Artists And Their Real Names Trivia Quiz

Answer: Paul Hewson

Paul Hewson was born in Dublin in 1960. During his childhood and adolescence, he was a member of what was been described as a "surrealist" street gang named "Lypton Village", which had a tradition of assigning nicknames to its members. Hewson was given a number of nicknames until one eventually stuck - having been called "Bono Vox of O'Connell Street", this was shortened to just "Bono".

The name came from the Latin word "bonavox", meaning "good voice". While the newly monikered Bono initially disliked his nickname, upon learning its meaning, he accepted it, to the point that even his family, friends, and bandmates use it rather than his given name.

Answer: Vincent Furnier

In 1964, Vincent Furnier, a teenager from Detroit, formed a high school band with four of his cross-country teammates. Initially called The Spiders, in 1967 they renamed themselves as Nazz, before learning that there was already a band with that name.

In 1968, having begun to craft a hard rock oriented image, the group chose the name "Alice Cooper" as something wholesome in contrast to their image. In 1975, the group broke up, but Furnier, as a means of ensuring that there were no legal issues over the ownership and continued use of the group's name, legally changed his own name to Alice Cooper.

However, in interviews he will often refer to "Alice" in the third person (referred to as "Illeism"), as a way of distancing himself from his stage persona.

Answer: Declan McManus

Declan Patrick MacManus was born in London in 1954, the son of jazz trumpeter and vocalist Ross MacManus. In 1971, having moved from London to Birkenhead with his mother, he formed his first band, while working in a number of office jobs. In 1974, he moved to London, where he made his professional musical debut signing backing vocals in a lemonade advert that his father made.

In 1976, he was signed to a recording contract by Stiff Records; at the time, he was performing under the name D.P. Costello, using a name his father had used to release a cover version of "The Long and Winding Road" in 1970. MacManus's new manager suggested he keep "Costello", but borrow the first name Elvis from Elvis Presley.

Answer: Robert Zimmerman

Robert Zimmerman was born in Duluth, Minnesota, in 1941. He lived there with his parents until the age of six, when his father contracted polio, and so moved the family to Hibbing, his mother's hometown. While at high school, he formed a number of bands, performing rock 'n' roll covers by the likes of Elvis Presley and Little Richard.

In 1959, he went to college at the University of Minnesota, where he began to move more towards American folk music. At around this time, the young Zimmerman changed his name; he had intended to use the surname "Dillon", but instead came across the poetry of Dylan Thomas and found he preferred the spelling of the Welsh poet's name, thus christening himself as Bob Dylan.

Answer: Robert van Winkle

Robert van Winkle was born in Dallas in 1967, with his family name that of his then stepfather. During his childhood he spent considerable time moving between Dallas and Miami, after his mother married a man who worked at a car dealership there. From an early age, he developed a passion for hip hop, while from the age of thirteen he began to practice breakdancing alongside a number of his friends.

It was at this point that he gained the nickname "Vanilla", as he was the only person among his group of breakdancers who was not black.

He eventually joined a breakdancing troupe, during which point he began to use the name "Vanilla Ice", which came from his nickname and one of his signature moves, "The Ice".

Answer: Reginald Dwight

Reginald Kenneth Dwight was born in Pinner, near London, in 1947. Despite the efforts of his father to steer him towards a conventional career, he gravitated towards music, displaying a talent for the piano from an early age. At the age of 11, he won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, attending classes for four years, but leaving before taking any exams.

At the age of 15, he was hired as a pianist in a local pub in Pinner, going by the name "Reggie". At the same time, he formed a band called Bluesology, that became a significant backing group for a number of touring American acts.

It was from two of his bandmates, saxophonist Elton Dean and singer Long John Baldry, that, in 1967, he took the name Elton John, making it his legal name in 1972.

Answer: Marvin Aday

Marvin Lee Aday was born in Dallas in 1947. At his birth, he was apparently bright red, remaining that way for several days, which led to his father commenting that he looked like "nine pounds of ground chuck" (chuck being a cut of beef), and convincing staff in the hospital to put "Meat" as the baby's name on his crib.

As a boy, he was generally known as "M.L.", referring to his initials, which led to his becoming "Meatloaf" as he gained weight. Following his departure from Dallas for Los Angeles at the age of 19, as a result of the abuse he received from his father, he formed a band with the name Meat Loaf Soul, which led to his adoption of the name "Meat Loaf" as two words.

Answer: Brian Warner

Brian Hugh Warner was born in Canton, Ohio in 1969. As a boy, he attended a nondenominational Christian school, where he was taught music "he was not supposed to listen to", leading him to rebel and gravitate towards that type of music. After graduating from high school in 1987, he moved to Fort Lauderdale, where he attended college, majoring in journalism.

In 1989, while working for the magazine "25th Parallel", he formed a band with Scott Putesky. The two decided to give themselves stage names combining the names of American sex symbols with serial killers; Warner elected to name himself after Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson, thus becoming Marilyn Manson, with the band adopting the same name in 1992.

Answer: Harry Webb

Harry Webb was born in 1940 in the city of Lucknow in India, where his father was employed by Indian Railways, and where his family remained until Indian independence in 1948. Upon returning to England, he developed an interest in music while at school; at the age of 16, his father bought him a guitar, while at 17 he formed a vocal harmony group while still at school.

In 1958, he was signed by entrepreneur Harry Greatorex as a vocalist, backed by a group called The Drifters. However, Greatorex insisted that Webb change his name - "Cliff" was adopted in reference to a cliff face, suggesting "rock", while Ian Samwell, the writer of the group's first hit single, "Move It", suggested "Richard" as a tribute to Little Richard, a hero of Webb's. As a result, Harry Webb became Cliff Richard.

Answer: Michael Barratt

Michael Barratt was born in Cardiff in 1948, the youngest of 11 children. It was as a teenager in the 1960s that he formed his first band, a rock 'n' roll outfit that underwent a number of name changes during its brief history. Having left school, he took on a number of different professions, including upholsterer and milkman, while at the same time performing at various clubs and pubs around South Wales.

It was at one of these gigs that, in 1969, Paul "Legs" Barrett, a local impresario, spotted the singer and proposed teaming him with an existing group, The Backbeats, on condition that he change his name.

As the plan was to turn the group into a 1950s themed outfit, Michael Barratt, basing his act on Elvis Presley and using the name of an old school friend, became, Shakin' Stevens.