For some reason, I've taken to collecting stage names and real names of certain celebrities.  I'm not really excited about Fiona Apple being Fiona Apple Maggart; after all, who can blame her for that one? 

I just like the names which exude faux toughness or street cred..."Sting".  "The Edge".  Can you imagine a punk rocker named John Beverley?  I can't.  The mismatch between the stage name and the birth name is what makes these combinations interesting.

Here are some that I have collected because I find them amusing. Please feel free to send me your contributions.

   
Pseudonym Real Name
   
50 Cent Curtis Jackson***
Axl Rose William Bruce Bailey
Bono Paul David Hewson
Sting Gordon Sumner
The Edge David Howell Evans
Carmen Electra Tara Leigh Patrick
Ice-T Tracy Marrow
Queen Latifah Dana Elaine Owens *
Lucy Lawless Lucille Frances Ryan
Pink Alecia Moore
Shaggy Orville Richard Burrell
Slash Saul Hudson
Anna Nicole Smith Vickie Lynn Hogan
Vanilla Ice Robert van Winkle
Sid Vicious John Simon Beverley
Tammy Wynette Virginia Pugh
Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner
Shania Twain Eileen Regina Edwards (Eileen Regina Twain) **
John Wayne Marion Morrison
Alice Cooper Vince Furness
Englebert Humperdinck Arnold George Dorsey

* She has just released "The Dana Owens Album", so I give her credit for that.  She's pretty cool, actually.

**Tip 'o' the hat to the ever-cool Tracey Roth for this one.  A lot of women that I like seem to hate Shania Twain.

***Thanks to Diana Meiser.