| 100% | PAYNE | 5 | John Howard —, American actor-playwright who wrote the lyrics to song Home Sweet Home |
| 42% | LAWRENCE | 8 | Jack who wrote the lyrics to "Tenderly" |
| 41% | MERCER | 6 | Johnny who wrote the lyrics to "Moon River" |
| 41% | BRIAN | 5 | Wilson who wrote the lyrics to 75-Across |
| 41% | ANKA | 4 | Paul who wrote the lyrics to "My Way" |
| 41% | IRA | 3 | Gershwin who wrote the lyrics to "I Got Rhythm" |
| 40% | BASCO | 5 | Actor Dante who wrote the memoir “From Rufio to Zuko” |
| 39% | ODETS | 5 | Playwright who wrote the screenplay for The Sweet Smell of Success |
| 39% | CAHN | 4 | Sammy who wrote the lyrics to "Ain't That a Kick in the Head" |
| 39% | ALDA | 4 | Actor Alan who wrote the memoir "Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself" |
| 38% | LATTO | 5 | American rapper who wrote the 2022 song Big Energy |
| 38% | ALDA | 4 | Actor Alan who wrote the 2007 memoir "Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself" |
| 37% | ALDA | 4 | Actor who wrote the memoir “Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself” |
| 37% | HOWE | 4 | Social activist Julia Ward ___, who also wrote the lyrics to "Battle Hymn of the Republic" |
| 37% | GREEN | 5 | John ___, American author and YouTuber who wrote the best-selling novel "Paper Towns" |
| 36% | JOHNNYMERCER | 12 | Lyricist born 11/18/1909 who wrote the words to the 10 songs with asterisked clues |
| 36% | GLENN | 5 | John who was the first American to orbit the earth |
| 36% | TAKEI | 5 | Actor George who wrote the 1994 autobiography "To the Stars" |
| 36% | MADDEN | 6 | John ___, American football coach who led the Oakland Raiders to their first Super Bowl title |
| 36% | AIMEE | 5 | Mann who wrote the theme song to the podcast "I Said No Gifts!" |
| 35% | PAULLEMAT | 9 | "Melvin and Howard" actor who played drag racer John Milner in the 1973 film "American Graffiti" (3 wds.) |
| 35% | SARABAREILLES | 13 | "Love Song" singer who wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musical "Waitress": 2 wds. |
| 34% | IRVING | 6 | John who wrote "The World According to Garp" |
| 34% | DOLLYPARTON | 11 | "Jolene" singer who wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musical "9 to 5": 2 wds. |
| 34% | WES | 3 | Actor Studi who will be the first Native American actor to receive an honorary Oscar |
| 34% | LODGE | 5 | John Davis ___, actor turned politician who was the Governor of Connecticut from 1951 to 1955 |
| 34% | POITIER | 7 | Sidney who was the first African American to win a Best Actor Oscar |
| 34% | WALKEN | 6 | Christopher ___, American actor who played the Bond villain in "A View to a Kill" |
| 34% | WILLACATHER | 11 | American novelist who wrote the Great Plains trilogy of 15-Across, "The Song of the Lark," and 45-Across (2 wds.) |
| 33% | ALEC | 4 | Actor Baldwin who wrote the 2017 memoir "Nevertheless" |