| ELKIE | ____ Brooks, singer noted for her 1977 hit Pearl's A Singer (5) |
| GARTH | ___ Brooks, singer (5) |
| EVELYN | ___ King, singer noted for her 1977 disco hit Shame (6) |
| THELMAHOUSTON | American singer who won a Grammy for her 1977 hit single Don't Leave Me This Way (6,7) |
| BARBARAPYM | Author of social comedies, Booker-nominated for her 1977 Quartet in Autumn |
| BROOKS | Elkie, vocalist who had top 10 hits with Pearl's A Singer and Sunshine After The Rain in 1977 (6) |
| DUFFY | Singer noted for her song Mercy that was a UK No. 1 hit in 2008 (5) |
| PAIGE | Jennifer, U.S. singer noted for her 1998 hit Crush (5) |
| DESAI | Indian politician, Moraji ___ , who succeeded Indira Gandhi as PM after her 1977 election defeat (5) |
| ABDUL | Paula ***** , US singer noted for her 1991 album 'Spellbound' (5) |
| KACEY | ____ Musgraves, country singer noted for her album Golden Hour (5) |
| TWAIN | Shania, country singer noted for her 1997 song You're Still The One (5) |
| CHAKA | ____ Khan, singer noted for her 1983 song with Rufus, Ain't Nobody (5) |
| LAINE | Cleo ___, late jazz singer noted for her partnership with John Dankworth (5) |
| AVERY | ____ Brooks, actor who played Sisko in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (5) |
| KELLY | _ Brook, I'm A Celeb participant (5) |
| PARTI | "History of the World: __": Brooks film |
| RHODA | ___ Brook, Hardy heroine (5) |
| STONY | ___ Brook, N.Y. |
| ASHE | Pen name under which John Creasey wrote his Patrick Dawlish novels including A Puzzle in Pearls, A Clutch of Coppers, A Nest of Traitors and A Blast of Trumpets (4) |
