‘Jeopardy!’ Fans Are Shocked Contestants Didn’t Know James Taylor

Jeopardy! fans were shocked that none of the contestants on Wednesday’s show knew legendary Grammy Award-winning singer, James Taylor.

On March 4, Quentin Powers, from Arlington, Virginia, returned for his second game. With a one-day total of $14,200, he tried to up that when playing against Aahil Makhani, from Birmingham, Alabama, and Nannono Zirimu, from Albany, New York.

Powers, a returned Peace Corps volunteer, got the first clue wrong, but then tried to redeem himself when he found the Daily Double on clue two. He had -$1,000 and wagered $1,000.

In “Oh Hi March,” the clue read, “On March 6, 1836, the last fortification to fall at the battle of this landmark was the chapel.” “What is the battle of….?” he answered, but time ran out. The correct response was the Alamo. He dropped to -$2,000.

Powers quickly got back in the positives. By the first commercial break, all three game show contestants were tied with $1,800.

In the category “Facts About Pop Singers,” the Jeopardy! contestants correctly answered the clues about Tate McRae, Olivia Newton-John, Shakira, and Frank Sinatra, but when it came to the $200 clue, they couldn’t figure out James Taylor.

“Before Sweet Baby James, he released an album on Apple Records; Paul McCartney was his Rock Hall of Fame inductor” was the clue. The question was a Triple Stumper, so none of the contestants buzzed in.

Fans were shocked that no one knew the “Fire and Rain” singer. “They didn’t know James Taylor?” a fan in the Jeopardy! Fan Group on Facebook asked.

“The answer was literally in the clue! Sweet Baby James was part of the clue!” another replied.

“I was surprised too. But then I figured out they are all from a younger generation,” one said.

“Geez. They were given half the answer,” a third said.

“I know! Made me feel old,” one Facebook user commented.

“I thought the same thing. They are too young,” a fan wrote.

“Especially since half of the answer was in the clue!” one last fan said.

Despite not knowing James Taylor, the contestant knew most of the other clues. Makhani, a business student, ended the round in the lead with $4,400. Powers had $3,600. Zirimu, a regulatory analyst, ended in third place with $1,800.

In Double Jeopardy, Makhani’s score moved to $5,600 when the judges determined a score change in a food category. Powers found the first DD on clue three. Only $400 off the lead with $5,200, he wagered $3,000.

In “Cities in Color,” the clue was “For the color of many buildings, the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago had this nickname referenced in the title of a 2003 bestseller.”

“What is the Brown City?” he guessed. Host Ken Jennings told him it was The White City. Powers dropped to $2,200.

Makhani found the second DD on clue eight. He had the lead with $9,600 and wagered $3,600. In “Biology,” the clue read, “Many fish in Lake Malawi like the chambo can’t be found anywhere else, meaning they’re this, from Greek for ‘district.'”

With confidence, Makhani answered, “What is agora?” That was the wrong response, so he dropped to $6,000. The correct answer was endemic.

However, Powers pulled through and ended the round in the lead with $8,600. Makhani had $4,800. Zirimu was in third place with $2,200.

The category for Final Jeopardy was “Final Resting Places.” The clue read, “His burial site at the London church of St. Giles’Cripplegate includes a figure of a snake holding an apple.” None of the contestants guessed, “Who is John Milton?”

Zirimu responded, “Who is William the Conqueror?” She wagered $2,000, ending her with $200. Makhani’s response was “Who is St. Patrick?” He wagered all of his money, giving him $0. Powers answered, “Who is Lister?” he wagered $2,002, making his final total $6,598.

Powers won his second game and accumulated a two-day total of $20,798. He will return on March 5 for game three.

Were you shocked that the contestants didn’t know James Taylor? Let us know in the comments.