Bono
Born: Paul David Hewson
What's in a Name: Supposedly named after a Dublin hearing-aid shop called Bono Vox -- Latin for "good voice." His U2 bandmate the Edge got his own nickname from either his sharp facial features or his fearlessness of heights, depending on which version you believe.
Snoop Dogg
Born: Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr.
What's in a Name: Snoop Dogg was nicknamed "Snoopy" by his mom for his love of the 'Peanuts' comic strip. If the original Snoopy was, in fact, a little bit gangsta, 'Doggystyle,' we presume, was not quite what Charles Schulz had in mind.
Marilyn Manson
Born: Brian Hugh Warner
What's in a Name: Marilyn Manson combined Marilyn Monroe with Charles Manson, of course. His bandmate Twiggy Ramirez (Jeordie White) combined the names of the slender '60s fashion icon and the serial killer Richard Ramirez. Most of the various band members have taken similarly titillating monikers – Daisy Berkowitz, Madonna Wayne Gacy, Gidget Gein...
Tina Turner
Born: Annie Mae Bullock
What's in a Name: Tina Turner got the last name, of course, by marrying her bandleader, Ike Turner. But he also changed the soul queen's given name as well, appropriately yet obliquely inspired by his fandom of comic-book wildwoman Sheena, Queen of the Jungle.
Billy Idol
Born: William Michael Albert Broad
What's in a Name: A teacher once marked a report card for young Bill with the comment, "William is idle." After his career went multiplatinum in the 1980s, this textbook bad boy fell off the map, going 12 album-less years before a 2005 comeback. Once again, Billy was, in fact, idle.
Elton John
Born: Reginald Kenneth Dwight
What's in a Name: Sir Reg's early band was Bluesology, featuring saxophonist Elton Dean and frontman Long John Baldry. In 1972, he legally changed his name to Elton Hercules John, despite never having shared a band with any Hercules.
Macy Gray
Born: Natalie Renee McIntyre
What's in a Name: There's Macy Gray, and then there's Macy Gray the neo-soul singer. The latter pinched her stage name wholesale from a man who lived in her Canton, Ohio, neighborhood. No word on whether Mr. Gray ever mistakenly received any of his namesake neighbor's royalty checks in the mail.
Sting
Born: Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner
What's in a Name: Playing in a jazz band, the young Gordo once wore a black-and-yellow striped shirt that made him look like a bumblebee. "My children call me Sting, my mother calls me Sting," he once joked, after being addressed by his given name. "Who is this Gordon character?"
Moby
Born: Richard Melville Hall
What's in a Name: Childhood nickname bestowed by his parents; Richie's great-great grand-uncle was 'Moby-Dick' author Herman Melville. Sadly, this connection to the great whale tale had nothing to do with Moby's brief stint in the band Flipper.
Iggy Pop
Born: James Newell Osterberg Jr.
What's in a Name: His first high school band was called the Iguanas, earning Iggy Pop another colorful nickname – the Rock Iguana. Unhappily credited as Iggy Stooge on the Stooges' first few records.
Cat Power
Born: Charlyn Marie Marshall
What's in a Name: Chan Marshall didn't adopt her Cat Power alter ego in solidarity with feline empowerment. The indie vocalist once spotted the phrase "Cat Diesel Power" on a trucker hat advertising Caterpillar heavy machinery.
Ol' Dirty Bastard
Born: Russell Tyrone Jones
What's in a Name: Wu-Tang Clan founding member nicknamed after a kung-fu film known as 'Ol' Dirty & the Bastard'; Jones's unique flow struck his bandmates as having "no father." And while a few people have one good alter ego, ODB rocked about 15 or so great ones, including Dirt McGirt, Peanut the Kidnapper, Freeloading Rusty and Big Baby Jesus.
The Full List (Includes More)
http://www.spinner.com/2008/02/28/st...-stories-bono/
