How These 4 Famous Rock Stars Got Their Unusual Stage Names

Sometimes, changing one’s name to a stage name is necessary to grab attention from the masses. It’s also a smart way to associate one’s music with a particular persona. Let’s take a look at a few unusual stage names from rock music history and the interesting stories behind them!

Joe Strummer

Joe Strummer was the co-founder, singer, lyricist, and guitarist of the punk rock outfit The Clash. He’s a legend, and years after his passing in 2002, he’s still revered as one of the greats of punk rock. And, naturally, his name isn’t actually Joe Strummer. Though, that would be a wildly apt name if I ever saw one.

In reality, Joe Strummer’s name was John Mellor. He had been called Joe by his friends for years. However, that surname came into play as a result of his unique self-taught style of playing the guitar. 

Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello just rolls off the tongue. While the singer’s real name isn’t quite as easy to say, it’s also a very cool name: Declan Patrick Aloysius MacManus.

It’s understandable why Costello wanted to opt for something just a tad bit shorter. He chose “Elvis” after the famous singer Elvis Presley. The surname “Costello” came from his own father’s stage name.

Bob Dylan

I’m not going to act like “Bob Dylan” is an unusual-sounding name. It’s extremely normal-sounding, actually. However, the fact that it is such a normal-sounding name is what makes it, honestly, a little bit weird. Dylan’s actual name is similarly normal: Robert Allen Zimmerman.

Dylan decided to switch up his moniker early on in his career. He originally went by Elston Gunn. He also planned to simply go by Robert Allen. According to Dylan, the switch to his now-famous name was a bit of a subconscious accident.

“The first time I was asked my name in the Twin Cities,” said Dylan. “I instinctively and automatically, without thinking, simply said: ‘Bob Dylan.’ Now, I had to get used to people calling me Bob.”

Bono

Unusual names in rock work best when they are odd, short, and easy to remember. “Bono” really hits the nail on the head there.

The U2 frontman’s real name is Paul Hewson, but he opted for a stage name to help him stand out. The stage name came from Bono’s childhood, when at one point, he spotted a shop in his town called Bono Vox. It was a hearing aid shop, and the term is Latin for “good voice.” Naturally, it seemed like the most appropriate stage name for a rock star vocalist to pick.

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