# 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:** 11\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/181 "2020-08-10T17:30:13Z")
For some reason I always pictured singer-songwriter Neko Case a young Asian woman. I have no idea why. I guess just because the word “neko” is the Japanese word for “cat”. Boy was I completely wrong. I was completely taken aback the first time I saw a picture of her. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/182 "2020-08-10T19:04:07Z")
Whoa! Same here! ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/183 "2020-08-10T19:19:12Z")
I have to ask. What is _the opposite_ of how Boy George looks? j ---
**Author:** ![Skunkdog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@Skunkdog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skunkdog)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/184 "2020-08-10T19:27:59Z")
Thought the same thing. The lines that started “I’m a man…” made me wonder what this woman was talking about. I remember my mother came in the room while I was watching the video and commented that she liked “her” voice. I informed her that it was a guy and Mom quietly walked out of the room. ---
**Author:** ![Skunkdog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@Skunkdog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skunkdog)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/185 "2020-08-10T19:33:23Z")
The video of Billy Stewart’s “Summertime” caught me off guard. It’s taken from a TV broadcast in the mid-60’s. Was not expecting a very short and round black man with pants up to his chest and a massive cowboy hat. Highly recommended viewing and the best version I’ve ever heard. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/186 "2020-08-10T19:52:25Z")
For decades I assumed the singer of **Jackie Blue** by the _Ozark Mountain Daredevils_ was a woman. It wasn’t until sometime in the last decade I saw a video and yeah, I was surprised by her appearance. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/187 "2020-08-10T20:05:17Z")
I used to think Billie Holiday was a man, if only because “Billy” is a man’s name. The thing is, I’d actually heard some of her music, but I just imagined she was a man with a high pitched voice. I mean, David Sedaris can do a decent Billie Holiday impression, after all. ---
**Author:** ![eburacum\_45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum_45/32/3385_2.png) [@eburacum\_45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum_45)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2020, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/188 "2020-08-10T20:33:30Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > I have to ask. What is _the opposite_ of how Boy George looks? I expected him to look like his bassist, Mikey Craig. ---
**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:** [August 10, 2020, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/189 "2020-08-10T21:16:30Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > For decades I assumed the singer of **Jackie Blue** by the _Ozark Mountain Daredevils_ was a woman. It wasn’t until sometime in the last decade I saw a video and yeah, I was surprised by her appearance. That reminded me of another one: When I first heard the Electric Light Orchestra, I was convinced that they had a female backup singer, as there a lot of high notes on songs like “Do Ya.” I later learned that those high notes were hit by bassist [Kelly Groucutt](https://alchetron.com/cdn/kelly-groucutt-2f417a0e-607b-4527-b88f-0b0c7dd75f7-resize-750.jpeg), who was, in fact, a guy. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2020, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/190 "2020-08-11T07:22:35Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > When I first heard _Sleeping Satellite_ by Tasmin Archer I was picturing a kind of Kim Wilde type of young pasty white girl. Was not expecting Tasmin Archer. Now I see that Kim Wilde has actually done a version of the song, it was definitely the original that I was listening to. I came in to post this. I see I’ve already posted it, 5 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2020, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193/191 "2020-08-11T15:35:42Z")
I few months ago I watched the video for “Afternoon Delight” by the Starland Vocal Band. I’m not sure what I thought Bill Danoff would look like, but I didn’t expect a high school math teacher with a perm. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-performers-physical-appearance-didnt-match-your-mental-image-the-most/619193.md?page=9)