At what point in your musical journey do you earn the right to be simply acknowledged by your first name?

Is it all to do with marketing or is it fame? Perhaps it’s more to do with your birth name.

Madonna, Prince, Bono are all recognisable by their singular and exclusive moniker – but given some of the labourious titles some of our greatest musicians and pop icons have been lumbered with – is it any wonder they go out of their way to head straight to the deed poll office.

Alice Cooper— Vincent Furnier

Elvis Costello— Declan Patrick McManus

Gary Glitter— Paul Francis Gadd

Engelbert Humperdinck — Arnold George Dorsey

Elton John — Reginald Kenneth Dwight

Marilyn Manson — Brian Warner

Freddy Mercury— Farouk Pluto Bulsara

Cher— Cherilyn Sarkisian LaPierre

Gene Simmons— Chaim Witz

Sid Vicious — John Simon Richie

Bono — Paul David Hewson

 Bobby Darin – Walden Waldo Robert Cassotto

Snoop Dogg – Cordazer Calvin Broadus Jr.

Herb (Peaches & Herb) – Haer Feemster

Adam Ant – Stuart Leslie Goddard

David Bowie – David Robert Hayward Stenton Jones

Irene Cara – Irene Escalera

 . . . and then you get the legendary 50′s idol Sam Cooke who, just to throw his fans off the scent decided to simply add an ‘e’ to his surname, in what was thought, no doubt at the time, to marketing coup.

Any wonder his PR guy was back pumping gas after Sam’s untimely demise.

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