Here is the PCM article that I was referring to:

What's in a Name?

"Carruthers, Peregrine Carruthers" doesn't quite sound as well as "Bond, James Bond," but that is what author Ian Fleming was originally going to name his super-spy. He decided against it because he realized that exotic and fantastic things would be going on around Bond, so he needed a dull name to provide some balance. A name like Peregrine would blow any spy's cover.

If you think that is bad Walt Disney originally wanted to name his iconic toon Mortimer Mouse. He eventually changed the name to Mickey Mouse at the bequest of his wife. She didn't think kids would vibe well with the name. Apparently Disney didn't listen 100%. A new character appeared a few years after the introduction of Mickey named Mortimer. Never heard of him? There's a good reason.

It may not surprise you that Star Wars hero Luke Skywalker was originally named Annikin Starkiller. Before George Lucas had pounded out all the intricate details of Star Wars this character was a composite of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker. He was in the learning phase like Luke but had the cockiness of Han. Eventually the two broke but Lucas held onto the name Anakin for Luke's father. Luke was also named Justin Valor for a while in between the Starkiller and Skywalker phase. That name is a bit too cheesy.

So what's the point? People change names all the time - especially celebrities. Want to know some of their real names? Trust me some are embarrassing. Enjoy.

Chevy Chase - Cornelius Crane Chase
John Wayne - Marrion Morrison
Tom Jones - Thomas Jones Woodward
Cary Grant - Archie Leach
Audrey Hepburn - Edda Van Heemstra Hepburn
Tiger Woods - Eldridge Tiger Woods
Fred Astaire - Frederick Austerlitz
Richard Burton - Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.
Queen Latifa - Dana Owens
Marilyn Monroe - Norma Jean Baker
Ringo Starr - Richard Starkey
Rodney Dangerfield - Jack Roy
Kid Rock - Bob Ritchie
Bob Hope - Leslie Towne Hope
Larry King - Lawrence Zeiger
Ludacris - Christopher Brian Bridges
Gene Simmons - Chiam Witz
Ice Cube - O'Shea Jackson
Madonna - Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone
Lewis Carroll - Rev. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson

So that was the very interesting article about character and celebrity names. Hope you enjoyed that. I always recommend checking in on the Pop Culture Madness blog which is updated daily with lots of topical celebrity stories.

I thought I would continue giving you a few more celebrities and what their real names are/were. My list will (of course) have an 80's focus to it. If you have more good ones, please feel free to leave them in the comments section, but please check for accuracy first. Here are some 80's celebrities who changed their names:

Hulk Hogan - Terry Bollea (included on my Most Favorite & Hated Pro Wrestlers from the 80s list)
George Michael - Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou
Charlie Sheen - Carlos Estévez
Billy Idol - William Michael Albert Broad
Tom Cruise - Thomas Cruise Mapother IV
Huey Lewis - Hugh Anthony Cregg III (see my Top 10 Huey Lewis & the News Songs list)
Alan Alda - Alphonso D'Abruzzo
Rick Springfield - Richard Springthorpe
Sting - Gordon Sumner (see my Top 10 Police Songs list)
Elton John - Reginald Dwight
Pat Benatar - Patricia Andrzejewski
Tony Danza - Antonio Iadanza
Prince - Prince Rogers Nelson (see my Top 10 Prince Songs list)
Billy Ocean - Leslie Sebastian Charles
Demi Moore - Demetria Guynes (see my Top 10 Brat Pack Movies list)
Mr. T - Laurence Tureaud
Bono - Paul David Hewson
Tina Turner - Anna Mae Bullock
Adam Ant - Stuart Leslie Goddard
Boy George - George O'Dowd
Freddie Mercury - Farrokh Bulsara
Sheena Easton - Sheena Orr
Eddie Money - Edward Mahoney
David Bowie - David Jones
Falco - Hans Hölzel
Bruce Willis - Walter Bruce Willis
Donna Summer - LaDonna Garnes

That's all I could think of for now, but like I said, if you have any more good ones you know, please share them in the comments section.  As you probably would agree, I don't blame some of these folks for changing their names.

That will do it for this short issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks for reading. You can always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or type a topic in the Google Search Box (right hand column) to find any other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of Kickin' it, please pass the word and let others know to give it a try (and of course come back often!). Peace and much love.

Check this out: I first saw this at the RetroCrush website, but thought it was pretty cool and wanted to share it with all of you. It is the artwork of Rob Sheridan and is titled "Cereal Mascot Reunion." It features Frankenberry, the Trix rabbit, Count Chocula, Cap'n Crunch and Tony the Tiger.  Sheridan describes this piece as "It's kind of about the strange, uncomfortable feeling of reuniting with old friends only to find that the magic just isn't there anymore - and in turn, about the melancholy ‘nothing will ever be as good as it used to be' type of nostalgia, of which I am increasingly fond. And of course, a tribute to the late, great, wood-paneled, shag-carpeted 1970's rec room." I like the Atari 2600 joysticks sitting on the table.  I think it is extremely cool for some reason and you can check out more of Sheridan's art at his website.

Quote of the day: "Character is much easier kept than recovered." -Thomas Paine, political theorist and writer

Download this: I am going to recommend "Take Me To The Pilot" by Elton John since he was included on my list above.  That has always been one of my favorites by him.