Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Trifling with Trivia Ain’t Funny
The latest item floundering on top of the trivial garbage heap is a combination of two good video clips and one tiny bit of untrue crap that has been driving friends of mine around the country into perpetuating the falsehood.
What is it? Well… Allow me to present the email, as it has appeared time and time again on my computer screen (disoriented, replete with bad grammar and repetitive). It reads:
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INCREDIBLE. I DIDN'T KNOW TOM HANKS DAD WAS THE LEAD SINGER OF THE DIAMONDS WAY BACK IN 1957!
THEY SOUND EXACTLY THE SAME AS THEY DID!
2 Performances - 47 years apart
FYI, the lead singer of the Diamonds is also the father of TOM HANKS.
If you were alive in 1957, and old enough to enjoy Rock and Roll, you will
probably remember the group, "The Diamonds" who had just launched their
super hit "Little Darlin'." For you that are too young to remember - it was
a time when the performers were happy, enjoying themselves, respecting
their fans, dressed appropriately, and their lyrics could be understood. They
did not feel obligated to scream, eat the microphone, mumble inaudible lyrics
or trash the set.
were requested to perform at Atlantic City ... These links leads to both
performances.
Watch the first one then scroll down for the new one 47 years later.
So, with this illustration in front of us, let’s look at what can result from a poor attempt to play with people’s heads.
Viewing the old clip and comparing it with the same singers nearly 50 years later, is fun stuff (it may not be for everyone). The lead singer, Dave Somerville, is a handsome man – not bad as a kid nor as a Medicare recipient.
On the other hand, what about the “Tom Hanks relationship.” Pure bunk.
What do trivia buffs do, when this kind of crap hits cyberspace? There a couple of choices. One is to ignore it and let it “possibly” go away. My choice was to find some answers and share them with our readers. Here are some things you might find interesting:
Here’s the skinny on Amos Melford Hanks -- Tom’s actual father.
The first source comes from the official birth and death records kept by the state of California. A member of the Lansden family maintains a list at: http://www.thelansdens.com/Ancestors/aqwn260.htm.
Amos Mefford HANKS
BIRTH: California Birth Index
Name: Amos M Hanks
Birth Date: 4 Mar 1924
Gender: Male
Mother's Maiden Name: Ball
Birth County: Glenn
DEATH: California Death Index
Name: Amos Mefford Hanks
Social Security #: 565261539
Sex: MALE
Birth Date: 4 Mar 1924
Birthplace: California
Death Date: 31 Jan 1992
Death Place: Alameda
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Will Johnson, a professional genealogist wrote and posted the following article (see: http://sites.google.com/site/countyhistorian/ancestry-of-tom-hanks ):
Amos M Hanks
Amos Mefford "Bud" Hanks was born 2 Mar 1924 in Glenn County, California the son of Ernest Buel Hanks and Gladys Hilda Ball. (Glenn County is the next county south of Tehama County.) Amos enlisted in the Navy on 11 Nov 1942 and was released 9 Feb 1946. He mustered on the ship U.S.S. Doyen in 1945-46, his rating was MoMM1c (Motor Machinist's Mate 1st Class). The action seen by this ship can be seen on it's Wikipedia page at this link. Amos, on the GI Bill took courses at USC and at Berkeley from where he received a B.A. His ambition was to be a writer. Instead he became a chef.
The Daily Review of Hayward reports 17 Dec 1955 that "Chef Amos Hanks" was then working at Oakland's 'Sea Wolf Restaurant' in Jack London Square. (Pictured at left.) He would continue to work as a chef for 35 years. Link to menu, showing food Hanks was cooking at restaurant: http://www.alamedainfo.com/Sea_Wolf_Menu_1954_02.jpg.
With Janet Marylyn Frager he had a son Thomas J Hanks born 9 Jul 1956 in Contra Costa County, California, who would later become a famous actor. That same year an advertisement in the Oakland Tribune mentions "Chef Amos Hanks". The Oakland Tribune 11 Apr 1958 in an advertisement "Cooking on the Square with the Experts" at Breuner's states that they are going to bring you "... an exciting series of cooking demonstrations by the famous chefs of Jack London Square ...[including] Sea Wolf's chef Bud Hanks will show 5 delectable ways to cook Fillet of Sole...."
On 31 May 1959, the Oakland Tribune in an ad for "Kahns 3-day Sunbeam spectacular... Famous chef fixes bouillabaisse - Learn how to mix this delicious Provincial fish stew from Bud Hanks, famous chef at the Sea Wolf Restaurant in Jack London Square. Monday afternoon, June 1st from 3:15 to 4 p.m. in Kahns fourth floor housewares department."
On 21 Apr 1962 the Nevada State Journal reports the divorce decree granted between Amos Hanks and Janet Hanks, and in the same issue the marriage license granted to "Amos M Hanks age 38 and Winifred M Finely age 38, both of Reno". On 26 Jun 1962 the Oakland Tribune, under an article title "Notes From the News of Bay Area Business, Industry" is reporting "Additions to the executive staff of the Hotel Leamington, ... [include] A.M. (Bud) Hanks, formerly at the Sea Wolf Restaurant, executive chef." A picture of the Hotel Leamington from Google street view is below.
His son Tom went to live with his father for a number of years, by high school Tom was living in Oakland apparently with his father. On 19 Oct 1965 the Oakland Tribune reports the final divorce decree between Amos M Hanks and Winifred M.
Amos married on 30 Jul 1966 to Frances Wong Gee who had been born about 1926. They divorced on 30 Oct 1984 in Alameda County. The next year, he is listed at 1812 San Antonio Avenue in Alameda, but in 1987 he is listed living in San Fernando. He died in Alameda County, California 31 Jan 1992, but he is buried in a tiny cemetery in the tiny town of Paskenta, California.
He wrote an unpublished autobiography.
NOW…here is a Guerrilla Trivia question for you:
To which U.S. president does Tom Hanks have a direct lineage?
Answer below our logo…
Answer:
Abraham Lincoln
Explanation:
Abraham Lincoln’s father, Thomas, married a young girl named Nancy Hanks in Kentucky.
Let’s start the answer off with an artist interpretation of what Nancy Hanks Lincoln looked like at the time of her death. She lost her life to milk sickness. She drank milk from a cow that had grazed on white snakeroot, which is poisonous. Nancy was 34 and her son, Abe, was nine.
Tom Hanks’ father was directly related to President Abraham Lincoln through his mother, Nancy Hanks.
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If you have a Guerrilla Trivia-style question that you’d like to challenge our readers with, please send it to: quizmaster@guerrillatrivia.com.
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