# Which performer's physical appearance didn't match your mental image the most? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 18, 2012, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193 "2012-04-18T18:41:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/1 "2012-04-18T18:41:21Z")
Several of the “blue-eyed soul” artists come to mind. Dusty Springfield, Eric Burdon and probably Rick Astley. Wiki’s complete list is [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_blue-eyed_soul_artists) although it’s easy to nitpick some of them. The Osmonds? Really? I know it’s wiki and anyone can edit it but that’s got to be some kind of joke. I was shocked when I saw Red Bone singing [Come and Get Your Love](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7eloXr2iak) for the first time. I’d had no idea that they were a Native American band. [Rare Earth](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3Z8NU5ImK0) surprised me with "Get Ready. Not just because they’re white but the lead singer is the drummer and looks just about the opposite as I had imagined. I was a little surprised to find that Johnny Nash of “I Can See Clearly Now the Rain is Gone” was African American. Is there a non-racist term/phrase for the opposite of “blue-eyed soul”? ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/2 "2012-04-18T18:46:53Z")
I was pretty surprised the first time I saw a UB40 video. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/3 "2012-04-18T19:03:33Z")
The great Ada Jones, the first female recording star: [My Pony Boy (Ada Jones, 1909) - YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZZ1ItQB76Q) Looked like this: [Invalid Browser | SuperStock](http://www.superstock.com/stock-photos-images/4048-2556) No wonder she was a big hit on records! ---
**Author:** ![newme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e0b2c6/32.png) [@newme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newme)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/4 "2012-04-18T19:07:16Z")
I thought Norah Jones was a middle-aged Black American woman. Boy was i wrong. I thought Adele was a middle-aged Black American woman. Strike two. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/5 "2012-04-18T19:30:50Z")
From the 70’s: I am still convinced that Nick Gilder is a girl - [Hot Child in the City](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El6iQ2_dvlc). ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/6 "2012-04-18T19:36:09Z")
I amazed to see that Marcia Ball is white. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/7 "2012-04-18T19:42:00Z")
I think [Elliott Yamin](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XimEfVCLv7o) sounds black. He’s not. Not even close. ---
**Author:** ![poker\_in\_the\_rear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dc4da7/32.png) [@poker\_in\_the\_rear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poker_in_the_rear)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/8 "2012-04-18T19:53:34Z")
Dobie Gray is black?!!? ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/9 "2012-04-18T20:54:29Z")
Hey, there’s Wayne Newton singing Danke Schoen a few years ago! I wonder who sang the original version? You know, the one from Ferris Buellers Day Off. The one with the girl singing. … WTF?? ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/10 "2012-04-18T21:03:42Z")
Everyone’s always pretty surprised when they first see a picture of Kevin Clash, the puppeteer behind Elmo. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/11 "2012-04-18T21:43:32Z")
I always imagined Sheryl Crow as shorter and much cuter until I saw what she looked like. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/12 "2012-04-18T22:03:46Z")
I would say that John Popper of Blues Traveler was least like what I was expecting, because I don’t expect people who are [built like me](http://www.topsocialite.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/john-popper-before.jpg) to be famous musicians. Of course, he’s [not built like me](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/John_Popper.jpg/220px-John_Popper.jpg) any more, but still. I would say the same thing of the lead singer for The Fabulous Thunderbirds, but I came to know their music through MTV back in the 80s, so there was never any time to form an idea of what he might look like before I saw him. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/13 "2012-04-18T22:32:35Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > I always imagined Sheryl Crow as shorter and much cuter until I saw what she looked like. I talked to her standing right next to me at a bar in Maui. She was gorgeous and couldn’t have been more than 5’3. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/14 "2012-04-18T22:35:07Z")
Another vote for Dusty Springfield. I was so sure she was a fat black American. El wrongo! ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/15 "2012-04-18T22:35:26Z")
I pictured the lead singer of Silversun Pickups as a tall, unconventionally pretty woman. Turns out he’s not. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/16 "2012-04-18T22:46:58Z")
> [@newme](#): > > I thought Adele was a middle-aged Black American woman. Strike two. I thought Adele was going to be too-skinny heroin-chic New Yorker. Reality lies somewhere in the middle of our two guesses 🙂 I though Eric Burdon (the Animals) was going to be a thin-white-duke-style like Bowie or Robert Plant. I didn’t expect an overfed, long-haired, leaping gnome. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/17 "2012-04-18T22:48:57Z")
[Jim Croce](http://www.staleywise.com/collection/herb_wise/big/JIM_CROCE.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Feyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/fbc32d/32.png) [@Feyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feyrat)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/18 "2012-04-18T22:50:06Z")
Billy West. Somehow I had this image in my mind of a whip-thin, wiry redhead. Partly because he says that Fry’s voice (Futurama) is a younger version of him, but not entirely - I’ve been a Billy West fan since I was a kid and he was doing Ren & Stimpy. I was really startled the first time I saw him on a DVD extra. ---
**Author:** ![all1966](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@all1966](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/all1966)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/19 "2012-04-18T23:03:00Z")
The hub saw Joe Perry and Steven Tyler in a hotel lobby once years ago and expected them to be taller than the 5’ and some change they appeared to be. He’s 6’2". ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/20 "2012-04-18T23:33:24Z")
[Johnny Rivers](http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00001NFO1.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg). Who knew? For some reason, I always pictured him more like [this](http://991.com/newgallery/Paul-Anka-Anka-458321.jpg). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193.md?page=2)