Movie Quiz: African American Music Appreciation Month

Back in 1979, President Jimmy Carter established June to be African American Music Appreciation Month and we’ve been celebrating it ever since.

Now that June has rolled around again, let’s focus this week’s quiz on the movies that have showcased that very music, in all its multiple and varied genres, as well as the artists and actors who brought it to the big screen.

1.    True or false: Diana Ross, Andra Day and Audra McDonald all received Oscar nominations for portraying legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday in, respectively, “Lady Sings the Blues,” “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” and “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill.”

2.    Speaking of the Academy Awards, Duke Ellington was the first African American to be nominated for Best Original Score for 1961’s “Paris Blues,” about two American jazz musicians in France and the women they love. Louis Armstrong and pianist Aaron Bridgers play characters and play music within the film, but the four leads are Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Diahann Carroll and what actor who had his own Oscar milestone first three years later?

3.    In 2021, Aretha Franklin’s hand-picked choice, Jennifer Hudson, portrayed the late Queen of Soul in the biopic, “Respect.” But three years earlier, Franklin was the subject of a “lost” documentary concert film chronicling the recording of her 1972 album bearing the same title as the movie. What was it?

4.    1985’s musical comedy-drama “Krush Groove” was a fictionalized version of the life of producer and Def Jam Recordings co-founder Russell Simmons. Which one of the following hip hop groups did NOT appear as themselves in the film: Beastie Boys, the Fat Boys or Heavy D & the Boyz?

5.    Prince starred in three (narrative) musical films – “Purple Rain,” “Under the Cherry Moon” and “Graffiti Bridge” – but only one was written and directed by the Minneapolis-born superstar. Which one?

6.    This year’s Oscar winner for best documentary, “Summer of Soul (… Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),” followed fellow Oscar winner, 1970’s “Woodstock,” as films chronicling iconic music festivals. In fact, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair took place one of the same weekends as “Summer of Soul”’s six-weekend Harlem Cultural Festival. They join other festival docs, “Monterey Pop” and “Wattstax,” both inductees to the National Film Registry. But which one of the four films featured Jimi Hendrix setting his guitar on fire?

7.    Lena Horne starred in two seminal 1943 musicals featuring all-Black casts, “Cabin in the Sky” and “Stormy Weather.” The latter was loosely based on the life and dancing, singing and acting career of its male lead. Name him. 

8.    The fictitious jazz group led by Denzel Washington in Spike Lee’s 1990 “Mo’ Better Blues,” the Bleek Gilliam Quintet, features Wesley Snipes as Shadow Henderson (saxophone), Giancarlo Esposito as Left Hand Lacey (piano), Jeff “Tain” Watts as Rhythm Jones (drums) and Bill Nunn as Bottom Hammer (bass). What instrument did Washington’s Gilliam play?  

9.    Motown singing group the Supremes famously inspired 1981’s Tony-winning best musical “Dreamgirls” and its Oscar-winning 2006 film adaptation. But there was an earlier 1976 film influenced by the Diana Ross-fronted trio that had a 2012 remake featuring Whitney Houston’s last feature movie role. What’s the title?

10.    Which movie does NOT feature an appearance by music royalty Ray “The Genius” Charles: “The Blues Brothers,” “Ray,” “Love Affair,” “Georgia on My Mind,” “Spy Hard” or “The Extreme Adventures of Super Dave”? 

ANSWERS

1.    False. Ross and Day were nominated for Oscars, but McDonald picked up her record-breaking sixth Tony Award for “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill,” and later an Emmy Award for the filmed TV version.

2.    Sidney Poitier

3.    “Amazing Grace”

4.    Heavy D & the Boyz

5.    “Graffiti Bridge” (He directed “Under the Cherry Moon” but did not write it)

6.    “Monterey Pop”

7.    Bill “Bojangles” Robinson

8.    Trumpet (dubbed by Terence Blanchard)

9.    “Sparkle”

10.    As far as we know, there is no feature film named “Georgia on My Mind.” 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *