# Celebrities you had assumed were of a different race. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 27, 2010, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931 "2010-05-27T11:26:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/1 "2010-05-27T11:26:29Z")
In the American Idol thread a lot of people seemed surprised that Joe Cocker was white. Personally, I had always assumed that KC of KC and the Sunshine Band was black. Then during the Super Bowl in Houston a few years back I happened to see a picture of him and was stunned to learn that he was white. Who are some other celebrities that you always thought were of a different race. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/2 "2010-05-27T12:17:27Z")
I was fairly late realizing that Gregg Allman was white. His _Laid Back_ album version of _Midnight Rider_ was on the radio and I assumed he was black. Later on, after I knew his actual race, I really got into the ABB, several years after Duane and Berry were already dead. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/3 "2010-05-27T12:51:51Z")
Not me but some people assumed Buddy Holly was black. He was booked to play the Apollo in NYC and the manager was shocked when he showed up as a white guy. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/4 "2010-05-27T12:56:50Z")
I always assumed that actor **Khigh Dhiegh** \* was of oriental ancestry – Chinese or Japanese or something. He played the Red Chinese agent _Wo Fat_ on _Hawaii Five-O_ and played the lead in the TV movie _Judge Dee and the Monastery Murders_ (which had an all-oriental cast\*\*, instead of using Caucasians to play Chinese characters). Most of his career was spent playing Chinese or Japanese characters. it turns out that he has no oriental ancestry at all. According to iMDB he’s of “Anglo-Egyptian-Sudanese” ancestry, and was born in New Jersey. His real name was Kenneth Dickerson, Jr., and the various spellings of his stage name are sorta phonetic equivalents of his initials. I don’t know if iMDB means that his ancesters were from _Anglo-Egyptian Sudan_, or if he had an English Parent and a Sudanese one, or what. Wikipedia says that he has “mixed North African” ancestry. > **[Khigh Dhiegh - Biography - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0223556/bio/)** > > Khigh Dhiegh. Actor: The Manchurian Candidate. Khigh Dhiegh was born on 25 August 1910 in Spring Lake, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor, known for The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Seconds (1966) and Noble House (1988). He was previously married to... > **[Khigh Dhiegh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khigh_Dhiegh)** > > Khigh Alx Dhiegh (/ˈkaɪ ˈdiː/ KY DEE or /ˈdeɪ/ DAY; born Kenneth Dickerson; August 25, 1910 – October 25, 1991) was an American television and motion picture actor of Anglo-Egyptian Sudanese ancestry, noted for portraying East Asian roles. He is perhaps best remembered for portraying villains, in particular his recurring TV guest role as Chinese agent Wo Fat on Hawaii Five-O (from the pilot in 1968, to the final episode in 1980), and brainwashing expert Dr. Yen Lo in 1962's The Manchurian C He wa... \*who also spelled his name _Keie Deei_ and _Kaie Deei_ \*\*except, I now realize, for the lead actor himself! ---
**Author:** ![Stormcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/0ea827/32.png) [@Stormcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stormcrow)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/5 "2010-05-27T13:01:59Z")
This reminds me of a Bill James quote about race and baseball: > [@Bill James](#): > > Did you ever notice that players named “White” are almost always black, and players named “Black” are usually white? Why is that? The last White major leaguer who was actually white was Mike White, who played for Houston in the early sixties. Since then we’ve had Bill White, Roy White, Frank White and Jerry White, all of whom were black; Mike White probably would have been black except that his father played in the majors in the thirties and they didn’t allow you to be black then. The Royals also had a Black on their roster, Bud, who of course is white; in fact, the Royals had to set some sort of record by having four colored people on their team. White, Black, Blue and Brown. Scott Brown is not any browner than anybody else, Vida is definitely not blue, nor for that matter is Darryl Motley. I suppose that it is the nature of names, as with Peacekeeping Missiles and Security Police, to disguise the truth more often than they reveal it. Horace Speed stole only four bases in his career, Vic Power was a singles hitter, Bill Goodenough was not good enough, and Joe Blong did not belong for long. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/6 "2010-05-27T13:21:48Z")
Somewhat notoriously, many people thought that Rick Astley was black when he first started getting radio play. The Howdy-Doody-like actual looks when those people saw his videos was a shock. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/7 "2010-05-27T13:25:13Z")
Back when “Holding Back the Tears” was a hit, I not only assume the lead singer of Simply Red was Black, but I also assume he was female. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/8 "2010-05-27T13:25:59Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Somewhat notoriously, many people thought that Rick Astley was black when he first started getting radio play. The Howdy-Doody-like actual looks when those people saw his videos was a shock. On the flip side, I recall stories of how people assumed that Charley Pride was white when he first became famous. Of course it didn’t help that when they first started sending his records out to country radio stations they didn’t include his picture ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/9 "2010-05-27T13:26:07Z")
When I first heard [Leo Sayer](http://www.comicgenius.com/DiscoFever/disco_profiles/leo_sayer/images/leo2.jpg), his singing style was similar (to my ears) to Eddie Kendrick of “The Temptations,” so that’s the image I had formed in my mind. Similarly, when I first heard blind singer Terri Gibbs, I thought the singer was male. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/10 "2010-05-27T13:26:30Z")
I wasnt sure about Mariah Carey’s race , she is 1/2 black. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/11 "2010-05-27T14:10:16Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Somewhat notoriously, many people thought that Rick Astley was black when he first started getting radio play. The Howdy-Doody-like actual looks when those people saw his videos was a shock. Same thing w/ **Buddy Holly**. I love the scene in \*The Buddy Holly Story \*where he gets booked to play the Apollo Theater in NYC and the crowd is stunned when a white guy comes out on stage. I thought \*\*Norah Jones \*\*was black for the longest time. ---
**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:** [May 27, 2010, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/12 "2010-05-27T14:14:24Z")
Johnny and Edgar Winter. Two brothers who sound black, but are white…albinos. ---
**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:** [May 27, 2010, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/13 "2010-05-27T14:18:11Z")
Steve Perry (of Journey fame) is Portuguese; and boy does he ever [look](http://cherrybombed.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/steve-perry-of-journey-is-59-12208.jpg) it now. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/14 "2010-05-27T14:19:43Z")
I keep forgetting that [Rashida Jones](http://www.reelmovienews.com/gallery/rashida-jones-pic/) is the daughter of Quincy Jones. Granted, her mother is white (Jewish, actually) but it just seems awkward to me that she is the daughter of one of the most famous black guys around today. She’s quite beautiful, though. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/15 "2010-05-27T14:20:05Z")
Not a different race, per se, but I had assumed Alfred Molina was Latin American. Then I read an interview with him that mentioned he was British (albeit of Spanish descent). ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/16 "2010-05-27T14:30:28Z")
Norah Jones is 1/2 Asian Indian. Her father is Ravi Shankar. ---
**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:** [May 27, 2010, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/17 "2010-05-27T14:39:32Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I always assumed that actor **Khigh Dhiegh** \* was of oriental ancestry That’s who I was going to mention! ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/18 "2010-05-27T14:45:03Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I always assumed that actor **Khigh Dhiegh** \* was of oriental ancestry – Chinese or Japanese or something. He played the Red Chinese agent _Wo Fat_ on _Hawaii Five-O_. . . . Also, a fair number of the Yellow Peril guest villains in H50 were played by Jews, sometimes ridiculously so. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/19 "2010-05-27T16:00:15Z")
**[Noah Hunt](http://www.noahhunt.com/biography)** whose deep bluesy voice is featured on Kenny Wayne Shepherd songs (biggest hit was Blue on Black) sounds like he’s a 50+ year old black blues singer. He’s actually a fairly young white man. I was disappointed when I attended a Jimi Hendrix tribute performance and Living Colour’s lead vocalist got to sing “All along the watchtower” in the finally. Kenny Wayne Sheperd was a contributing performer and he had Noah Hunt with him. So they let the shrieking tenor sing the song while backstage the man with the perfect voice that captured Jimi’s vocal range was just standing there listening to the music. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/20 "2010-05-27T16:15:30Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Norah Jones is 1/2 Asian Indian. Her father is Ravi Shankar. Wow! :eek: Well, I’ll be… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931.md?page=2)