Country Quizzin’ – 01/27/09 Edition
January 27, 2009
UPDATE: So wow, I guess I made this one too easy for a quite a lot of y’all. The number of 9 or 10/10 scores in this comment pool is way too unsettling for me; I’ll take this as clearance to make next week a good deal more challenging! But congratulations nonetheless. In any case, don’t forget to learn from your misses, even if you only had one or two.
This week’s results:
Tied in 1st place (10/10): Matt B., Tony C., Jonathan
Tied in 4th place (9/10): Brody, ccdixon, Eric, Erik North, Jordan Stacey, Joseph, Occasional Hope, Paul W. Dennis, pselby, Sheldon, BLL, Michael
And now for the month’s final cumulative results! I guess I’ll let the results speak for themselves. Please join me in congratulating January’s winner and runners-up, and to everyone else: I hope you’ll keep playing each week so that you can brush up and crush the competition in coming months! I’m rooting for ya! Anyways, thanks to everyone for making my first month at this a success. I’ve had lots of fun, and hope you have, too!
In 1st place (33/36): Chad
Tied in 2nd place (32/36): CMW, Gavin
In 4th place (28.5/36): Occasional Hope
Tied in 5th place (27.5/36): Hollerin’ Ben, Jordan Stacey
- Dan
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Holler, friends. Here’s the breakdown:
- 10 questions on important women in country music history.
- As usual, no cheating. Honor system.
- You have until tomorrow (Wednesday) at 10:00 pm EST to answer.
- Your answer will be invisible to everyone but you until 10:30 pm EST (the extra half-hour is so I have time to grade your responses, so try to avoid late submissions if possible).
- At that time, the comments and answers will be revealed, alongside rankings of the best scores on the individual quiz and the final cumulative scores for the month of January. You don’t get anything for ranking well (this month) except the satisfaction of being an insufferable know-it-all. But what sweet satisfaction it is.
- While grading, I will look unfairly favorably upon anyone who can suggest a theme (or four) for future editions of Country Quizzin’, because I just don’t have the goods when it comes to that kind of brainstorming. The more specific your suggestion, the better!
Without further ado:
The answers are revealed! Click on each artist’s name for a link to further information about her.
1. This Mississippi-born singer-songwriter earned her spot in history when a certain B-side of hers became a cultural phenomenon in the U.S., with everyone trying to figure out the exact details of the titular boy’s suicide and its preceding events. Despite the song’s legacy and the strength of her other work, she is perhaps best-known these days as the writer and original performer of one of Reba McEntire’s defining hits.
ANSWER: Bobbie Gentry
2. Winner of an astonishing seven IBMA Female Vocalist awards, she has been bluegrass’ favorite superstar for almost a full decade now. Her band is named after a emotional condition of intense anger or passion, just to get all crossword-puzzle-clue on you.
ANSWER: Rhonda Vincent
3. She recently got a lot of blog-love for a rootsy, ambitious indie album, but this alto has also made a significant mainstream impact through her social activism and memorable (sometimes Celtic-kissed) body of work, which includes hits like “Love at the Five & Dime” and “Come From the Heart.”
ANSWER: Kathy Mattea
4. The executive director of the Country Music Association from 1962 to 1991 who oversaw the launch of such pivotal industry institutions as the annual CMA Awards Show (in 1967) and Fan Fair (in 1972, and now called the CMA Music Festival). Under her watchful eye, the number of full-time country radio stations grew from less than 100 to over 2,000 in just thirty or so years.
ANSWER: Jo Walker-Meador
5. This artist began her career in full neo-traditionalist form before gradually shifting into more poppy territory, a change which yielded snappy chart hits like “Perfect” and “A Real Fine Place to Start” that mark her as one of the only successful female artists at radio over this past decade.
ANSWER: Sara Evans
6. Credited with providing the first major proof that women could sell records like their male counterparts, this artist’s signature hit was a direct response to another big hit at the time.
ANSWER: Kitty Wells
7. She made a name for herself at the age of thirteen with a string of surprisingly mature singles about characters coping with the likes of death, extramarital affairs and unplanned parenthood, then continued to score hits over three different decades.
ANSWER: Tanya Tucker
8. A folk-leaning D.C. gal (what what!) and probably the mascot of the “smart female country-pop” boom of the 90’s, boasting sharp hits like “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her” and “I Feel Lucky.”
ANSWER: Mary Chapin Carpenter
9. Best remembered for the way she made heartbreak as much a vocal quality as a compositional one, although the seemingly unending string of classic hits like “I Don’t Wanna Play House” and “Till I Get it Right” doesn’t hurt, either.
ANSWER: Tammy Wynette
10. Country music’s most famous comedienne, an icon instantly recognizable in her frilly dress and price-tag-and-flowers-laden hat. Please get this!
ANSWER: Minnie Pearl (Go Bruins!)
Category: Country Quizzin', Discussion
33 Comments so far
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10. Minnie Pearl
9. Tammy Wynette
8. Mary Chapin Carpenter
7. Tanya Tucker
6. Reba McEntire
5. Sara Evans
4. No idea
3. Kathy Mattea
2. Rhonda Vincent
1. Vicki Lawrence?
1. It’s that woman who did “Fancy,” but the name isn’t coming to me right now.
2. Rhonda Vincent. Way to not give away the answer with your hint.
3. Kathy Mattea
4. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say Julianne Hough.
5. Sara Evans
6. Kitty Wells
7. Tanya Tucker
8. Mary Chapin Carpenter
9. Tammy Wynette
10. Minnie Pearl
I was expecting to suck this week because I’m not so up on my female artists (or CMA executive directors), but this didn’t seem too bad.
country women huh? I don’t have high hopes.
1. I know the song you’re talking about – “the such and such when so and so jumped off the somethingorother bridge” – right? but yeah, I don’t know.
2. Rhonda Vincent
3. Patty Loveless?
4. dude, no idea
5. Sara Evans
6. Kitty Wells
7. Tanya
8. Mary Chapin Carpenter
9. Tammy Wynette
10. Hoooowwwwdeeeeeeeyyyy! Minnie Pearle
1. Bobbie Gentry
2. Rhonda Vincent
3. Kathy Mattea
4.
5. Sara Evans
6. Kitty Wells
7. Tanya Tucker
8. Mary Chapin Carpenter
9. Tammy Wynette
10. Minnie Pearl
1. Bobbie Gentry
2. Rhonda Vincent
3. Kathy Mattea
4. ?
5. Sara Evans
6. Kitty Wells
7. Tanya Tucker
8. Mary Chapin Carpenter
9. Tammy Wynette
10. Minnie Pearl
1. Bobbie Gentry
2. Rhonda Vincent and The Rage
3. Kathy Mattea
4. Wow, not a clue
5. Sara Evans
6. Wanda Jackson
7. Tanya Tucker
8. Mary Chapin Carpenter
9. Tammy Wynette
10. Minnie Pearl
1.Bobbie Gentry
2. Rhonda Vincent
3. Kathy Mattea
4. Connie B. Gay?
5. Sara Evans
6. Reba?
7. Tanya Tucker
8. Mary Chapin Carpenter
9. Tammy Wynette
10. Minnie Pearl?
1. bobbie gentry
3. Kathy Mattea
5. Sara Evans
6. Kitty Wells
7. Tanya Tucker
8. Mary Chapin Carpenter
9 Tammy Wynette
10. Minnie Pearl
1. I’ll know it when I see it and be very angry
2. Rhonda Vincent
3. Kathy Mattea
4.
5. Sara Evans
6. Kitty Wells (“It Wasn’t God Who Made Honkytonk Angels” in response to Hank Thompson’s “The Wild Side of Life”)
7. Tanya Tucker
8. Mary Chapin Carpenter (I’ll be mad when I miss this)
9. Tammy Wynette
10. Minnie Pearl
1. Bobbie Gentry
2. Rhonda Vincent
3. Kathy Mattea
4.
5. Sara Evans
6. Kitty Wells
7. Tanya Tucker
8. Mary Chapin Carpenter
9. Tammy Wynette
10. Minnie Pearl
Good quiz, a couple of them really made me think.
Here are a few quick suggestions for future quizzes:
Suggestion No. 1: famous artists/musicians who started out unknown in other famous artists’ bands. For instance, there’s quite a few former Cherokee Cowboys who went on to achieve their own fame.
Suggestion No. 2: you name one or two famous songs by a songwriter and readers have to name the songwriter. The writer would likely need to have some notoriety so it’s not too hard.
Suggestion No 3: focus on a group of artists from a select region (ie: Texas artists, California artists, Appalachian artists, Canadian artists, etc.)
1–Bobbie Gentry
2–Rhonda Vincent
3–Kathy Mattea
4–?
5–Sara Evans
6–Kitty Wells
7–Tanya Tucker
8–Mary Chapin Carpenter
9–Tammy Wynette
10–Minne Pearl
Well this one was easy enough, except for that CMA one I only know one female name from there so it’s more of a guess than anything.
1. Bobbie Gentry
2. Rhonda Vincent
3. Kathy Mattea
4. Connie Bradley
5. Sara Evans
6. Kitty Wells
7. Tanya Tucker
8. Mary Chapin Carpenter
9. Tammy Wynett
10. Minnie Pearl
Love that Minnie Pearl got mentioned, awesome!
So far Brody is the only one to suggest themes for future editions. The rest of you are dead to me.
1. Bobbie Gentry
2. Rhonda Vincent
3. Kathy Mattea
4. don’t know
5. Sara Evans
6. Kitty Wells (“It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels)
7. Tanya Tucker
8. Mary Chapin Carpenter
9. Tammy Wynette
10. Minnie Pearl
1. No idea…
2. Rhonda Vincent
3. Kathy Mattea
4. No idea…
5. Sara Evans
6. No idea…
7. Well I know it’s not LeAnn Rimes. She’s only been around for 2 decades. xD
8. Mary Chapin Carpenter?
9. Loretta Lynn?
10. Dolly Parton?
Cool! I guessed Carpenter right! But beyond that… I did terrible, as usual.
2. Allison Kraus & Union Station
5. Sara Evans
Bobbie Gentry
Rhonda Vincent
Kathy Mattea
Jo Walker-Meader (spelling)
Kitty Wells (IT wasn’t God who made Honky Tonk Angels…)
Tanya Tucker
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Tammy Wynette
Minnie Pearl
what…no Dolly??? heh heh
[...] Test your knowledge of important women in country music with this week’s edition of “Country Quizzin’” at Country Universe. [...]
1. Bobbie Gentry
2. Rhonda Vincent
3. Kathy Mattea
4. Jo Walker-Meador
5. Sara Evans
6. Kitty Wells
7. Tanya Tucker
8. Mary Chapin Carpenter
9. Tammy Wynette
10. Minnie Pearl
1.
2. Rhonda Vincent
3. Kathy Mattea
4.
5. Sara Evans
6. Jody Miller?? Just read this in that Grammy flashback! haha
7.
8. Mary Chapin Carpenter
9. Tammy Wynette
10. Minnie Pearl
1. Bobbie Gentry
2 Rhonda Vincent
3 Kathy Mattea
4 Frances Preston (?)
5 Sara Evans
6 Kitty Wells
7 Tanya Tucker
8 Mary Chapin Carpenter
9 Tammy Wynette
10 Miss Minnie Pearl
1. Bobbie Gentry
2. Rhonda Vincent
3. Kathy Mattea
4. Can’t remember
5. Sara Evans
6. Kitty Wells
7. Tanya Tucker
8. Mary Chapin Carpenter
9. Tammy Wynette
10. Minnie Pearl
01. Bobbie Gentry
02. Rhonda Vincent
03. Kathy Mattea
04. Emmylou Harris???
05. Sara Evans
06. Kitty Wells
07. Tanya Tucker
08. Mary Chapin Carpenter
09. Tammy Wynette
10. Minnie Pearl
I’m iced in today, so why not:
(01) Bobbie Gentry.
(02) Rhonda Vincent (& The Rage).
(03) Kathy Mattea.
(04) Jo Meador-Walker. Which, admittedly, is a name I know only because Paul W. Dennis mentioned putting her at #1 on his list of the “100 Greatest Women of Country Music” in one of the comments on that feature.
(05) Sara Evans.
(06) Kitty Wells.
(07) Tanya Tucker.
(08) Mary Chapin Carpenter.
(09) Tammy Wynette.
(10) Minnie Pearl.
1. Bobbie Gentry
2.Ronda Vincent
3. Kathy Mattea
4. ??
5.Sara Evans
6. Kitty Wells (It wasn’tGod who made honkey tonk angels)
7. Tanya Tucker
8. Mary Chapin Carpenter (one of my faves!!)
9. Tammy Wynette
10. Minnie Pearl
1 Bobbie Gentry
2 Rhonda Vincent
3 Kathy Mattea
4 Jo Walker-Vaughan (I had her #1 on my list of 100 most important country music females several years ago, when Kevin was compiling his listing)
5 Leeanne Rimes
6 Mrs Johnny Wright (a/k/a Kitty Wells)
7 Tanya Tucker
8 Mary Chapin-Carpenter
9 Tammy Wynette
10 Sarah Ophelia Cannon (a/k/a “Cousin” Minnie Pearl)
1. Bobbie Gentry
2. Rhonda Vincent
3. Kathy Mattea
4. Jo Walker Meador
5. Sara Evans
6. Kitty Wells
7. Tanya Tucker
8. Mary Chapin Carpenter
9. Loretta Lynn
10. Minnie Pearl
I feel good about these answers.
1. Bobbie Gentry
2. Rhonda Vincent
3. Kathy Mattea
4. Frances Preston
5. Sara Evans
6. Kitty Wells
7. Tanya Tucker
8. Mary Chapin Carpenter
9. Tammy Wynette
10. Minnie Pearl
Dan, you could do a quiz that is label focused. Either what are the record label names that housed artists or you could do one which discusses artists who’ve been on two or more labels or something to that effect.
Also maybe a ‘one hit wonder’ post.
WOW…can’t believe I placed so high this month…thanks for doing these. I’m sure they take quite a bit of time.
They do take a while, but it’s kind of nice. I never have a chance to read up on country music normally, and these things force me to make time for research. So it benefits me, too. Congrats on winning, Chad!
Regarding Bobbie Gentry and “Fancy”–Bobbie got a moderate hit out of her original version in 1970, and was actually nominated for Contemporary Female Vocal Performance at the Grammys for that year (her competition was Anne Murray, Diana Ross, Linda Ronstadt, and Dionne Warwick [the latter of whom won for "I'll Never Fall In Love Again"]).