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Brian Eno is an English musician and composer known for his innovative “theory over practice”-based work in ambient music, electronic, pop, and rock. He is considered one of the most influential names figures in music. Eno started out as a synthesizer player for the glam rock group Roxy Music in 1971. After his departure in 1973 he contributed to the invention of ambient music after recording three solo albums between 1975 and 1978. He has worked with artists such as David Bowie, Talking Heads, Devo, Coldplay, and Grace Jones. 

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"Tarantula" is a poetry book written in 1965 by musician Bob Dylan. Initially, Dylan was not planning to write a book, but his former manager signed him up to write one without his approval. The book is known for its experimental prose and Dylan's stream of consciousness writing.

Bob Dylan is an American singer/songwriter who gained popularity in the 1960s. He is known for writing songs that reflect political and social themes, such as "The Times They Are a-Changin'" - a song that is ranked number 59 on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs ever written. 

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Blondie is a rock band led by founder Debbie Harry. They were popular in the 1970s during the early punk scene and fused various musical genres together like disco, pop, rock, and even reggae. They are known for having several hit songs, such as "Call Me" and "Heart of Glass." In 2006, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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The Battery C Minstrels were members of the Battery C of the Field Artillery, an artillery unit within the United States Army based in Lawrence, Massachusetts. The group performed at Lawrence City Hall on April 21, 1897, telling jokes and stories, singing songs, and dancing to amuse fellow army personnel. According to local papers, the performance was a great success. 

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The Banjo Buddies Dixieland Band is a Chicago-based group that plays mainly Dixieland jazz music. Members of the band are skilled in improvisation that always keeps their music new, updated, and entertaining. Typically the band performs 200 times per year around the country and internationally. They have eight recorded studio albums.

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Blues musician B.B. King, also known as "The King of the Blues," was well-known for his concerts and performances. He played in hundreds of shows per year, playing 342 in 1956, even into his 70s. By the late 1960s, King had established his own record label, signed with a record company, produced artists, and even opened for a Rolling Stones Concert. King is a self-taught guitarist who eventually became recognized as one of the greatest and most influential musicians of all time. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 as well as the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980.

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Music Memory contests were held in elementary schools and high schools around the country. They began in a private home in New Jersey as a game to play with children in the 1910’s. This was introduced to the city’s supervisor of music which was then tried in local schools. It not only introduced young minds to classical music but also fostered cooperation between parents, teachers, churches, orchestras, choirs, newspapers, radio stations, and more to promote it. School clubs were formed to study for and win these competitions. By 1921, this had spread to over 500 cities around the United States. The general methods for carrying out the Music Memory contests were similar across the country, with content being selected in the fall for participants to learn and the number of pieces and thus difficulty of the contest increasing with each grade. The upper grades were responsible for knowing all content from each level. Each location was able to make their own selections of the content, which is where these contests varied.

Students studied some at school by listening to compositions and discussing composers. During the earlier years of the contest, radios would play the composer’s music as well, allowing students to study at home. At the end of the studying and listening period, students would be tested on random segments of the musical pieces, and students needed to know both the composer and song from that. High scorers from each school went to a city-wide competition followed by a statewide competition. 1932 competitors that were able to get every question correct were given buttons as a prize. While there are still some Music Memory Contests around today, it is not at the national level it was in the first half of the 1900’s and by the 1950’s funding for the contests became an issue.

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Rodney Dangerfield (1921-2004) was an American comedian known for his theme and catchphrase “I don’t get no respect!”. Many of his jokes focused on self-depracation, sexuality, and deadpan delivery. He is also noted for his roles in the films Caddyshack, Back to School, and Rover Dangerfield. Dangerfield did frequent shows in Las Vegas, including at the Caesar’s Palace hotel. 

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Underdog is an animated television series that began on the NBC network in 1964, and continued in syndication until 1973 with a total run of 124 episodes.

The series follows the "humble and loveable" Shoeshine Boy, who must transform into his heroic alter-ego Underdog when his love interest, Sweet Polly Purebred, is threatened by villainous characters.  Underdog spoke mainly in rhyming couplets, with "There's no need to fear, Underdog is here!" being his most well known catchphrase.

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In 1984, Tracey Ullman released the single, "They Don't Know," a song originally written and sung by Kristy MacColl in 1979. During the recording of the song, MacColl actually sang backup vocals in Ullman's version. The song reached number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.

Tracey Ullman is a British comedian, singer, author, and actress known for her spot-on celebrity impersonations. She is also know for her variety shows, especially The Tracey Ullman Show, which aired in the United States from 1987 to 1990. Ullman has received numerous awards for her work, including seven Emmys and a Golden Globe.