# Musical groups named after literary characters. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 25, 2003, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-named-after-literary-characters/203726 "2003-09-25T12:53:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![LucysLogic101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19b73/32.png) [@LucysLogic101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LucysLogic101)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-named-after-literary-characters/203726/41 "2003-09-27T05:15:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jello \* > \*\*I’m told there’s a band called Catch-22. > \*\* actually there is, i’m a big fan. Catch-22 is one of those california ska/punk bands. [QUOTE] _Originally posted by WhiteyFoo_ \*\*Local band here in Houston (think they have since disbanded thought) that went by the name of Atticus Finch. Good band. \*\* this is a bit off, but Tom Dumont of Blink 182 has a clothing line called Atticus. Often, the shirts simply say Atticus across the front and there’s a silhouette of a dead bird on its back next to the brand name. charming, hm? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-named-after-literary-characters/203726/42 "2003-09-27T05:51:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Skeezix \* > **Another that’s more an allusion to a character than a direct naming, but Judas Priest refers to a guy in some old book, I’ve heard.** No, it’s from Bob Dylan’s _The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest_. ---
**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:** [September 27, 2003, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-named-after-literary-characters/203726/43 "2003-09-27T06:06:32Z")
There’ve been a whole host of bands named for people, places, and things in _Lord of the Rings_, including both a band and a solo artist called **Gandalf**. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-named-after-literary-characters/203726/44 "2003-09-27T11:19:49Z")
[Trespassers William](http://www.trespasserswilliam.com) named after Piglet’s uncle in Winnie the Pooh (Trespassrers Will for short). Are Sitcom characters Literary? If so, there was a band called Tuscadero named after Susie Quatro’s character, Leather, from Happy Days. This probably doesn’t count (although, it should count if we’re counting Jethro Tull). There is a band called [Nellie Bly](http://www.breech.net/sub/nellie.html) Named after the 19th Century journalist. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-named-after-literary-characters/203726/45 "2003-09-27T11:58:42Z")
[The Reivers](http://www.thereivers.net/home.html) were around in the late 80s…there name is taken (I assume) from the Faulkner novel of the same name [Babe the Blue Ox](http://www.artistdirect.com/showcase//modern/babetheblueox.html) comes from the Paul Bunyon story. I don’t think that qualifies as a literary charactor. ---
**Author:** ![cleops](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/2acd7d/32.png) [@cleops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cleops)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-named-after-literary-characters/203726/46 "2003-09-27T13:25:08Z")
Toto? ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-named-after-literary-characters/203726/47 "2003-09-27T14:20:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Biffy the Elephant Shrew \* > **There’ve been a whole host of bands named for people, places, and things in _Lord of the Rings_,…** There’s a good “smooth jazz” band (if such a thing is possible) called _Shadowfax_. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-named-after-literary-characters/203726/48 "2003-10-26T04:05:50Z")
There is a band in Lawrence, Kansas called Shai Hulud. (after the worms from Dune, for the uninitiated). ---
**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:** [October 26, 2003, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-named-after-literary-characters/203726/49 "2003-10-26T12:26:17Z")
Tiny Tim Little Nell Artful Dodger (short-lived 70s band, DC area) New Riders of the Purple Sage ---
**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:** [October 26, 2003, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-named-after-literary-characters/203726/50 "2003-10-26T12:28:29Z")
Eugenius was originally called Captain America ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-named-after-literary-characters/203726/51 "2003-10-26T13:31:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lissener \* > One of my favorite obscure bands is Grace Darling. THe original Grace Darling was a real person, though; she was peripherally involved in some massive loss of life in a storm on the Irish Coast in the 19th Century, or something. That’s harsh on Grace. Together with her father, she actually _rescued_ the survivors of a steamer wrecked off the English coast by rowing out to them [during a storm in 1838](http://www.sentinelpublications.com/grace.htm). [The Fall](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=MISS70309061159&sql=Bnx6m965o3ep6) took their name from the title of a novel by Albert Camus. [Icicle Works](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=MISS70309061159&sql=B98q4g4jttv3z) comes from the title of a short story by Frederick Pohl. [James](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=MISS70309061159&sql=Bbe7m967o3ep5) were named after James Joyce. [Joy Division](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=MISS70309061159&sql=B6oo20r1ac48b) is a reference to prostitution in concentration camps, but they took it from a novel by Karol Cetinsky about that subject. ---
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-groups-named-after-literary-characters/203726/52 "2003-10-27T00:06:14Z")
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