Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Johnny Rivers had his biggest hit with "Poor Side Of Town" reaching the number one spot in October 1966 in the US.

I didn't realize until recently that his real name was John Ramistella from New York City. He was born on July 7, 1942.

Are there anymore artists with a Stage Name that differs from their real name? Perhaps just a few. Let's hear who they are.

Peter the list would be endless

But here's one or two

Bob Dylan - Robert Zimmerman

Bobby Vee - Robert Thomas Veeline(released one album under that name)

Billy J Kramer - William Ashton - Released one single under that name

Frank Allen (Searchers) - Francis McNeice

Del Shannon - Charles Westover

Cliff Richard - Harry Webb

Hank Marvin - Brian Rankin

Bruce Welch - Bruce Cripps

Ronald Wycherley - Billy fury

Reg Smith - Marty Wilde

Arnold Gerry Dorsey is (more crooner than creative artist)?...(bet Roy knows). And Priscilla White? She had a couple of hits in the UK, under her opposite last name.

Englebert Humperdinck and Cilla Black

Actually Stan I have a couple of tracks by Gerry Dorsey, think I'll post one,so you can judge if he was to become the big name he did eventually.

How in the world could anyone decide to change their name TO Englebert Humperdinck? (it was originally Arnold George Dorsey)

Agreed Roy this list would be very lengthy. But we have the inclination and the time to post a few.

Marilyn Manson (Brian Warner)
Sting (Gordon Sumner)
George Michael (Georgios Panayiotou)
Meatloaf (Marvin Lee Aday)
Elton John (Reginald Kenneth Dwight)
Bono (Paul Hewson)

I'd kinda like to hear those, Roy. I wanna say that at the time in the mid to late '60's, I believe Parrot Records (the US labels anyway) had two successful artists, the Zombies and old Arnold. And as Kent asked, why did he go with Englebert?

And lets not forget Johnny Silver, Paul Ramon, Carl Harrison, Stu DeStael.

Kent: Englebert Humperdinck was a classical composer who's major work was the opera 'Hansel and Gretel', first performed in 1893. Arnold did actually draw his stage name from him.

Answers that one. Guess, if it were the 19th century, we could ask why Mrs Humperdinck named her kid Englebert? Must not have liked him a whole lot.

Good call, Stan. Maybe he was just plain bulk ugly!!

Gerry Dorsey was going nowhere fast with his boring name. It was his brilliant manager who came up with the Humperdinck name. He thought at the time--whoit do I have to lose?

The rest is history and Van Heusen is very thankful (he would have up to 150 shirts torn off his back every tour...)

Ringo Starr
The Edge (I guess his friends call him "The")
The Ramones (all of 'em)
? of ? and the Mysterians (99 Teardrops, a great song)

Bono - Paul Hewson

Correct, Paul.... and Bonds have a lot to thank Tom Jones for also!!

And the manufacturer of Satchmo's handkerchiefs!!