In the Name of Rock & Roll
A rock band is a hard thing to name. Some bands turn to history. Others just open the phone book. To celebrate the sixth anniversary of Rock Block, here are seven people who famously inspired the names of rock bands, much like Lynyrd Skynyrd named their band after their despised gym teacher Leonard Skinner. Can you remember the words to all seven of these legendary rock namesakes?
Lulu Hurst
publication date: Saturday, September 12, 2020
category: 
Illusions
clue: This illusionist from a southern U.S. state had a brief but wonderful career demonstrating feats of strength on stage.
explanation: Hurst performed as the "Georgia Wonder," pretending to perform impossible acts of strength. more…
intended difficulty: very hard
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Denise Sawicki, and Erik Bates
Gretna VanFleet
publication date: Friday, September 11, 2020
category: 
Music
clue: She's a bluegrass musician who plays the piano, organ, dulcimer, and violin, but she's far more famous in rock & roll as the family friend who inspired the name of a 2010s band before they blew up in popularity and left small-town Michigan behind.
explanation: VanFleet inspired the name of the band Greta Van Fleet. more…
intended difficulty: hard
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Denise Sawicki, Erik Bates, and Ryan Case
John "Dropkick" Murphy
publication date: Thursday, September 10, 2020
category: 
Health
clue: His wrestling career gave him his violent nickname, but this medical doctor spent much of his life devoted to helping alcoholics at his Massachusetts facility, who needed a place to get sober before rehab existed.
intended difficulty: medium
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Denise Sawicki, Erik Bates, Ryan Case, and Josh Biederman
player landmarks: This was the first goo solved by Josh Biederman.
Jethro Tull
publication date: Wednesday, September 9, 2020
category: 
Inventions
clue: This British agriculturalist invented a horse-drawn seed drill and a horse-drawn hoe, revolutionizing the industry.
intended difficulty: easy
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Denise Sawicki, Erik Bates, and Ryan Case
Molly Hatchet
publication date: Tuesday, September 8, 2020
category: 
Paranormal
clue: The South still tells stories about a ghost who decapitates her male victims, based on a real story from the 1800s of a prostitute who murdered her client with a particular weapon.
intended difficulty: medium
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Denise Sawicki, and Erik Bates
Crazy Horse
publication date: Monday, September 7, 2020
category: 
Military
clue: This Lakotan general rode his distinctive horse into battle many times in the Black Hills War, and into American history.
intended difficulty: easy
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Denise Sawicki, and Erik Bates
Franz Ferdinand
publication date: Sunday, September 6, 2020
category: 
Royalty
clue: History remembers this Austria-Hungarian heir for his association with World War I, but he didn't live to see it.
explanation: Ferdinand's assassination sparked the international crisis that became World War I. more…
intended difficulty: very easy
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Denise Sawicki, and Erik Bates
