# What "famous people" are you surprised other people haven't heard of? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 26, 2024, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-are-you-surprised-other-people-havent-heard-of/1004817 "2024-07-26T14:54:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2024, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-are-you-surprised-other-people-havent-heard-of/1004817/121 "2024-07-28T02:14:48Z")
The important thing is I spelled Polovetsian correctly. Yeah, he was everywhere, but I didn’t know him by name until recently. He took Sebastian Cabot’s place on **Family Affair** for eight weeks while SC was fighting pneumonia. > [@silenus](#): > > “Dr. Jones, pick up the white Courtesy Phone.” “No, the _white_ one.” John Williams — the classical guitarist — accompanied some guy named Townshend on his song **Won’t Get Fooled Again** on **The Secret Policemen’s Other Ball** movie/soundtrack album. A nice little arrangement. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2024, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-are-you-surprised-other-people-havent-heard-of/1004817/122 "2024-07-28T02:21:22Z")
Check this out! SFW. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ymnK4XhBoN0/hqdefault.jpg "WWE Superstars!!! The grave of James "Kamala" Harris") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymnK4XhBoN0&t=112s/) ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2024, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-are-you-surprised-other-people-havent-heard-of/1004817/123 "2024-07-28T02:24:56Z")
My multi-city has a Robert Young Mental Health Center, for which the seed money was donated many years ago by the actor Robert Young, who battled alcoholism and depression for much of his adult life. When he decided it was time to dry out, he came to this area because he had a childhood friends who was a psychiatrist here, and he felt he could do it anonymously. He was so grateful for what was done for him, he helped start this facility. Anyway, I was at a meetup a while back, and most of the people there under a certain age (i.e. mine) had no idea who he was; they assumed he was, oh, like, a local doctor or something. [https://www.unitypoint.org/locations/robert-young-mental-health-center](https://www.unitypoint.org/locations/robert-young-mental-health-center) ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2024, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-are-you-surprised-other-people-havent-heard-of/1004817/124 "2024-07-28T02:38:44Z")
I had heard of John Prine, but going back a couple decades, I never heard of Selena, or Tejano music for that matter, until she was murdered. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2024, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-are-you-surprised-other-people-havent-heard-of/1004817/125 "2024-07-28T02:53:35Z")
> [@XOldiesJock](#): > > I’d be surprised if those spots aren’t floating around on YouTube somewhere. Enjoy it with me: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/guSc6hKC9LE/hqdefault.jpg ""Polevetsian Dance No. 2 by Borodin" 120 Music Masterpieces Recordings") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guSc6hKC9LE) I _still_ want that collection — on 8-track!😄 ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2024, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-are-you-surprised-other-people-havent-heard-of/1004817/126 "2024-07-28T05:02:39Z")
Learning that someone doesn’t know a person who I consider among the best in their field doesn’t bother me. I have a list of my 50 favorite songs, by which I mean my favorite among all the performances of those songs. One of them was done in 1960, while another was done in 2022, with others spread over the intermediate years. If someone doesn’t recognize one of the songs on my list, it’s my chance to introduce them to that singer or group. I can tell them about Eva Cassidy, who didn’t become famous until four and a half years after her death, despite being the greatest singer ever in my opinion. I can tell them about Allie Sherlock, who at 19 still sings about once a week on the streets of Dublin, despite easily making enough money to make a living doing concerts and recording albums and who appeared on an American television show when she was 12. And if they disagree with me, it’s a chance for them to introduce me to their favorits. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2024, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-are-you-surprised-other-people-havent-heard-of/1004817/127 "2024-07-28T05:19:25Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > it’s a chance for them to introduce me to their favorits. And they may even teach me to proofread better. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2024, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-are-you-surprised-other-people-havent-heard-of/1004817/128 "2024-07-28T05:24:08Z")
Dad is 95. He insists up and down that he never heard of Buddy Holly. And he worked his way through college as a hamburger cook at a diner that had a juke box. About a year ago we were going to dinner and he wondered who the singer was on the radio. Peter Frampton, I replied. Dad frowned “I thought he was a guitar player”. Me " he is - that’s him on tbe guitar right now" as my life lurched into the surreal. I have no idea how a man who has never paid attention to popular music and claims he has no memory of ever hearing about Buddy Holly knows who Peter Frampton is. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2024, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-are-you-surprised-other-people-havent-heard-of/1004817/129 "2024-07-28T05:48:34Z")
In regards to John Prine, I know who he is, I was upset when he died, but I couldn’t name a single song he penned. I’m 49, a born-and-raised Chicagoan who still lives in the city, and the main reason I know him is because I became a big Steve Goodman fan some time in college. John has played with him (many times I believe), and Steve Goodman references him sometimes in his sets. Oh, it looks like the song “You Never Even Call Me By My Name” was co-written by them, so I guess I can name a somewhat John Prine-named tune. And, wait, “Souvenirs.” I thought that was a Steve Goodman song, but I guess that’s John Prine. So it turns out I do know one and a half. I hung out with a lot of musicians and played with bands, but that whole scene was separate from ours. I would guess no more than 20% of my Chicago friends have heard of him, and that may even be high by a factor of two or more. ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2024, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-are-you-surprised-other-people-havent-heard-of/1004817/130 "2024-07-28T12:26:03Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > _“Come on, people, Michael Sacks. You must know him.”_ Had anyone asked me who _played_ Billy Pilgrim I would draw a blank. Michael Sacks left acting and became very successful on Wall Street, undoubtedly from stock tips he received from the Tralfamadorians. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2024, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-are-you-surprised-other-people-havent-heard-of/1004817/131 "2024-07-28T13:12:45Z")
I worked with a guy in his 20s named Davies who had never heard of the Kinks. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2024, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-are-you-surprised-other-people-havent-heard-of/1004817/132 "2024-07-28T13:15:31Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Only later did I find out that the dog’s name was actually spelled “Lucee Loo”, note. A Chinese family I know had a dog named Chipoo. I asked what Chipoo meant in English. They didn’t understand what I was talking about. They told me the pet store named the dog, and got out his paperwork. Yep, it said chi/poo on the paper, as the dog was a chihuahua poodle cross. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2024, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-are-you-surprised-other-people-havent-heard-of/1004817/133 "2024-07-28T15:13:49Z")
We’ve veered a bit into musical groups (rather than individuals), so I hope this is not considered a hijack. I have been surprised several times that people in their 40s and 50s did not know who Steppenwolf (the band) was or recognize John Kay’s name. I’ll say, “You know…Born to Be Wild.” And the response is usually, “Of course! I’m sick of hearing it. It’s in every biker movie and most other movies and TV shows at some point.” But they don’t know it was recorded by Steppenwolf? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2024, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-are-you-surprised-other-people-havent-heard-of/1004817/134 "2024-07-28T15:16:46Z")
> [@ZonexandScout](#): > > was or recognize John Kay’s name I’m 49, as mentioned. I know Steppenwolf very well from listening to endless classic rock in the late 80s and early 90s, but I have no association with the name “John Kay.” (Though, to be honest, the only other Steppenwolf song I remember with any regular play is “Magic Carpet Ride.” Don’t think I could name a song beyond that and “Born to Be Wild.” ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2024, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-are-you-surprised-other-people-havent-heard-of/1004817/135 "2024-07-28T15:17:47Z")
I wonder how many people know who recorded “Bad to the Bone” even though it has been played to death. For the record it is George Thorogood. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2024, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-are-you-surprised-other-people-havent-heard-of/1004817/136 "2024-07-28T15:26:10Z")
This could just be another indication that the demographic on this board skews old. We’re saying _“How can you not know this performer? They’re famous!”_ And somebody younger would justifiably point out _“They were famous fifty years ago. Why would I know them?”_ ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2024, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-are-you-surprised-other-people-havent-heard-of/1004817/137 "2024-07-28T15:30:42Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > I wonder how many people know who recorded “Bad to the Bone” even though it has been played to death. I only know because there are a bunch of Thorogood songs I like. A few months back, my wife was telling me I needed a haircut and I started singing “Get a Haircut.” She had never heard that song before and thought I made it up. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2024, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-are-you-surprised-other-people-havent-heard-of/1004817/138 "2024-07-28T15:31:19Z")
I even know that John Williams was Lurene Tuttle’s son-in-law Names from sportsball, that you’re expected to know as an acceptable member of the American tribe, OTOH ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2024, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-are-you-surprised-other-people-havent-heard-of/1004817/139 "2024-07-28T15:34:36Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > This could just be another indication that the demographic on this board skews old. We’re saying _“How can you not know this performer? They’re famous!”_ And somebody younger would justifiably point out _“They were famous fifty years ago. Why would I know them?”_ A little more than thirty years ago, I ran into an older guy who was angry a lot of people my age didn’t know who James Cagney was. I happened to know who he was though off hand I wouldn’t have been able to name a single movie of his. And honestly, I sometimes got him confused with Edward G. Robinson thinking Cagney had starred in _Soylant Green._ Cagney died when I was ten years old and his career peaked thirty years before I was born. At some point all celebrities are going to fade from memory. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2024, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-are-you-surprised-other-people-havent-heard-of/1004817/140 "2024-07-28T15:44:26Z")
I am surprised how many American “folk heroes” that people under 30 do NOT seem to know. Old West: Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley. I suppose this is due to the decline of the Western film/TV. Also Prohibition era criminals: Al Capone, Pretty Boy Floyd, John Dillinger. Or more modern ones like D.B. Cooper and Jimmy Hoffa, And even actual folk legends like Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed, and Pecos Bill. I grew up as a child in the 80s and knew who all these people were… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-are-you-surprised-other-people-havent-heard-of/1004817.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-famous-people-are-you-surprised-other-people-havent-heard-of/1004817.md?page=8)