True Celebrity Names (Born in the 1950s) Quiz

Answer: Stevland Hardaway Morris

Born May 13th, 1950 in Saginaw, Michigan, Stevland Hardaway Morris (AKA Stevie Wonder) was a child prodigy who signed with a Motown label at the age of 11. He was born six weeks premature, and while in the incubator, he had retinopathy of prematurity, in which the growth of the eyes is aborted and causes the retinas to detach. Stevie didn't let his blindness deter him from a successful career, however. He has more than 30 U.S. top ten hits in his career, and has won more than two dozen Grammies!

When he signed his first deal at age 11, Stevie was given the name 'Little Stevie Wonder' by his new producer, Clarence Paul.

Answer: Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner

Born May 2nd, 1951 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner (AKA Sting) made a name for himself as the lead singer and bassist of the new wave rock band, The Police, which he fronted from 1977 until 1984, at which point he launched his solo career. In the late 1970s, he also stepped into the world of acting. In 2003, Sting was made a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE).

While Sting played with the Phoenix Jazzmen in the early 1970s, he had the habit of wearing a black and yellow-striped sweater at gigs, prompting Bandleader Gordon Solomon to dub him 'Sting'.

Answer: Lawrence Tureaud

Born May 21st, 1952 in Chicago, Illinois, Lawrence Tureaud (AKA Mr. T) served in the military and as a bodyguard before himself entering the entertainment industry. As a bodyguard to various celebrities, he earned a reputation as 'Mr. T' and earned between $3000 and $10000 per day for his protection.

Mr. T was handpicked by Sylvester Stallone to play his rival in "Rocky III", and from there Mr. T made a name for himself as B.A. Baracus in the TV series "The A-Team". His entertainment career went on to include wrestling and motivational speaking.

As mentioned, Mr. T earned his nickname while working as a bodyguard.

Answer: Yvette Marie Stevens

Born March 23rd, 1953 in Chicago, Illinois, Yvette Marie Stevens (AKA Chaka Khan) began her singing career fronting the band Rufus (1973-1983) before branching out on her own. She has had a very successful solo career, winning multiple Grammies, and earning the nickname Queen of Funk.

After joining the Black Panther Party in the late 1960s, an African shaman changed her name to Chaka Adunne Aduffe Hodarhi Karifi. When she married her first husband in 1970, Hassan Khan, her name then became Chaka Khan.

Answer: Declan Patrick MacManus

Born August 25th, 1954 in London, England, Declan Patrick MacManus (AKA Elvis Costello) began his music career in the 1970s, playing with various bands before producing a solo album in 1977. Shortly thereafter he formed a backup band called The Attractions, and the group produced a number of albums before they split up in 1986. At the same time, Costello also found time to pursue acting, and he has made appearances on numerous shows (often as himself) and in some movies. In 2003, Elvis Costello and the Attractions were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Costello first used the stage name 'D.P. Costello' as a tribute to his father, who had used the name Day Costello as a performer. Later, his manager, Jake Riviera, suggested a name change and they added Elvis as a tribute to Elvis Presley.

Answer: Caryn Elaine Johnson

Born November 13th, 1955 in New York, New York, Caryn Elaine Johnson (AKA Whoopi Goldberg) is an accomplished actress/comedienne/television show host who has achieved some important milestones in her career. She is one of the few people who has won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony during her career. Her Oscar was only the second awarded to an African-American actress (Best Supporting Actress for her role in "Ghost" (1990)).

Whoopi took her name from a whoopee cushion, as she has explained, "If you get a little gassy, you've got to let it go. So people used to say to me, 'You're like a whoopee cushion.' And that's where the name came from." (said in an interview with Lisa Yapp). She adopted the surname Goldberg (an alternative family name) to be taken more seriously.

Answer: Mary Cathleen Collins

Born November 20th, 1956 in Long Beach, California, Mary Cathleen Collins (AKA Bo Derek) was a model and actress who was renowned as a sex symbol in the 1980s, largely based upon her role in the romantic comedy film "10" (1979).

After catching the eye of her future husband (and director) John Derek, they were married, and John suggested the stage name of Bo to go along with her new married name.

Answer: John Simon Ritchie

Born May 10th, 1957 in London, England, John Simon Ritchie (AKA Sid Vicious) had a short career as the bassist with the Sex Pistols, from 1977 until his death of an overdose in 1979.

Vicious earned his stage name through friend and roommate John Lydon, who nicknamed him Sid Vicious after Lydon's pet hamster Sid, who had bitten Ritchie. He is reported to have said, "Sid is really vicious!" (from the "Filth and the Fury" 'rockumentary').

Answer: Joan Marie Larkin

Born September 22nd, 1958 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Joan Marie Larkin (AKA Joan Jett) began her music career at a young age as a founding member of the band The Runaways in 1975. After the group broke up in 1979, Jett pursued a brief solo career until she formed Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. She (and her band) were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015.

Jett didn't just come up with a cool-sounding stage name for herself. Jett is actually her mother's maiden name, which Joan took for herself after her parents divorced.

Answer: Helen Folosade Adu

Born September 16th, 1959 in Ibadan, Nigeria, Helen Folosade Adu (AKA Sade) got her start as a model and fashion designer before getting a gig as a backup singer with the band Pride. In short order, her musical talents led to a portion of the group reforming around her to create a new band that they called Sade, after her. In 2002 she was awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE).
Sade takes her name as a diminutive of her middle name Folosade'.