Guy". The following year Fontella Bass hit the charts with "Band of Gold". In 1966 Betty Wright released her first of several singles, "Thank You Baby".

Answer: The United States

The Cyrcle was formed by Don Dannemann and Tom Dawes, students at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. They were originally called The Rhondells. An associate of Brian Epstein heard them performing and suggested to Brian that he sign them. John Lennon suggested the name for the band referencing a roundabout in Easton.

The band members were basking in the success of their US Number Two single titled "Red Rubber Ball" when they were selected to open for the Fab Four as part of their 1966 itinerary. In August they performed immediately prior to the Beatles during their performance at Dodger Stadium.

The Cyrkle released another US Top Forty single and two albums before disbanding the following year.

Answer: The Chiffons

In 1963 The Chiffons hit the top slot in the US with their first single, "He's So Fine". They also released other singles including "One Fine Day" and "Sweet Talkin' Guy". Ironically, one of the Chiffon's songs, "He's So Fine", later became involved a copyright infringement suit surrounding George Harrison's 1970 hit, "My Sweet Lord". The Beatles recorded a version of The Marvellettes' hit, "Please Mr. Postman" for their early albums.

The Cookies recorded "Chains" in 1961. The song was also covered by The Beatles. Patti Labelle and the Blue Belles were part of the Rolling Stones' North American tour the following year.

Answer: Bill Black Combo

In 1959 Elvis' former bass player, Bill Black, started putting together an instrumental group called Bill Black Combo. They would go on to put out eight singles in the US Top Forty over the next few years. In 1961 they appeared in a movie called "The Teenage Millionaire" and on "The Ed Sullivan Show".
When they were invited to open for The Beatles in 13 cities during their 1964 tour Bill Black himself was too ill to be part of the lineup. He died the following year at the age of 39.
"Green Onions" was a hit in 1962 for Booker T. and The MGs. The Shadows did appear on the same roster as The Beatles on April 26, 1964, at the Poll-Winners Concert at Wembley. "The In Crowd" did not become a hit for The Ramsey Lewis Trio until the following year.
The Cincinnati Gardens concert was almost canceled because the local musicians' union insisted that local acts open for The Beatles.

Answer: The Remains

The Remains hailed from Boston. The group's front man was Barry Tashian, who later worked with Emmylou Harris and Barry and Holly Tashian. The Remains had fans lined up around the block whenever they played Boston's Rathskeller. They released a local hit, a cover of Bo Diddley's "Diddy Wah Diddy", but despite an appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" they couldn't break nationally on the US Pop Charts.

They folded in 1966 and reformed in the late nineties. The New Jersey band The Knickerbockers opened for the Rolling Stones during their 1965 US tour.

They had a major hit in 1965 with "Lies". The Newbeats were also part of the same Rolling Stones tour and enjoyed a 1964 hit with "Bread and Butter". The Intruders were one of the earliest Soul groups to usher in The Philadelphia Sound with "Gonna Be Strong" in 1965.

Answer: Sunny

Bobby Hebb's entertaining career started early in life. He was singing and dancing in the Nashville area before he was in elementary school. He went on to work on local television and with Roy Acuff at The Grand Ole Opry. For a while he replaced Mickey Baker in Mickey and Sylvia and also played trumpet during his stint in the service.
He wrote and recorded "Sunny" in New York. The song earned a Gold Record and Hebb became one of the Beatles' opening acts. "Sunny" was well received during the concerts. In 1970 he released his last album in over 30 years, "Love Games". In 2005 he released an LP titled "That's All I Wanna Know".
"Call Me" was a 1966 Number 22 by Chris Montez. "Elusive Butterfly" was a 1966 Top Ten by Bob Lind. In 1965 "Yesterday" by The Beatles kept "Treat Her Right" by Roy Head at the Number Two spot in the US.

Answer: Cannibal and The Headhunters

Cannibal and The Headhunters formed in East Los Angeles. Founded by Frankie "Cannibal" Garcia in 1964, they were one of the earliest Mexican-American bands to have a successful single in the US. In the Spring of 1965 "Land of a Thousand Dances" reached Number 30 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

They were performing on the circuit of teen music shows when Paul McCartney suggested that the "Na na na" boys be considered as an opening act for the tour. The band passed up going to Europe as part of a Motown tour to open for the Fab Four. "Do the Boomerang" and "Shotgun" were hits by Jr. Walker and The All-Stars in 1965. "I'm Telling You Now" by Freddie and The Dreamers made the US charts in 1965.

They also had a Dance hit with "Do The Freddie". "Yeh, Yeh" was a Number 21 single by Georgie Fame and The Blue Flames.

Answer: Tommy Roe

Tommy Roe became a professional entertainer when he gave up his job in 1962 to tour in order to promote "Sheila". Despite the Beatles and other British bands dominating the charts beginning in 1964, Tommy Roe managed to have success in the sixties with songs such as "Dizzy", "Hooray for Hazel" and "Sweet Pea". "Dizzy" made Number One in the UK.
In 1964 "I Want to Hold Your Hand" knocked Bobby Vinton's "There I've Said it Again" from the US Number One spot, ushering in the beginning of the British Invasion and suspending the careers of many US pop idols.
Johnny Rivers had Top Twenty hits in 1964 with cover versions of Chuck Berry's "Maybellene" and "Memphis". Brian Hyland was only 16 when he had a huge hit in 1960 with "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini".

Answer: The Saxophone

Saxophone player Curtis Ousley billed himself as King Curtis. He began playing sax when he was a preteen in Texas. He gravitated toward Jazz music but realized that he would probably have a better career in Rock music. He began doing session work for artists such as Aretha Franklin, The Coasters and Buddy Holly as well as releasing his own singles, including "Soul Serenade" and "Soul Twist". In August, 1971, Curtis died as a result of wounds sustained during a knife fight.

He was carrying an air conditioning unit when he ran into two drug users in a hallway and a scuffle ensued. During his funeral Atlantic Records closed for business.

Answer: Lead singer Ronnie Bennett was not part of the group's lineup.

Phil Spector had become so possessive of Ronnie that he would not allow her to be part of the lineup when they opened for The Beatles at Candlestick Park. One of her cousins took her place. She had been with The Ronnettes when they opened for The Liverpool Lads on previous tours. Ronnie would go on to marry Phil two years later and left him in 1974.
The Ronettes first met The Beatles when they were touring with The Rolling Stones in 1964. In 2007 Keith Richards inducted the trio into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.