The Shirelles Quiz Questions and Answers

Q1. In what year were The Shirelles formed as a singing group?
A. 1956
B. 1957
C. 1958
D. 1959
Answer: B. 1957

Q2. What was the original name of The Shirelles before they adopted their famous moniker?
A. The Honeytones
B. The Chantelles
C. The Poquellos
D. The Passiacs
Answer: C. The Poquellos

Q3. Where did The Shirelles first perform together publicly?
A. A local church event
B. Passaic High School talent show
C. A New York radio broadcast
D. A family backyard party
Answer: B. Passaic High School talent show

Q4. Who discovered and signed The Shirelles to their first record label?
A. Luther Dixon
B. Carole King
C. Florence Greenberg
D. Gerry Goffin
Answer: C. Florence Greenberg

Q5. What was the title of The Shirelles’ debut single, released in 1958?
A. I Met Him on a Sunday
B. Will You Love Me Tomorrow
C. Dedicated to the One I Love
D. Tonight’s the Night
Answer: A. I Met Him on a Sunday

Q6. Which record label first released The Shirelles’ music before it was licensed to Decca?
A. Scepter Records
B. Tiara Records
C. Motown Records
D. RCA Victor
Answer: B. Tiara Records

Q7. Who served as the primary lead vocalist for most of The Shirelles’ hits?
A. Beverly Lee
B. Addie “Micki” Harris
C. Doris Coley
D. Shirley Owens
Answer: D. Shirley Owens

Q8. In 1959, The Shirelles’ contract was sold to which major label for $4,000?
A. Atlantic Records
B. Decca Records
C. Capitol Records
D. Columbia Records
Answer: B. Decca Records

Q9. What was The Shirelles’ first release on Scepter Records in 1959?
A. Mama Said
B. Soldier Boy
C. Dedicated to the One I Love
D. Baby It’s You
Answer: C. Dedicated to the One I Love

Q10. Which song marked The Shirelles’ breakthrough in 1960, reaching No. 39 on the pop chart?
A. Will You Love Me Tomorrow
B. Tonight’s the Night
C. Boys
D. Foolish Little Girl
Answer: B. Tonight’s the Night

Q11. Who composed the lyrics and music for The Shirelles’ first No. 1 hit, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow”?
A. Burt Bacharach and Hal David
B. Luther Dixon and Mack David
C. Gerry Goffin and Carole King
D. Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry
Answer: C. Gerry Goffin and Carole King

Q12. What historic milestone did “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” achieve in 1960?
A. First girl-group song to win a Grammy
B. First No. 1 hit by an African-American girl group
C. Longest-charting single of the decade
D. First crossover R&B-to-pop success
Answer: B. First No. 1 hit by an African-American girl group

Q13. Which 1961 reissue by The Shirelles peaked at No. 3 on the pop chart and went platinum?
A. Dedicated to the One I Love
B. Mama Said
C. Tonight’s the Night
D. Big John
Answer: A. Dedicated to the One I Love

Q14. What is the theme of The Shirelles’ 1961 hit “Mama Said,” which reached No. 4 on the pop chart?
A. First love and innocence
B. Friendship and loyalty
C. Maternal comfort during heartbreak
D. Dreams of fame
Answer: C. Maternal comfort during heartbreak

Q15. Which Burt Bacharach and Hal David composition became a Top 10 hit for The Shirelles in 1962?
A. Walk on By
B. Baby It’s You
C. The Look of Love
D. I’ll Never Fall in Love Again
Answer: B. Baby It’s You

Q16. What was The Shirelles’ second No. 1 hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks in 1962?
A. Soldier Boy
B. Foolish Little Girl
C. Everybody Loves a Lover
D. Welcome Home Baby
Answer: A. Soldier Boy

Q17. Which 1961 single by The Shirelles, written by their producer, reached No. 21 on the pop chart?
A. What a Sweet Thing That Was
B. Big John
C. A Thing of the Past
D. It’s Love That Really Counts
Answer: B. Big John

Q18. What was the highest-charting single for The Shirelles after “Soldier Boy,” peaking at No. 4 in 1963?
A. Last Minute Miracle
B. Boys
C. Sha La La
D. Foolish Little Girl
Answer: D. Foolish Little Girl

Q19. Which of The Shirelles’ songs was covered by the Beatles on their 1963 debut album Please Please Me?
A. Will You Love Me Tomorrow
B. Soldier Boy
C. Boys
D. Mama Said
Answer: C. Boys

Q20. What Brazilian musical influence is noted in several of The Shirelles’ hits, such as their use of syncopation?
A. Samba
B. Bossa nova
C. Baiao
D. Lambada
Answer: C. Baiao

Q21. Who was the key producer behind many of The Shirelles’ early hits, including “Soldier Boy” and “Mama Said”?
A. Phil Spector
B. Luther Dixon
C. George Ravel
D. Quincy Jones
Answer: B. Luther Dixon

Q22. In what year did The Shirelles leave Scepter Records after a contract dispute over royalties?
A. 1963
B. 1964
C. 1965
D. 1966
Answer: D. 1966

Q23. Which 1967 single marked The Shirelles’ last entry on the Billboard Hot 100?
A. It’s a Mad, Mad World
B. Last Minute Miracle
C. Take Me for a Little While
D. Movement on the Ground
Answer: B. Last Minute Miracle

Q24. What tragic event effectively ended The Shirelles’ original lineup in 1982?
A. Addie Harris’s death from a heart attack
B. A tour bus accident
C. A major lawsuit settlement
D. Retirement due to health issues
Answer: A. Addie Harris’s death from a heart attack

Q25. Which surviving member of The Shirelles acquired the legal trademark to the group’s name in the 1990s?
A. Shirley Alston Reeves
B. Doris Kenner-Jackson
C. Beverly Lee
D. Addie Harris
Answer: C. Beverly Lee