Artists that shortened their name to just their first name mid-career

Biting off the bands named after a member thread.

Now these aren’t artists like Prince Madonna or Cher who seemed to have always used one name, but rather at some point in their career they just started using their first name (this seems to happen a lot in Country music, and it seems like your first name has to end with an “A”):

Shania Twain: Shania
Reba McEntire: Reba
Winona Judd: Winona

IIRC they now all tour and record with their first and last names maybe due to a little humility…

Any others?

Elvis? Ozzy?

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Roseanne Barr —> Roseanne Arnold —>Roseanne

You could argue The Rock who started wrestling as Rocky Maivia.

It’s actually pretty common for WWE to drop one name from a wrestler’s ring name:

Cesaro----Antonio Cesaro
Sheamus----Sheamus O’Shaunessy
Rusev----Alexander Rusev
Elias----Elias Samson.

Among others.

Beyonce used her full name, Beyonce Knowles, in her early recordings.

First one that came to mind. I remember when she made Austin Powers 3, she was known as Beyonce Knowles. I still think of her that way.

I like this but I guess I’m looking for artists that reached a point in their careers they thought the fans would know who they were just by their first names. Unless you still think she qualifies?
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After a bit of research, it appears that Jackée Harry started going by just “Jackée” starting with the third season of the sticom 227.

Not really an artist, but Shaquille O’Neill has been known as just “Shaq” for a very long time.

Regarding Wynonna Judd…

According to Wikipedia: “Her solo albums and singles are all credited to the single name Wynonna.” If correct, as a solo artist she never went by the full name Wynonna Judd. She used her ‘last name’ only as a member of The Judds with her mother.

Also from Wikipedia: She was “born Christina Claire Ciminella”. Sonofagun, I would’ve never guessed that.

You have an enigmatic sense of humour.

Oh, that Beyonce. I was thinking you meant Beyonce Humperdinck or maybe Beyonce Nguyen.

Any Brazilian soccer player.

Kylie Minogue used her full name in her acting days, and early in her music career, but is now known just as Kylie.

The Phlorescent Leech shortened his name to Flo.

Eddie stayed as Eddie.

I can’t tell if this is facetious or not, but her Wikipedia page is under just her first name and, honestly, I had almost forgotten her last names is Knowles, as she always referred to as Beyoncé. (Actually, it appears it’s Knowles-Carter now, which I did not know at all. Looks like Jay-Z’s last name is Carter.)

Sean Combs -> Puff Daddy -> P. Diddy

Snoop Doggy Dogg (2 albums) -> Snoop Dogg (the rest of his albums) -> Snoop (commonly known as)

I admit to having a (possibly irrational) prejudice against anyone who does this. It’s like they’re saying “I claim this name all to myself. I’m the only one who has, or can have, this name—at least, the only one who matters.” What an arrogant ass.

Bernie Taupin was just going by Taupin for awhile.

Does Drake count? He shortened his name to his middle name rather than his first name. His full name is Aubrey Drake Graham and he was credited as Aubrey Graham when he was a regular on Degrassi: The Next Generation.

Double points for same band…

Slash
Izzy
Axl
Duff