Feature: Monthly Quiz - How Well Do You Know Music Stars Born This Month?

So it’s a new month again, which means it’s time for our regular Birthday Feature, putting the spotlight on musical figures who were born in the month. It’s a good excuse to be reminded of their contributions – those still with us and those who have passed on.  Here is a quiz about them: 11 questions, all in the “True or False” category that makes guessing easier, with a bit of luck. But it’s a bit trickier.  If an item states that someone was born in November, that is definitely true, but otherwise, some claims are only partially true. The devil is in the details, and some of what’s written is kind of devilish. The answers are on the bottom.   Here we go..........

1— Broadway performer Beth Leavel did her cabaret show at 54 Below last week, which was shortly before her birthday (the first day of November), and the show was called “Doing My Leavel Best.” Unlike many recent cabaret acts, there were no songs by Stephen Sondheim.

2—Jane Monheit, born on November 3, sings like a bird and will be at Birdland next month to promote her new album which includes Sondheim’s “Greenfinch and Linnet Bird” and a medley of 75 other songs about birds, including “Skylark.”

3–Speaking of “Skylark,” it was a collaboration of two songwriting greats– Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer —  and both were born in November.  

4—Speaking of standards, Joni Mitchell and René Marie, both born on November 7, who also write their own material, each recorded a classic Rodgers & Hart song.

5—Two lyricists who share the birthday of November 10, Marilyn Bergman and Tim Rice, share another November coincidence: They participated in a concert on Thanksgiving night of 1999, featuring songs about gratitude that various wordsmiths wrote with composer Andrew Lloyd Webber for a five-hour jazz suite called “Thoroughly Thankful.” The very long evening was panned by one critic who compared it to “a tedious, overcooked Thanksgiving meal with quite a bit of Rice’ and too much stuffing.”

6—Singers Kurt Elling, k.d. lang, Diana Krall, Sheila Jordan, and Lorna Luft were all born in November and all recorded duets with Tony Bennett (who wasn't born in November).      

7—There’s a Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee who turned 80 last November, so he’s soon to be 81.  (I did the math.)  He writes music AND lyrics and records his own songs.  Others who’ve recorded his work include three singers with November birthdays – Petula Clark, Mandy Patinkin, and Lyle Lovett (he did a duet with the writer himself). It’s Randy Newman.

8—These singers born in November, who have passed away, and whose first names all start with the letter J —Jo Stafford, John Gary, June Christy, Jane Froman – each married someone whose first name began with the letter J, and all had hit records with titles beginning with the letter J: “Japan in January”; “Joy and Tears for Christmas”; “Just a Tiny Drop of Danger”; “Jungle Love Affair Blues.” 

9– Also gone but not forgotten: Broadway composers Arthur Schwartz and Jerry Bock, jazz legend Billy Strayhorn, and singers of yore such as Gloria Lynne, Ruth Etting and Robert Goulet. They will all be missed… but they almost missed having November as their birth month, all arriving at the very end of it … on November thirty-first!

10–-Cabaret singer Andrea Marcovicci shares her birthday of November 18 with a famous songwriter mentioned previously in this quiz.  With one exception, the first four letters of their last names are the same. She has devoted a whole show to his oeuvre.   

11—  Six Presidents of the United States (Biden, Polk, Harding, Garfield, Pierce, Taylor) were born in November, but none of them did a solo cabaret show in New York City or even out of town. 

ANSWERS—

1–Partly True. Correct performer, venue, and dates. Wrong info about show title and content. Her act was called Beth Leavel Sings Sondheim.

2–Mostly True. All except the medley.

3–Completely True.

4–Completely True. Miss Mitchell recorded “I WIsh I Were in Love Again” and Miss Marie recorded “Where Or When.” 

5–Mostly False. The only true part is that both lyricists were born on November 10.

6–Partially True. Many singers recorded duets with Tony Bennett (who was not born in November). Typically, each had one such chance. Kurt, Sheila, and Lorna weren’t among them, but k.d. Lang and Diana Krall each got to share a full album with Tony.   

7–Completely True.

8–Mostly False. Disregard the part about spouses as well as those fake song titles.

9–Mostly False. Trick Question— November only has 30 days and these people weren’t all born born on the last day of the month anyway

10–Completely True. Marcovicci sang Johnny Mercer songs.

11–Completely True, although our current president will be free in a couple of months and we can hope for a cabaret debut show featuring songs from Irving Berlin’s musical called Mr. President or maybe an act called “Biden & Bossa Nova” or “Joe’s Jazz Jamboree.”

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