# Best Rock & Roll Pseudonyms **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 24, 2011, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-pseudonyms/593839 "2011-08-24T00:57:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-pseudonyms/593839/61 "2011-08-24T13:21:26Z")
TAFKAP - For the win… I can’t draw that frickin symbol, but that’s gotta be it. Or Exene… ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-pseudonyms/593839/62 "2011-08-24T13:28:38Z")
> [@ministryman](#): > > TAFKAP - For the win… > > I can’t draw that frickin symbol, but that’s gotta be it. [Thank you!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14175369&postcount=13) ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-pseudonyms/593839/63 "2011-08-24T13:52:18Z")
I always felt the greatest name in rock was **Lemmy Kilmister** from **Motorhead** , but alas, that’s mostly his real name. ---
**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:** [August 24, 2011, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-pseudonyms/593839/64 "2011-08-24T14:25:40Z")
Mister Doctor McGanahan Skjellyfetti Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond Jane Drano Members of Gong: Bloomdido Bad de Grass Dingo Virgin (a/k/a Bert Camembert) Hi T. Moonweed Shakti Yoni Bambaloni Yoni T. Being, Esq. Worst rock & roll pseudonym: The Dude of Life ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-pseudonyms/593839/65 "2011-08-24T14:51:25Z")
Mr. Mojo Risin’ (anagram of Jim Morrison) ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-pseudonyms/593839/66 "2011-08-24T15:33:17Z")
“Prince” is only so-so as a rock name. However, “the unpronounceable symbol formerly known as Prince” rules! ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-pseudonyms/593839/67 "2011-08-24T15:47:49Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > “Prince” is only so-so as a rock name. However, “the unpronounceable symbol formerly known as Prince” rules! “Prince” is his birth name. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-pseudonyms/593839/68 "2011-08-24T15:57:14Z")
> [@MadTheSwine](#): > > “Prince” is his birth name. Holy shit. So it is. I did not know that. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-pseudonyms/593839/69 "2011-08-24T18:06:40Z")
[Kurt Vile](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Vile) [Mars Bonfire](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Bonfire) (from Steppenwolf) Munch Universe (from Tenpole Tudor) [Zoot Money](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoot_Money) [The Reverend Horton Heat](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Reverend_Horton_Heat) [Handsome Dick Manitoba](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Manitoba) (from the Dictators) [Ariel Bender](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luther_Grosvenor) (from Mott the Hoople; used his real name in Spooky Tooth) [The Legendary Stardust Cowboy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legendary_Stardust_Cowboy) (known to his fans as “Ledge”) And venturing out of the arena of rock: [Moondog](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moondog) [Sun Ra](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Ra) I was going to include Thelonious Monk but… that was his real name. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-pseudonyms/593839/70 "2011-08-24T18:11:12Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Captain Beefheart > Zoot Horn Rollo > Rockette Morton > Drumbo > The Mascara Snake > Ed Marimba What, no love for Antennae Jimmy Semens? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-pseudonyms/593839/71 "2011-08-24T18:17:36Z")
> [@Becky2844](#): > > Husband’s asleep & stack of vinyls are too heavy for me to lift so working from “remembery” here…the Traveling Wilbury’s Post #36. > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Nelson Wilbury (George Harrison) > Otis Wilbury (Jeff Lynne) > Lefty Wilbury (Roy Orbison) > Charlie T. Wilbury, Jr. (Tom Petty) > Lucky Wilbury (Bob Dylan) Jake and Elwood Blues. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-pseudonyms/593839/72 "2011-08-24T20:12:59Z")
Hey, nobody’s mentioned Bo Diddley yet! Another from the 50’s – [Nervous Norvus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nervous_Norvus). ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-pseudonyms/593839/73 "2011-08-24T20:13:31Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Bono? Yup. His real name is Paul Hewson. Bono was, at one point, “Bono Vox”, a modification of “Bonavox”, Latin for “good voice”. And, similarly, The Edge’s real name is David Evans. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-pseudonyms/593839/74 "2011-08-24T20:58:50Z")
> [@lost4life](#): > > I always felt the greatest name in rock was **Lemmy Kilmister** from **Motorhead** , but alas, that’s mostly his real name. Former Motorhead drummer **Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor** has a great name. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-pseudonyms/593839/75 "2011-08-24T21:21:25Z")
Axl Rose - an anagram of “oral sex.” ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-pseudonyms/593839/76 "2011-08-24T23:14:33Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > For that matter… > > Alex Lifeson (Aleksandar Živojinović) > > Mutters…flag on the play for Geddy’s name though. That was his Polish mother’s attempt at pronouncing his given name ‘Gary’. He had it as a nickname by high school. It’s true that Lee is his middle name, though. Gary Lee Weinrib. Good jewish boy. > > And Neil Peart’s middle name is Ellwood. So there. How in the world do you pronounce Alex’s real last name?? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-pseudonyms/593839/77 "2011-08-25T00:02:48Z")
> [@BaneSidhe](#): > > How in the world do you pronounce Alex’s real last name?? Throht-wawr-bler Mang-grohv. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-pseudonyms/593839/78 "2011-08-25T00:23:53Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Paul Simon. > [@Cub\_Mistress](#): > > Bob Dylan > [@Leaffan](#): > > Gene Simmons (Chaim Weitz) > Paul Stanley (Stanley Eisen) > [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > Perry Ferrell. What’s so great about these pseudonyms? > [@kunilou](#): > > “Prince” is only so-so as a rock name. Really? Seems a lot better than the names quoted above. And, as has been noted, it’s not even a pseudonym. > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I’ma stop now… punk and metal are fucking overflowing with pseudonyms; if I don’t stop now I could easily put in hundreds and hundreds of great names. Yeah. Punk and metal are loaded with great pseudonyms. ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-pseudonyms/593839/79 "2011-08-25T00:48:20Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Throht-wawr-bler Mang-grohv. 😃 Somehow I KNEW that would be the answer 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mixolydian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Mixolydian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mixolydian)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2011, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-pseudonyms/593839/80 "2011-08-25T02:37:08Z")
> [@Yookeroo](#): > > What’s so great about these pseudonyms? \*Sting \*and _The Edge_ aren’t much better, but who am I to judge? _Perry Ferrell_ is a play on “peripheral”…not as bad, eh? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-pseudonyms/593839.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rock-roll-pseudonyms/593839.md?page=5)