Mr. Pop History – The “Clue Crew” – traveling correspondents who tape video clues for the show’s questions, were added in the fall of 2001. 
Monthly Archives: October 2009
From Ellen I – Doing research on the rock band “Queen.” Did not somebody put together a musical based on ‘their” music – much like Abba and the Four Seasons?
Mr. Pop History – Yes and the stage musical was written by Ben Elton and it had a limited run earlier this decade. 
From Janet M – Here’s some trivia and it has to do with (sort of) – musicians – a-la your Funk Brothers question. Here it is… who were the only two musicians that played with both Hank Williams (the original) and Elvis Presley?
Mr. Pop History – None other than Chet Atkins and Nashville musician Grady Martin. Atkins and Martin were members of the celebrated Nashville collective nicknamed the “A-Team – along with Atkins, they were Buddy Harman, Floyd Cramer and Hank Garland.
Chet Atkins had a second life – as a producer for RCA Nashville. Together, he and rival producer Owen Bradley over at Decca turned Nashville into a hit machine during the late 1950’s and into the 1960’s.
From Lind L – Hello Mr. Pop History. My sister and her daughter sell May Kay products and do you, or could you give a little history on her company?
From Lind L – Hello Mr. Pop History. My sister and her daughter sell May Kay products and do you, or could you give a little history on her company?
Mr. Pop History – She was born Mary Kathlyn Wagner and founded Mary Kay back in 1963. She parlayed $5,000 into a $billion company. Her biggest competitor was Avon – which was and still is the largest direct-sales cosmetics firm. The company created an award system designed for women with prizes such as mink coats, diamond rings and the famous pink Cadillacs. Pink was Mary Kay – as she once owned a 19,000-square-foot pink mansion.
Mary Kay Ash retired from the company in 1987 and passed away in 2001 at the age of 83.
From Marlena J – What was the name of the “Funk Brothers” documentary movie? I’d like to purchase it.
Mr. Pop History – There was such a movie saluting the skilled group of Detroit studio musicians who helped create the sound of the Motown label. “The Funk Brothers” reigned from 1959 to about 1972 and they were the backing musicians on so many Motown hits from that era – but not all!
The name of the movie is ”Standing in the Shadows of Motown” and came out November 2002. Interestingly – Johnny Griffith (66)– a member keyboardist, died from a heart attack hours before the Detroit premiere of the movie – which he was to attend.
