... Night at Eight. (1935) where she introduced what became her signature song, "
I'm in the Mood ... A. Strangers in the Night - Charles Singleton. B. Soldier Boy ...
Which Florida-born composers wrote the African-American national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing?”
A. B. C. D.
Joe Turner and Mahalia Jackson J. Weldon and J. Rosemond Johnson W.C. Handy and Andy Razaf Scott Joplin and James Scott
B.
James Weldon and J. Rosemond Johnson
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James Weldon Johnson and his brother J. Rosamond Johnson were born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1871 and 1973 respectively. James was home schooled by his mother, a musician and the first female, black grammar school teacher in Florida. He was a graduate of Atlanta University. James was a poet, a lawyer, and a civil rights leader. He was appointed to foreign diplomatic posts by presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft. He served as the first African-American to head the N.A.A.C.P. and was a professor at Fisk, NYU and Florida Memorial universities. Rosamond Johnson was trained at the New England Conservatory and studied in London. He began his career as public school teacher in Jacksonville. Rosamond composed a number of Broadway musicals at the turn of the twentieth century including Shoo-Fly Regiment and The Red Moon. He was a principal singer in the original cast of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. James W. wrote the poem “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” in 1899 and several years later, Rosamond set it to music.
This Floridian introduced such classic songs as “I’m in the Mood for Love” and “You are my Lucky Star.” She is best best remembered for her dedication to the G.I.s during WWII when she toured as lead singer with Bob Hope.
A. B. C. D.
Ginger Rodgers Deanna Durbin Frances Langford Helen Forrest
C.
Frances Langford
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Born Julia Frances Langford in Lakeland, Florida, she grew up in Mulberry, a small community outside of Lakeland. She attended Lakeland High School and was discovered by Rudy Valley while singing on a local radio show. Her professional singing and acting career began in the film Every Night at Eight (1935) where she introduced what became her signature song, "I'm in the Mood for Love.” She starred in over 35 feature films including Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935), Born to Dance (1936) and Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) and The Glenn Miller Story. Langford later went on the star with Don Ameche in the radio hit “The Bickersons” and on several early TV shows. In her later life, she open a restaurant in Jensen Beach where she would occasionally entertain her customers.
This Miami native sang with a number groups prior to hitting the big-time. These included: The Wind in the Willows, The Stilettos, and Angel and the Snake. In 1999, she was rated number #12 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll.
A. B. C. D.
Debbie Harry Tina Turner Aretha Franklin Karen Carpenter
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A.
Debbie Harry
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Born in Miami, Harry was raised in Hawthorne, New Jersey. She attended Centenary College and started her career as a secretary, waitress, go-go dancer and Playboy Bunny in New York City. Her singing career took off after she formed the post-punk, new wave group Blondie. Her first album, Parallel Lines, hit number #7 nationally and contained the number #1 single “Heart of Glass.” Her second album had three number #1 hits. She also had an acting career with over thirty film roles and numerous television appearances.
Which of the following songs were written or co-written by Floridaborn composers?
A. B. C. D.
Strangers in the Night (Frank Sinatra) Soldier Boy (The Shirelles) Hotel California (The Eagles) All of the above
D - All
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Some of the most famous songs of the 20th century were written or co-written by Florida artists. The songs listed here only begin to scratch the surface. Many famous artists who have sung songs written by Florida composers including: Cher, Bessie Smith, Frank Sinatra, Aerosmith, The Beatles, Tammy Wynette, Gene McDaniels, Perry Como, The Shirelles, The Eagles, Nat King Cole, Tracy Lawrence, LeAnn Rimes, Bon Jovi, KISS, and Joan Jett among others. A. Strangers in the Night - Charles Singleton B. Soldier Boy - Luther Dixon C. Hotel California - Don Felder
This brother duo from Pasco County, had a 1976 Billboard Hot 100 No. #1 single in the United States, Germany, Austria, Canada and Switzerland.
A. B. C. D.
Warren Brothers The Isley Brothers The Bellamy Brothers The Cornelius Brothers
C - The Bellamy Brothers
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The Bellamy Brothers, David and Howard, hail from from Darby, Florida, in Pasco County. At the suggestion of Neil Diamond's drummer, Dennis St. John, the brothers recorded and released the single "Let Your Love Flow", written by Diamond's roadie Larry Williams. Released in 1976, "Let Your Love Flow" was a No. #1 single on the United States pop charts as well as in more than a dozen countries worldwide. Their first Country success came in 1979, when they released the single "If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me.” The song, whose double entendre title was derived from a Groucho Marx quote, landed the Bellamy Brothers their first country music No. #1 hit.
Blues singer Bessie Smith used a song by Florida composer Wesley Wilson as her signature song in the 1920s. What was the song?
A. B. C. D.
Born Under a Bad Sign Dust my Broom Gimme a Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer Ball and Chain
C - Gimme a Pigfoot (and a Bottle of Beer)
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Wesley Wilson was born in Jacksonville on October 1, 1893. His own stage craft, plus the double act with his wife and musical partner, Coot Grant, was popular in the 1910s, 1920s and early 1930s. His musical excursions included participation in the oddly named duo of Pigmeat Pete and Catjuice Charlie. The duo's billing also varied between Grant and Wilson, Kid and Coot, and Hunter and Jenkins, as they went on to appear and later record with Fletcher Henderson, Mezz Mezzrow, Sidney Bechet, and Louis Armstrong. They appeared in the 1933 film, The Emperor Jones, alongside Paul Robeson. The couple wrote over 400 songs including "Gimme a Pigfoot (And a Bottle of Beer)" (1933) and "Take Me for a Buggy Ride", which were both made famous by Bessie Smith's recordings, plus "Find Me at the Greasy Spoon (If You Miss Me Here)" (1925) and "Prince of Wails" for Fletcher Henderson.
In 1962, the Beatles (with Pete Best and Tony Sheridan) recorded this song by Floridian Charles Singleton.
A. B. C. D.
Boys Take out some Insurance on me, Baby Cry for a Shadow Ready Teddy
B - Take Out Some Insurance on Me, Baby
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We are all familiar with the Beatles’ music after they arrived in the U.S., but they had quite a run before the invasion in Liverpool and Hamburg. At that time, the group consisted of John, Paul, George, Pete Best and Tony Sheridan. This song was written Charles “Hoss” Singleton. Born in Jacksonville in 1913, he is best know for writing the lyrics to Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers in the Night” and Al Martino’s “Spanish Eyes.” Elvis Presley, Engelbert Humperdinck, Tom Jones, Willie Nelson, Julio Iglesias, and Faith No More have all recorded a Singleton song.
One of Broadway’s most successful lyricists in the 1950s was born in Tampa. His plays included Kismet, Song of Norway and Kean.
A. B. C. D.
Oscar Hammerstein Josh Logan Meredith Willson Robert Wright
For 1 point extra credit, name the classical composer whose tune this lyricist used in writing his most famous song – “Strangers in Paradise.”
D - Robert Wright
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Robert (Bob) Craig Wright was born in Daytona Beach in 1914. He was best known for the Broadway musical and musical film Kismet, for which he and his professional partner George Forrest adapted themes by Alexander Borodin and added lyrics. Wright and Forrest won a Tony Award for their work on Kismet. Hit songs of their day included "Strange Music" from Song of Norway; and “Stranger in Paradise,” "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" and "And This Is My Beloved" from Kismet. Wright also wrote the 1942 No. #1 big band hit, “Jersey Bounce.”
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This Gainesville, Florida, native and Songwriter Hall of Fame inductee attended MiamiDade Community College and has penned hits for Cher, Joan Jet, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Ricky Martin, Selena, KISS, Katy Perry, and Michael Bolton including: Livin on a Prayer (Bob Jovi) – Billboard No. #1 You Give Love a Bad Name (Bon Jovi) – Billboard #1 Livin’ la Vida Loca (Ricky Martin) – Billboard No. #1 Bad Medicine (Bon Jovi) Billboard No. #1 How Can We Be Lovers (Michael Bolton) – Billboard #3 Angel (Aerosmith) – Billboard No. #3 Dude Looks Like a Lady – Aerosmith – Billboard No. #4 Posion (Alice Cooper) – Billboard #7 Crazy (Aerosmith – Billboard No. #7 I Hate Myself for Loving You (Joan Jet) – Billboard #8 Just Like Jesse James (Cher) – Billboard No. #8
A. B. C. D.
Bobby Braddock Desmond Child Diane Warren Brian Eno
B - Desmond Child
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Desmond Child, born John Charles Barrett in 1953, hailed from Gainesville. He was raised in Miami and Puerto Rico. It was in Miami, that he formed the group 'Desmond Child and Rouge' in 1973. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2008. In addition to the artists listed earlier, he has written songs for Meat Loaf, Lindsey Lohan, Hillary Duff, Ace Young, Kelly Clarkson, Shakira, Joss Stone, Bonnie Tyler, Jennifer Rush, Ace Frehley, Ratt, Steve Vai, Chicago, Katy Perry, The Scorpions, and Weezer among others.
Hear: Livin la Vida Loca Hear: Livin on a Prayer
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This Miami-born and Florida State University graduate was the first female to ever win the Pulitzer Price for music.
A. B. C. D.
Amy Beach Mana-Zucca Ellen Taafe Zwilich Joan Tower
C. Ellen Taafe Zwilich
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Born in Miami in 1938, Zwilich began her studies as a violinist, earning a B.M. from Florida State University in 1960. She moved to New York to play with the American Symphony Orchestra under Leopold Stokowski. She later enrolled at Juilliard, eventually (in 1975) becoming the first woman to earn a Doctorate in composition. Her teachers included John Boda, Elliott Carter, and Roger Sessions. She first came to prominence when Pierre Boulez programmed her Symposium for Orchestra with the Juilliard Symphony Orchestra in 1975. Her Three Movements for Orchestra (Symphony No. 1) was premiered by the American Symphony Orchestra in 1982 and won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize, after which point her popularity and income from commissions ensured that she could devote herself to composing full-time. From 1995-99 she was the first occupant of the Composer's Chair at Carnegie Hall. She has received a number of other honors, including the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Chamber Music Prize, the Arturo Toscanini Music Critics Award, the Ernst von Dohnányi Citation, an Academy Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, and four Grammy nominations. She was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and in 1999 she was designated Musical America’s Composer of the Year. She is currently a professor at Florida State University. To date she has received six honorary doctorates.
