The Name Game

Everybody knows that Tony Curtis was born as Bernie Schwartz,  Judy Garland as Frances Ethel Gumm, and Elvis Costello as  Declan Patrick MacManus, Ringo Starr as Richard Starkey.  Benjamin Black is the nom de plume of literary writer John Banville when he stoops down to writing criminal mysteries. Prince is the artist's actual first name, as is Madonna.  Keith Richards was at the beginning of his career Keith Richard. Something to do with a dispute with his father.  Keith Moon's birth name was Keith Moon. Did those who did change their names change their names legally?  Kirk Douglas, who had two previous names, probably did, because his son is also named Douglas (Michael).  Bob Dylan's son is Jacob Dylan, not Jacob Zimmerman.

Everybody knows that you love me baby 

Everybody knows that you really do 

Everybody knows that you've been faithful 

Ah give or take a night or two 

Everybody knows you've been discreet 

But there were so many people you just had to meet 

Without your clothes 

And everybody knows 

(Leonard Cohen - birth name Leonard Cohen.)

What interests me today are minor changes to family names.   There was a televangelist (TV evangelist) named Jim Baker who conducted his televised sermons and (primarily) money appeals with his wife Tammy Faye Baker, who had been born as Tamara Faye LaValley, and died as Tamara Faye Messner, after divorcing Jim and remarrying, which all happened following a scandal, collapse of their 'ministry', and criminal conviction and jailing of Jim on mail fraud charges.  But wait, Jim's family name was 'Baker' but he changed it by adding a second 'k' (before or after the first 'k', that is the question?), and so, both he and Tammy Faye were appearing on TV's religious PTL Club ('Praise The Lord') channel as the Bakkers!  What's up with that?

I once knew a rock musician who added a second 's' in the middle of his last name,  then years or decades later dropped it, and having discovered his roots changed his first name to an ethnic sounding version of it, so that he was no longer a Jerry.

There have been instances of artists' names being inadvertently misspelled by their agents, managers or publishers, and they stayed that way.  (I can't recall the examples when I need to cite them.)

Look up  "The Name Game" novelty pop record by Shirley Ellis on YouTube.  It went to number 3 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1964.