# Best rock& roll names **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 18, 2005, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947 "2005-07-18T05:58:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/1 "2005-07-18T05:58:28Z")
How 'bout the brothers Van Halen? ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/2 "2005-07-18T05:58:59Z")
Lemmy from Motorhead. And [Buckethead](http://photos1.blogger.com/img/19/1421/1024/buckethead-gnr.jpg). What a weirdo. ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Side_of_the_Floyd)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/3 "2005-07-18T06:24:48Z")
I would say Sid Vicious, but I don’t know if that’s his real name. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/4 "2005-07-18T06:39:21Z")
[Snakefinger](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE57A1FDD46A87F20D79C3053CBBB72E00DDB51F8813E23454D92BB345C910E7ED749A0DAB0B8B672AB78A7E02CA45A0A9FC8E455FDD6653B2DFC93&sql=11:2c8j1vajzzpa~T1) [Darby Crash](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE57A1FDD46A87F20D79C3053CBBB72E00DDB51F8813E23454D92BB345C910E7ED749A0DAB0B8B672AB78A7E02CA45A0A9FC8E455FAD665392DFC93&sql=11:eikxlfae5cqt~T1) [Johnny Thunders](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE57A1FDD46A87F20D79C3053CBBB72E00DDB51F8813E23454D92BB345C910E7ED749A0DAB0B8B672AB78A7E02CA45A0A9FC8E455FAD6633A2DFC93&sql=11:lk9ks31ya3xg~T1) [Billy Zoom](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE57A1FDD46A87F20D79C3053CBBB72E00DDB51F8813E23454D92BB345C910E7ED749A0DAB0B8B672AB78A7E02CA45A0A9FC8E455FBD664392DFC93&sql=11:9e548qbbbtz4~T1) [Johnny Rotten](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE57A1FDD46A87F20D79C3053CBBB72E00DDB51F8813E23454D92BB345C910E7ED749A0DAB0B8B672AB78A7E02CA45A0A9FC8E455F4D6663E2DFC93&sql=11:6267gjqrj6ia~T1) and my favorite… [Blind Marky Felchtone](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE57A1FDD46A87F20D79C3053CBBB72E00DDB51F8813E23454D92BB345C910E7ED749A0DAB0B8B672AB78A7E02CA45A0A9FC8E455F4D665392DFC93&searchlink=ZEKE&uid=CAW040507180238&samples=1&sql=11:fem1z83aoyv3~T1) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/5 "2005-07-18T06:45:18Z")
Sid Vicious’ real name was most likely John Simon Ritchie. John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) named him after a pet hamster that bit people (the hamster was named Sid the Vicious). ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/6 "2005-07-18T06:46:22Z")
> [@Hung Mung](#): > > Lemmy from Motorhead. > And [Buckethead](http://photos1.blogger.com/img/19/1421/1024/buckethead-gnr.jpg). What a weirdo. dude, Lemmy rocks! and Buckethead rocks too… check out that first Praxis album! It’s ASWOME! ---
**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/7 "2005-07-18T07:05:19Z")
Jimi Hendrix. What a cool name. mm ---
**Author:** ![parthenokinesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/cc9497/32.png) [@parthenokinesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/parthenokinesis)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/8 "2005-07-18T07:14:43Z")
Iggy Pop and Billy Idol are two of the best assumed names. ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/9 "2005-07-18T07:18:05Z")
Jimi Hendrix…you couldn’t make up a better name. Sigh… _pops in Ultimate Experience and kicks back_ ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Side_of_the_Floyd)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/10 "2005-07-18T07:57:53Z")
> [@Snowboarder Bo](#): > > Sid Vicious’ real name was most likely John Simon Ritchie. John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) named him after a pet hamster that bit people (the hamster was named Sid the Vicious). Thanks. Oh, and I completely agree about Hendrix. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/11 "2005-07-18T08:02:20Z")
> [@parthenokinesis](#): > > Iggy Pop and Billy Idol are two of the best assumed names. I like Englebert Humperdinck. His real name is Arnold George Dorsey. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/12 "2005-07-18T09:11:03Z")
Ry Cooder D.J. Bonebrake Captain Beefheart Melissa Auf Der Maur Jimmy Thudpucker (not real) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/13 "2005-07-18T12:26:36Z")
Real names: Vivian Stanshall Grace Slick Papa John Creach Frank Zappa Stage names: Taj Mahal Alice Cooper ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/14 "2005-07-18T13:39:37Z")
Ringo Starr! Ariel Bender and Overend Watts of Mott the Hoople. Bender gets extra credit for his real name, Luther Grosvenor. Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond of Jethro Tull (not his real name, but it could have been–both his parents really did have the same surname). Art Tripp of the Mothers of Invention (his real name). ---
**Author:** ![usar\_jag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f0a364/32.png) [@usar\_jag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usar_jag)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/15 "2005-07-18T14:04:31Z")
I have to go with either Elvis Costello. ---
**Author:** ![usar\_jag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f0a364/32.png) [@usar\_jag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usar_jag)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/16 "2005-07-18T14:05:34Z")
> [@usar\_jag](#): > > I have to go with either Elvis Costello. :smack: Preview is a good thing… Preview is a good thing… ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/17 "2005-07-18T14:09:45Z")
Eddie Spaghetti of the Supersuckers (real name Edward Carlyle Daly III) Commander Cody of the Lost Planet Airmen (real name George Frayne IV) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/18 "2005-07-18T14:16:06Z")
You have to love the simplicity, the sheer beauty, of… Flea. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/19 "2005-07-18T14:45:53Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Papa John Creach …I’m keepin’ my baby… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2005, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947/20 "2005-07-18T14:55:29Z")
This is what I get for being late. Each and _every one_ of my suggestions are listed. Every darned one! Arrrggggg!!! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-names/312947.md?page=2)