Many musical greats didn’t start their lives with the famous name that they came to be known by.
There may be dozens of reasons an artist might change his name. Maybe his original name just didn’t have star potential. Maybe she wanted to pay tribute to some other person or place by adopting a new name. Or maybe—as was the case with many early blues musicians—he was on the lam from the law, or she was trying to keep playing music without having to give all her money to an unscrupulous agent who had tricked her into signing an unfair contract.
For whatever reason, many of our favorite artists once wore a different moniker. See if you can match these famous musicians with their original names (answers below):
1__ Chubby Checker
2__ Elvis Costello
3__ John Denver
4__ Bo Diddley
5__ Snoop Dogg
6__ Bob Dylan
7__ Judy Garland
8__ Billie Holiday
9__ Engelbert Humperdinck
10__ Elton John
11__ Queen Latifah
12__ Peggy Lee
13__ Meat Loaf
14__ Taj Mahal
15__ Barry Manilow
16__ Dean Martin
17__ Freddy Mercury
18__ Patti Page
19__ Gene Simmons
20__ Dusty Springfield
21__ Cat Stevens
22__ Sting
23__ Tina Turner
24__ Muddy Waters
25__ Howlin’ Wolf
26__ Stevie Wonder
A) Reginald Kenneth Dwight
B) Chester Burnett
C) McKinley Morganfield
D) Henry Saint Claire Fredericks
E) Arnold George Dorsey
F) Ernest Evans
G) Norma Deloris Egstrom
H) Anna Mae Bullock
I) Dino Paul Crocetti
J) Steven Demetre Georgiou
K) Eleanora Fagan
L) Elias Bates
M) Robert Zimmerman
N) Declan Patrick Aloysius McManus
O) Faroukh Bulsara
P) Chaim Witz
Q) Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr.
R) Cordazer Calvin Broadus
S) Frances Gumm
T) Marvin Lee Aday
U) Clara Ann Fowler
V) Dana Owens
W) Steveland Morris
X) Gordon Sumner
Y) Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O’Brien
Z) Barry Alan Pincus
Answers: 1-F, 2-N, 3-Q, 4-L, 5-R, 6-M, 7-S, 8-K, 9-E, 10-A, 11-V, 12-G, 13-T, 14-D, 15-Z, 16-I, 17-O, 18-U, 19-P, 20-Y, 21-J, 22-X, 23-H, 24-C, 25-B, 26-W.
Scoring:
1-3 Better write your name in your underwear
4-9 Get a radio
10-15 You’re ready for karaoke night
16-21 That spotlight looks good on your face
22-26 You’re the new American Idol!
