# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/21 "2010-05-27T16:24:27Z")
I thought the person who sings “Goodbye Horses” was a white man. Turns out that “he” is a black woman…doh! ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/22 "2010-05-27T16:32:56Z")
Along with many other blues musicians already mentioned, I thought for sure that **Stevie Ray Vaughan** was black the first time I heard him. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/23 "2010-05-27T16:41:07Z")
Back in the 80’s I took a date to see Percy Sledge at a honkytonk in Mississippi. She was shocked that he was black. I was shocked that she was shocked. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/24 "2010-05-27T16:58:35Z")
Back when Alanis Morrisette’s “You Oughta Know” first came out I pictured her as some spunky. . . black something or other. It was kind of disappoining to see a lily white, somewhat frumpy Canadian. Not that I don’t dig her and her music, she just didn’t match what was in my mind’s eye. For the longest time I was sure Natalie Merchant was from another country due to that annoying phrasing and weird accent she sings with. ---
**Author:** ![Hi\_Medlo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hi\_Medlo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hi_Medlo)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/25 "2010-05-27T17:27:30Z")
Charlie Pride used to tell a story about one of his early gigs when he started to achieve some fame. He arrived at a venue and the manager looked shocked and said “I didn’t know you was a collored guy!” I thought country singer Neal McCoy was black, or with some black ancestry, but his father is of Scottish ancestry and his mom is from the Philipines. And his birth name is actually McGaughey, pronounced “McGoy” ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/26 "2010-05-27T17:35:27Z")
It was only reading an obitury that I discovered [Freddie Mercury](http://www.persianmirror.com/culture/famous/bios/mercury.cfm) wasn’t white/European. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/27 "2010-05-27T17:47:44Z")
I tend to think that African American cartoon characters (especially those who use AAVE and/or the usual accent that accompanies it) are played by black people. For example, I thought Cleavland Brown was played by a black guy. I don’t he quite speaks AAVE, but he sounds very “black” to me. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/28 "2010-05-27T17:48:36Z")
> [@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. What, no link? ---
**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, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/29 "2010-05-27T17:54:19Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I tend to think that African American cartoon characters (especially those who use AAVE and/or the usual accent that accompanies it) are played by black people. For example, I thought Cleavland Brown was played by a black guy. I don’t he quite speaks AAVE, but he sounds very “black” to me. Elmo (of Sesame Street) is a black guy 🙂 ---
**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, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/30 "2010-05-27T17:57:11Z")
Also, isn’t Frylock black? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/31 "2010-05-27T17:59:37Z")
In the 90’s when I just heard them on the radio I just assumed Ace of Base was a group of black ladies. Was shocked when I saw their videos - they’re not just white, they’re _really_ white. Scandinavian, even, I think. ---
**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, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/32 "2010-05-27T18:12:51Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > What, no link? I didn’t want to break my “Never rickrolled anybody” record. 🙂 > [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Elmo (of Sesame Street) is a black guy 🙂 Kevin Clash. The Palpatine of the Muppet Republic… ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/33 "2010-05-27T18:26:57Z")
I took a date to see Boz Scaggs. She was shocked he was white. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/34 "2010-05-27T19:17:52Z")
Before I tell you who my celebrity mix-up is you have to promise not to laugh. You promise? Good. Up until about a year ago I thought that Neil Armstrong was black. stop laughing I don’t think I ever saw a picture of him outside of his spacesuit and as a child I just assumed that he was black and that was the mental image that stuck with me. Then about a year ago I saw a picture labeled Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong and laughed. I showed it to my fiance and pointed out that they had the wrong picture because that guy with Buzz Alrin obviously wasn’t Neil Armstrong! He was the completely wrong color! They might as well have shown Buzz Aldrin with Betty White! seriously, stop laughing He just laughed and said that Neil Armstrong was indeed the man in the picture and that I earned a couple of dingbat points for that one. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/35 "2010-05-27T19:27:04Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > I wasnt sure about Mariah Carey’s race , she is 1/2 black. I read that, and I’ve read people saying she looks ambiguous, or like in the movie Precious, Precious says something about her being some weird mixed race lady. I had no idea she was part black until I was told–if I hadn’t, I would have just thought white person. Am I not seeing something that’s really obvious? I also used to think Dusty Springfield was black until I saw pictures of her. That’s why they call it blue eyed soul! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/36 "2010-05-27T19:27:36Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Norah Jones is 1/2 Asian Indian. Her father is Ravi Shankar. > [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > Wow! :eek: Well, I’ll be… Same here! :eek: ---
**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, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/37 "2010-05-27T19:28:59Z")
> [@](#): > > Up until about a year ago I thought that Neil Armstrong was black. stop laughing I’m not laughing, but I’m curious. _Why_ did you think Neil Armstrong was black? Is his name particularly “black”, or did you just somehgow have the idea from some inkling that he must be black, and just never checked? ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/38 "2010-05-27T19:32:43Z")
I was still watching Saturday Night Live occasionally when Maya Rudolph was still on. Not only did I not know she was mixed race ('though I did wonder why she always played the “ethnic” characters), I didn’t know until recently her mother was Minnie Riperton. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/39 "2010-05-27T19:35:19Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I’m not laughing, but I’m curious. _Why_ did you think Neil Armstrong was black? Is his name particularly “black”, or did you just somehgow have the idea from some inkling that he must be black, and just never checked? Confusion with Louis Armstrong? “They laughed at Louis Armstrong when he said he was going to the moon. Now he’s up there, laughing at them!” ---
**Author:** ![Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speak_to_me_Maddie)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2010, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931/40 "2010-05-27T19:37:25Z")
> [@Cat\_Jones](#): > > It was only reading an obitury that I discovered [Freddie Mercury](http://www.persianmirror.com/culture/famous/bios/mercury.cfm) wasn’t white/European. Interesting. I didn’t know that either. I came to the thread to mention Freddie Mercury. My brother says that he and all his friends thought Mercury was black and that _Queen_ was a “black band” all the way up until _Another One Bites the Dust_ which had an accompanying video for TV. Seems weird to me, but it was a little before my time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-you-had-assumed-were-of-a-different-race/540931.md?page=3)