# Do actors/musicians use their stage names in everyday life? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 22, 2006, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771 "2006-05-22T16:16:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**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 23, 2006, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/21 "2006-05-23T19:58:55Z")
> [@h.sapiens](#): > > I’m pretty sure Ringo Starr’s wife (_not_ Daisy Duke!) calls him Richard, as do most of his friends. Actually, I’ve heard him say that when she’s \*mad \* at him, she calls him Ringo! Elton John (born Reginald Dwight) had his name legally changed; dunno if anyone still calls him Reg. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/22 "2006-05-23T20:44:39Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Oops, hit “enter” by accident. > > Anyway, for an interesting example, take Martin Sheen, whose real name is Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez. One of his sons, Carlos Irwin Estévez is better known as Charlie Sheen, and another one is Emilio Estévez. Martin has said that he and Stockard Channing (who was born Susan Stockard) call each other Ramón and Susan. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2006, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/23 "2006-05-23T20:57:23Z")
> [@Biffy the Elephant Shrew](#): > > Actually, I’ve heard him say that when she’s \*mad \* at him, she calls him Ringo! According to a recent movie, when Bobby Darrin was mad at Sandra Dee, he’d refer to her as “Gidget.” Not quite the same thing, but close. ---
**Author:** ![KSO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@KSO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KSO)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/24 "2006-05-24T00:25:53Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > [The Edge Still Introducing Self as Such](http://www.theonion.com/content/node/33053) According to Bono, even Edge’s mother calls him The Edge. Bono doesn’t like anyone other than very close friends or family calling him “Paul.” He says it’s too intimate. On the other hand, on the most recent tour, he’d sometimes pull kids up on stage and ask their names. Then he’d say “My name’s Paul, but I call myself Bono.” Cue the crowd going nuts… ---
**Author:** ![2nd\_Law](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/f475e1/32.png) [@2nd\_Law](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2nd_Law)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/25 "2006-05-24T05:01:08Z")
Having seen it, I can tell you Laurence Tureaud’s American Express card is under the name “Mr. T.” ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/26 "2006-05-24T05:12:57Z")
Alice Cooper was born Vincent Furnier but legally changed it around '74. He gets called Alice by most people and Coop by friends. His wife and kids go by Cooper. He claims his mom still calls him Vince or "Hey Rockstar, take out the trash! " 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/27 "2006-05-24T08:58:25Z")
> [@2nd Law](#): > > Having seen it, I can tell you Laurence Tureaud’s American Express card is under the name “Mr. T.” In similar vein, Teller (of Penn & Teller) has an Amex card that just says ‘Teller’. Apparently, he had to wrangle with them a little bit to get them to go along with this, because (at least at one time) they had a ‘First name’ ‘Second name’ rule. But anyway, I’ve seen it and I’ve seen him use it to buy something, and that’s what it says. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/28 "2006-05-24T17:29:41Z")
Reginald Dwight changed his name by deed poll to Elton Hercules John. Hence when he was knighted he became Sir Elton John. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/29 "2006-05-24T17:38:38Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Reginald Dwight changed his name by deed poll to Elton Hercules John. Hence when he was knighted he became Sir Elton John. I seem to recall, though, that he still occasionally uses “Reginald Dwight,” even after formally changing his name. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/30 "2006-05-24T18:38:42Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > And I think his birth name was Michael _A._ Fox. Funny. Funny is right. No wonder he changed it. hh ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/31 "2006-05-25T20:20:34Z")
> [@h.sapiens](#): > > I’m pretty sure Ringo Starr’s wife (_not_ Daisy Duke!) calls him Richard, as do most of his friends. I read once that he is often called Ritchie, as he probably was as a kid! I have always thought that was so cute. ---
**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 25, 2006, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/32 "2006-05-25T20:35:03Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#): > > I read once that he is often called Ritchie, as he probably was as a kid! I have always thought that was so cute. Ever hear Geroge Harrison’s song “Living in the Material World”? _Met them all here in the material world, John and Paul here in the material world, Though we started out quite poor We got “Richie” on a tour…_ ---
**Author:** ![LanceShetrompf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@LanceShetrompf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LanceShetrompf)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771/33 "2006-05-25T20:38:03Z")
> [@Absolute](#): > > This may be a bit of a stupid question (“Of course they don’t, you moron!”) but some celebrities have become so well-known by their normal-sounding stage names that it’s hard to imagine them going by something else. We sell Mercedes to a lot of rap artists, who all go by there stage / rap names. Even when we do their paperwork (which is usually in their birth names), the sales consultants have to instruct the business managers as to what their stage names are so as not to piss them off or ‘insult them’. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-musicians-use-their-stage-names-in-everyday-life/357771.md?page=1)