Unwanted first names in music

[Stumpy Pepys]

I'm a fan of Gene Clark and only found out today that his birth name was Harold Eugene Clark. I discovered the following musicians are all Harolds:

Gene Clark
Harry Belafonte
Ray Stevens
Conway Twitty

The other name people seemed keen to get rid of iwas George.

Peter Criss
Micky Dolenz
Van Morrison
Roger Waters

So Harold and George both come in at four. Is there a more unwanted name in music?

[Duncan Gardner]

Morrison was called Ivan from birth

[Stumpy Pepys]

Morrison was called Ivan from birth

He's George Ivan Morrison according to Wikipedia.

[Walter Knight]

John? John 'Ozzy' Osbourne, John 'Wilko Johnson' Wilkinson, John 'Joe Strummer' Mellor, John 'Jah Wobble' Wardle, etc

I'm going to throw James into the mix as well, on the basis that both Paul McCartney and Roger McGuinn are actually Jameses, and James Hendrix and James Morrison (the 60s one) were known by diminutives.

[Capybara]

He's George Ivan Morrison according to Wikipedia.

Lots of people are called by their second or 'middle' names from birth. I'm one and from the discussions we've on other threads there are others on here. If I were a musician using the name I'm always called by, you couldn't say I'd rejected my first name, because it's never been used. It's a nuisance, but it's the way it is.

[Stumpy Pepys]

I'm going to throw James into the mix as well, on the basis that both Paul McCartney and Roger McGuinn are actually Jameses, and James Hendrix and James Morrison (the 60s one) were known by diminutives.

I think you're right. The following are all Jameses:

Rick James
LL Cool J
Paul McCartney
Roger McGuinn
Iggy Pop
PJ Proby
Midge Ure

Lots of Jims and Jimmys in pop. Although apparently Jimi Hendrix was a Johnny by birth.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Lots of people are called by their second or 'middle' names from birth. I'm one and from the discussions we've on other threads there are others on here. If I were a musician using the name I'm always called by, you couldn't say I'd rejected my first name, because it's never been used. It's a nuisance, but it's the way it is.

I'm in this gang too, and so is one of my sisters. It's a nuisance, and I deliberately didn't burden either of my kids with it (though my sister did for one of hers).

[elguapo4]

John Paul Weller is another who dropped John.

[Jah Womble]

Also:
John Simon Ritchie (Sid Vicious)
John Anthony Gillis (Jack White)

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Never knew the Van in Van Morrison was from Ivan! So glad he adopted "Van", thus paving the way for the all-time greatest Letter to Viz.

[tee rex]

I'm a fan of Gene Clark and only found out today that his birth name was Harold Eugene Clark. I discovered the following musicians are all Harolds:

Gene Clark
Harry Belafonte
Ray Stevens
Conway Twitty

Plus Harry Webb, although apparently he wasn't born a Harold. Nor was Harry Styles, or any number of modern day Harrys, the original name is steeped in history but seems to be dying out.

[G-Man]

I thought most Harrys were Henrys.

Has it been mentioned yet that Belafonte was a Harold AND a George?

[Stumpy Pepys]

I thought most Harrys were Henrys.

Historically yes, but almost all millenial Harrys will have Harry on their birth certificates.

Harry Webb is a bit of an outlier.

[elguapo4]

Random unwanted first names-

Graham-Suggs

Declan-Elvis Costello

Cathal-Chas Smash

Paul-Bono and Gary Glitter

David-The Edge

Stephen-Billy Bragg

Stuart- Adam Ant

Gordon- Sting

[Wouter D]

Calvin - Snoop Dogg
Shawn - Jay-Z
Kelvin, Vincent, and David - Posdnous, Maseo, and Trugoy, collectively known as De La Soul

[Duncan Gardner]

Harold Allan Clarke of the Hollies

[Disco Child Ballads]

John Michael Stipe is another one who dropped the 'John'.

[G-Man]

Aloe Blacc (sp?) is known to his mom as... Egbert.

And thanks to Pointless, I recently learnt that the real name of R&B singer Ginuwine is really Elgin Lumpkin, which is a magnificently bad name. What were Mr and Mrs Lumpkin thinking? Couldn't they at least give their son a cool first name? Like Drake (real name, incidentally, Aubrey).

[Stumpy Pepys]

Ice-T's name is Tracy Lauren Marrow, so I don't begrudge him that moniker.

Ditto Dido who was christened with a boy's name (Florian).

[Jah Womble]

Mr and Mrs Marrow really wanted a girl, eh?

[WOM]

Mr and Mrs Marrow really wanted a girl, eh?

They even gave him a girly rapper name. Ice-T...I ask you. Two Fingers of Bourbon, maybe....

[Crystal Staples]

I think you're right. The following are all Jameses:

Rick James
LL Cool J
Paul McCartney
Roger McGuinn
Iggy Pop
PJ Proby
Midge Ure

Lots of Jims and Jimmys in pop. Although apparently Jimi Hendrix was a Johnny by birth.

Vic Reeves has probably had enough hits to join this list.

[Sporting]

Macca's parents never called him James:

"i was told that it was because if letters arrived at the house for James McCartney, you wouldn’t know whether it was my Dad - that was James McCartney - or me, James McCartney. So that worked until they called my brother - whose name was Peter Michael McCartney - Michael!? And there was no Peter in the house to confuse him with! So I’ve ended up thinking it was rather Irish! I’ve no idea! My mum was Irish – and I don’t know, maybe there’s just some old thing where they call you by your second name. Nobody ever called me James, it was always Paul!"

[treibeis]

John Michael Stipe is another one who dropped the 'John'.

Jack Charlton - number-one hit with "Back Home" in 1970 - was also a John.

[Jobi1]

Blur's Alex James is a Steven.