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Source: www.speakup.com.br
Language level: Intermediate
Standard: British accent
DYLAN MADONNA YUSUF ISLAM EMINEM SHAKIRA SADE TINA TURNER DEAN MARTIN What’s Their Real Name?
EMINEM
Why do stars and celebrities have such weird names? How do they choose stage names of pseudonyms? Are they conscious attempts to sound different?
SIMPLICITY AND STYLE
Some unusual names are in fact real. Madonna Ciccone decided that her first name alone made her instantly identifiable. So did Bjork Gudmundsdottir, Prince Nelson, Anastacia Newkirk and Shakira Ripoll. Cherilyn Sarkisian simplified hers to Cher. Stephen Patrick Morrissey decided his surname was enough to make him famous.
What if someone else already has your name? David Jones changed his name to David Bowie for two reasons: the first was that he liked the famous Bowie knife; the second was that the Monkees singer was called Davy Jones. The Smiths’ guitarist Johnny Marr changed his spelling to avoid confusion with The Buzzocks’ drummer, John Maher.
Reginald Kenneth Dwight sounds boring and old-fashioned, so Elton John created his glamorous moniker from blues musicians, Elton Dean and Long John Baldry.
Thomas Jones woodward’s manager simply renamed him Tom Jones emphasizing his Welsh background and recalling the sex main character in the 1963 Oscar-winning film of the same name.
Others make their names less exotic. Dino Crocetti tried being Dino Martini but later settled on the more American-sounding Dean Martin. Robert Zimmerman invoked Wild West character, Matt Dillon, and Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas, by renaming himself Bob Dylan.
Farrokh Bulsara, renamed Freddie by English schoolfriends, chose Mercury (the planet and metal) to represent his shimmering rock star image. Steve Demetre Georgiou hid Greek origins with the name Cat Stevens; now he prefers Yusuf Islam. John Deutschendorf doesn’t sound like a country singer: John Denver does. Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou is difficult to remember, but George Michael sounds like a star.
NICKNAMES & HANDLES
Some mistakes simply “stick.” Did Gordon Summer choose the name Sting because of his spiky politics? No, his old jazz band leader re-christened him because of his black and yellow stripe sweater.
Paul Hewson was nicknamed Bono Vox (good voice) after a Dublin hearing-aid shop, as his voice seemed so loud, even deaf people would hear it. Bono in turn re-baptized Dave Evans, U2’s guitarist, The Edge because of his sharp features and outsiders viewpoint.
Rap artists use nicknames or “handles” to describe their opportunity. O’Shea Jackson is cool as an Ice Cube. Marshall Mathers pronounced his real initials like M&Ms (the chocolates), to invent the name Eminem; he is a.k.a (as known as) Slim Shady, slang for a whit person who acts as though he is black. Some names invoke feelings or attitudes. Declan MacManus joined the king of rock’n’ roll’s first name with his mother’s Irish surname, to make Elvis Costello. Richard Starkey wore rings and liked the Ringo Kid in John Wayne’s western, Stagecoach, so he became Ringo Starr.
ATTITUDE PROBLEM
Rock stars love alternative names, Vincent Damon Furrier may be the reincarnation of a 17th century witch named Alice Cooper; or did he adopt this girlish name to clash with his controversial gothic style? James Osterberg, formerly of The Iguanas, borrowed his surname form his friend, Popp, who lost his eyebrows, after chemotherapy: perhaps this inspired Iggy Pop’s lam rock look. Guns’n’Roses singer William Rose changed his name to Axl Rose, an unusual name, but not shocking – until you realize it’s an anagram of Oral Sex. Sex Pistol John Lydon earned the name Johnny Rotten from his bad teeth and bad attitude. When Rotten’s hamster bit John Simon Ritchie, he earned the ironic name, Sid Vicious. Although the drug-addicted bass player was later arrested for his girlfriend’s murder, Rotten Claimed that Sid “couldn’t punch his way out of a paper bag.”
Punks also change their names for more practical reasons. Joe Strummer of The Clash and Rat Scabies of The Damned couldn’t use their real names (John Gordon Mellor and Christopher Miller), in case they lost their unemployment benefit.
More Pseudonymous Pop Stars (no audio)
Rick Martin Enrique Martins Morales
Tina Turner Annie Mae Bullock
Dido Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle Armstrong
Sade Helen Folasade Adu
Pink (or Plnk) Alecia Moore
Syd Barrett Roger Barrett
Michael Bolton Michael Bolotin
Fatboy Slim Quetin Cook (a.k.a Norman Cook)
Moby Richard Melville Hall
Shoggy Orville Richard Burrell
Snoop Dogg Cordazer Calvin Broadus
LL Cool J James Todd Smith
Grandmaster Flash Joseph Saddler
Vanilla Ice Robert Van Winkie
Pluff Daddy Sean John Combs
Marilyn Manson Brian Warner
Shania Twain Elleen Regina Edwards
Dusty Springfield Mary O’Brien
Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Anderson
Lou reed Louis Firbank
