# Identical names of famous people **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 21, 2009, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717 "2009-07-21T04:02:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2009, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/121 "2009-07-26T02:53:28Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Also [Tony Martin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Martin_(farmer)), farmer and vigilante, much admired by the British gutter press. And [Tony Martin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Martin_(entertainer)), singer. Remembered today for having been in a Marx Brothers movie and for having bedded, er, married the dazzling Cyd Charrise. He was still doing performances at 94! Wikipedia lists enough other [Tony Martins](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Martin) to staff a Wal-Mart. ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2009, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/122 "2009-07-26T09:15:40Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > There are two musical John Williams - one is the [composer/conductor who wrote a lot of movie scores and led the Boston Pops](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Williams), and the other is a [classical guitarist](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Williams_(guitarist)) And John Williams the actor, best known to many for the ad he did for [120 music masterpieces](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBhGjo9TuAc). ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2009, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/123 "2009-07-26T18:42:15Z")
Kenny Rogers the singer & Kenny Rogers the MLB pitcher ---
**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:** [July 27, 2009, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/124 "2009-07-27T14:22:42Z")
James Brady, author and columinist for Parade magazine. James Brady, Reagen press secretary. James Brady once interviewed James Brady for Parade. ---
**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:** [July 27, 2009, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/125 "2009-07-27T14:38:58Z")
Here are two that should actually be the samer person, given the similarities of their vital info, but aren’t: Composer [Spencer Williams (1889-1965)](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0931714/), born in Louisiana. One of his songs was “I Ain’t Got Nobody,” recorded by several generations of singers and David Lee Roth. Also, multi-talented writer/actor/director [Spencer Williams [Jr.] (1893-1969)](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3472679/), also born in Louisiana. He was best known as Andy Brown on the TV series “Amos ‘n’ Andy.” ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/126 "2009-07-27T20:30:46Z")
Eva Longoria, actress Evan Longoria, baseball player ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/127 "2009-07-27T20:45:52Z")
In the 1980’s there was a British comedian by the name of David Copperfield who seemed to have a promising career ahead of him, until his fame was eclipsed by the American magician of the same name. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Z2bbanXlMoE/hqdefault.jpg "Three Of A Kind Pt1 - Lenny Henry & Co") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2bbanXlMoE) ---
**Author:** ![Promethea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Promethea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Promethea)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/128 "2009-07-27T20:47:40Z")
[Elizabeth Taylor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Taylor_%28novelist%29), novelist and Elizabeth Taylor, the much married actress. According to an interview I read,[Kate Mosse](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Mosse) 's name is close enough to mean she occasionally disappoints people (presumably quite dense people) when they discover she isn’t in fact the model from Croydon. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/129 "2009-07-28T07:34:56Z")
[Jon Favreau](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Favreau), actor and director (most famously of _Iron Man_). [Jon Favreau](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Favreau_(speechwriter)), speech writer for Obama. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/130 "2009-07-28T17:12:41Z")
Just thought of another - there were two blues harmonica players who used the name Sonny Boy Williamson. The first, [John Lee Curtis Williamson](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Boy_Williamson_I), was killed by a mugger after leaving a late-night gig. The second, [Aleck “Rice” Miller](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Boy_Williamson_II), started using the name while the first Sonny Boy was still alive and, after the first Sonny Boy’s death, claimed to be the “real” Sonny Boy Williamson. Today most blues fans are more familiar with the second Sonny Boy than with the first, and many aren’t aware that there were two of them. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/131 "2009-07-28T17:21:50Z")
Jack Dempsey, boxing champion (1862–1896) Jack Dempsey, boxing champion (1895–1983) ---
**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:** [July 30, 2009, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/132 "2009-07-30T14:15:41Z")
There’s three famous singers with the name [Vanessa Williams](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanessa_Williams) [Ronald Howard](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Howard_(British_actor)), son of Leslie, was a British actor, but there is a more famous actor/diretor named Ron Howard. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/133 "2009-07-31T05:09:39Z")
I was just noticing today that the actor who plays Martian Manhunter on Smallville has the same name as the eponymous big tobacco company. ---
**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:** [July 31, 2009, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/134 "2009-07-31T05:40:29Z")
> [@AppallingGael](#): > > And John Williams the actor, best known to many for the ad he did for [120 music masterpieces](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBhGjo9TuAc). And John L. Williams, former NFL fullback (Seahawks and Steelers). ---
**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:** [July 31, 2009, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/135 "2009-07-31T05:44:17Z")
Joe Perry, Aerosmith guitarist Joe “the Jet” Perry, Hall of Fame running back for the 49ers in the 1950s. ---
**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:** [July 31, 2009, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717/136 "2009-07-31T13:19:05Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Joe Perry, Aerosmith guitarist > Joe “the Jet” Perry, Hall of Fame running back for the 49ers in the 1950s. Also, there was an actor “Joe Perry,” although during the last 10 years or so of his career he was listed as “Joseph V. Perry.” He is probably best known among younger folks as Nemo, the pizzeria owner, in “Everybody Loves Raymond.” And among older folks. . . . eh, the most notable think I can remember was as the diner owner in a “Night Gallery” vignette called “Midnight Never Ends.” He typically played bartenders, cabbies, cops, truck drivers. Very busy actor. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identical-names-of-famous-people/503717.md?page=6)