By Tanya Batson-Savage, Staff ReporterTO BADLY misquote a local comedy revue and simultaneously butcher Shakespeare, The Sunday Gleaner wishes to ask, does the adage 'a ram goat by any other name would smell just as rank' apply to names of celebrities?
In show business, it appears that it is not merely a matter of who knows you, but what they know you as. A name is very important to a career in entertainment, since it is a part of the image being created. Thirty years ago the prospective 'governator', Arnold Schwarzenegger, would probably have had to say 'hasta la vista' to his last name.
In the early days of Tinseltown, many actors and singers would change their names either to get the snappy or sexy effect. The issue of ethnicity also played a role. Many actors with names clearly not of an Anglo-Saxon origin were advised to trade them in. Bernard Schwartz became Tony Curtis and Doris Von Kappellof became Doris Day. Whether he was born as Roy Scherer or Roy Hudson (sources do not agree) marquees announced the actor only as Rock Hudson, a name taken from the Rock of Gibraltar and the Hudson River, according to comedy-zone.net.
DEFLECTING ETHNIC ISSUES
Changing one's name to deflect ethnic issues is quite common in Hollywood. Have you ever wondered why Martin Sheen is Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez's dad? Martin Sheen, born Ramon Estevez, reportedly changed his name so that he would not be typecast by his ethnicity. It seems to have worked.
Many other actors have changed their names, whether because their original names were too boring or reflected a link they did not want the public to make. Not all actors had the luck of Clint Eastwood or Madonna. Eastwood simply shortened his first name (Clinton) while Madonna simply dropped her last, Ciccone.
The website funtrivia.com provides the real names of several actors who cannot be blamed for changing their names in the game 'No Wonder You Changed Your Name'. Walter Matthau (The Odd Couple) cannot be blamed for trading in Matuschanskayasky and Meg Ryan is much easier to remember than Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra. Tom Cruise was unlucky enough to have been born with the name Thomas Mapother IV, which might have created a mission impossible for the sexy, bad boy image of his early days.
Love had nothing to do with Tina Turner's fighting to keep the name Turner after she divorced Ike. Born Annie Mae Bullock, she had long ago cashed in the dowdy sounding 'Annie Mae' for Tina. Interestingly, Micheal Keaton (of Beetlejuice and Batman) changed his birth name (Michael John Douglas) because Michael (Kirk) Douglas (Romancing the Stone and Disclosure) had already beaten him to it.
However, musicians tend to do the name change thing backwards. Rather than saving themselves from the embarrassment of a strange name, they embrace odd handles, especially in the dancehall and hip-hop genres. Of course, one cannot blame them, because some names would definitely conflict with their image.
Let us face it, Earl Simmons (DMX) may fit an investment banker, but it certainly does not go with a Ruff Ryder. Andre Young (Dr. Dre) and Calvin Broadus (Snoop Dogg) are also names which conflict with the gangster rap style. In the early days of rap, several artistes took on 'M. C.' as a part of their names, these included as Young M.C., M.C. Lyte and M.C. Hammer.
Hard rockers also often change their names to suit their image. The lead singer of Guns and Roses, Axl Rose, shed his small town image when he laid the name 'William Bailey' to rest. His bandmates Izzy Stradlin (Jeff Isbell) and Slash (Saul Hudson) also traded in their regular Joe labels.
JAMAICAN MUSICIANS
A look at the names of Jamaican musicians shows varying trends in the names selected. In the early days of Jamaican popular music, several 'Kings' (King Stitt, King Tubby), 'Counts' (Count Miller, Count Matchukie), 'Dukes' (Duke Reid) and other forms of assumed royalty reigned.
Since then, there have been varying kind of names. With the exception of private, almost all ranks in the police force, navy and army have been used. Among the slew of officers have been Lieutenant Stitchie, General Trees, Brigadier Jerry, Admiral Bailey, Captain Barkey, Major Mackerel and Admiral Tibet.
The silver screen has also helped many Jamaican entertainers in choosing a moniker. Many of these have come from westerns. Included in this list are the icons of the shoot-em up and ride genre are Clint Eastwood and John Wayne. Eastwood again resurfaces in Colonel Josey Wales, who is named after an Eastwood character. The Lone Ranger was also used as a deejay name, while his horse Tonto has made appearances in the names Tonto Metro and Tonto Irie.
Charlie Chaplin, Jim Kelly and Al Capone are also deejay names which reflect Jamaica's romance with the silver screen, while names such as Ninja Man, and Silver Fox reflect the popularity of 'Kung Fu' movies in the 1980s.
Many deejays take on names which suggest that they are the master of their artform. The bantons, Buju, Burru and Mega, state their profession with the word 'banton', which declares that they are the master of chatting.
In much the same vein are deejays who declare their authority by calling themselves 'Daddy' or 'Father', as in Papa San, Papa Levi, Daddy Screw, Daddy Lizard, and DJ Daddy. During the 1970s and 1980s, deejays stamped their authority by calling themselves 'rankin', which was later shortened to 'ranks'. Deejays from this era included Rankin Joe, Rankin Trevor, Cutty Ranks and the immortally-raw Shabba Ranks.
However only the comedic genius of Nuts could have been dubbed worthy of the title Professor.
The animal kingdom was also scoured in order to come up with names, with a particular penchant for felines. Along with the wild apache Super Cat, there have been Silver Cat, Alley Cat and Tiger. Other animals have included Zebra (whose stripes are now from the shadow of the prison bars) and the microphone rodents Red Rat and the late Black Rat.
Toolsheds also seemed to have been inspirational areas, since the music has been blessed with Pinchers (from pincers), Tenor Saw, Lady Saw, Hammermout, Pliers, Screwdriver and Spanner Banner.
In recent years deejays have taken on more eclectic names, though many of them either reflect things that 'bling' (from drinks to cars) and violence. On the more aggressive side are Bounty Killer, Assassin and Merciless. The 'things that go bling' list includes Spragga Benz, Alozade and the bubbly drink himself, Baby Cham.
Top of the Pops Online (bbc.co.uk) made a list of what they dubbed to be the stupidest name changes. Prince, who changed his name to a symbol which resulted in his being dubbed 'the artist formerly known as Prince', heads the list.
Robbie Williams makes it to number two, with the request that he be called Robert Williams, evidently this request has not been met with. Puff Daddy's change to 'P. Diddy' earns him third place.
Jennifer Lopez follows with J. Lo, a name which is making it easier for comics and critics to mock her on the heels of Gigli. The group Liberty X takes position number five.
When it comes to strange names, however, bands seemed to have taken the cake, eaten it, and come back for seconds. Funtrivia.com included the following as band names: Jehovah Witness Protection Programme, Fromage d'Amour (which translates to love of cheese), Not With My Camel, Kung Fu Action Clergy Persons, The Yams From Outerspace and Zombies Under Stress.
The site also provides trivia on the origins of some band names. Several bands seemed to have taken their names from novels or movies. The outfits 10,000 Maniacs and Black Sabbath came from horror flicks. Toad The Wet Sprocket was taken from Monty Python's Contractual Obligation, which spoofs band names, and Bad Company is a western.
Alice Cooper and Cheap Trick were reported taken from stints on the ouija board while UB40 is the name of a British unemployment form.
So, what is in a name? Apparently anything you can think of and maybe a lot that you would not.
