15
votes
Accepted
How did Led Zeppelin get their name?
One account of how the new band's name was chosen held that Moon and Entwistle had suggested that a supergroup with Page and Beck would go down like a "lead balloon", an idiom for disastrous results. ...
- 3,126
11
votes
Why do so many musicians use stage names instead of their real names?
Some of them (noted in your question) are nicknames that they had before they were famous. Other times, names are changed by record execs to sound catchy. John Mellencamp was renamed John Cougar ...
- 7,051
7
votes
Why do so many musicians use stage names instead of their real names?
There is a list of reasons with great examples in this wikipedia article.
Various reasons include avoiding being linked to an existing celebrity (whether it's an actual family relation or not), ...
- 961
6
votes
Accepted
Why does Eminem use the name "Slim Shady"
Slim Shady was constructed as an alter ego, an alternative personality who could say things Marshall Mathers would not.
Bruce Wayne didn't go out on the streets of Gotham, inflicting violence on the ...
- 7,098
6
votes
Accepted
How are band names protected?
Legally, band names are pretty much like... brand names (no pun intended).
First of all a technicality, names are not copyrighted, they are trademarked and can also be registered.
Legal details of ...
- 1,712
5
votes
How are band names protected?
This is pretty anecdotal & I have no hard references for some of the examples, however...
Usually the first one to get a recognisable hit can force or even just persuade any others to change ...
- 7,098
5
votes
Accepted
What is the origin of Biz Markie's stage name?
Some sources, that seem to have all copied themselves (e.g. here or there) say:
Born Marcel Hall in Harlem USA, Biz Markie stepped onto the scene in 1985, at age fourteen, as the beat box backup ...
- 8,182
5
votes
Was there a hype during the 60s, 70s and 80s to name bands according to insects?
I'd submit that short of Buddy Holly's backing band, The Beatles, Iron Butterfly and Adam and the Ants, there really weren't many insect-related band names at all. Queen had nothing to do with ...
- 7,051
5
votes
Why do so many musicians use stage names instead of their real names?
One reason is that in some genres it's the thing to do. In both black metal and hip hop, it is rare to find artists that do not use stage names. This is likely due to that the originators of the ...
4
votes
Accepted
Bands that have split up, then using same band name?
Guns 'N Roses essentially fits this bill, as Axl Rose is the only original member who resurrected the band after they broke up.
- 7,051
4
votes
Why do so many musicians use stage names instead of their real names?
Another take on this: some people feel that they're different on stage, and a stage name just encapsulates that feeling. For example, Hank Williams' "Luke the Drifter" alias for his religious-themed ...
- 4,920
4
votes
How do you pronounce "Ocoeur", "Saycet" & "El Huervo"?
I disagree with Angst answer on sayCet : As you can heay on this interview video, the woman on the right prononces it merely like you would prononce it in english (with a french accent of course). And ...
- 8,182
4
votes
How do you pronounce "Ocoeur", "Saycet" & "El Huervo"?
"Ocoeur" is the alias of French musician Franck Zaragoza. It is, as you point out, derived from the French "au coeur". Since there is nothing on
his biog page to indicate any other ...
- 4,920
3
votes
Accepted
Why 3000 in artist's name?
When I was a kid in the 70's the year 2000 was a cliché for anything futuristic or that wanted to be seen as ahead of it's time. Innumerable books, cartoons, movies, tv shows and yes, a few bands ...
- 1,712
3
votes
Was there a hype during the 60s, 70s and 80s to name bands according to insects?
Buddy Holly and the Crickets were an influential early rock group whose careers were brought short due to a tragic plane crash. The Beatles were named partially in tribute to the Crickets.
Any ...
2
votes
How do you pronounce "Ocoeur", "Saycet" & "El Huervo"?
I managed to get a comment from El Huervo himself (which is cool in itself).
In short, he thought that it meant "wolverine", but it turned out it means nothing. Name should be pronounced in a Spanish ...
- 141
2
votes
Story behind Clapton's nickname
I've found a bunch of different sources that say that he got the nickname Slow Hand in early 1964 from The Yardbirds’ manager, Giorgio Gomelsky, because, according to Clapton's 2007 book Clapton - The ...
- 4,403
1
vote
Why does Eminem use the name "Slim Shady"
Said above is totally correct and that could be where "shady" comes from as for "slim" I could only assume because he was slim back then.
- 11
1
vote
Why does Eminem use the name "Slim Shady"
Eminem has said that he uses the name "Slim Shady" because it is a alter ego that he uses to say the things that he would never say in real life. He has also said that the name is inspired ...
1
vote
Accepted
Big Shaq real name?
His real name is Michael Dapaah. Big Shaq is a character he invented. He is not actually a rapper, but he's a comedian.
- 330
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible