101 Stage Names from the Entertainment World

Here is a collection of 101 stage names: 50 from music, 40 from acting and a bonus of 11 more. Jeopardy! uses some of these on occasion in categories like “First Real Name,” “Their Original Name,” “Stage Names” and sometimes they even restrict it to a particular genre, like Rap or Pop. I tried to avoid using ones that are super obvious. Even so, there are some that are very well-known on here and there are some that Jeopardy! may have used in the past but perhaps won’t expect players to know as the years pass.

Here are the 50 names from music, going by stage name first, real name, with a notable song or two next. Go to page 2 for Actors and Actresses.

MUSIC WORLD

1. 50 Cent – Curtis Jackson (“Get Rich or Die Tryin'”, “In da Club”)
2. Alice Cooper – Victor Damon Furnier (“School’s Out”, “Welcome to My Nightmare)
3. Axl Rose – born William Bruce Rose, grew up as William Bruce Bailey (w/Guns N’ Roses, “Welcome to the Jungle”)
4. B.B. King – Riley B. King (“The Thrill is Gone”)
5. Babyface – Kenneth Edmonds (“Tender Lover”, “It’s No Crime”)
6. Billy Idol – William Broad (“White Wedding”, “Mony Mony”)
7. Bob Dylan – Robert Zimmerman (“Like a Rolling Stone”, “The Times They Are a-Changin'”)
8. Boy George – George Alan O’Dowd (w/Culture Club “Karma Chameleon”, Solo “The Crying Game”)
9. Bruno Mars – Peter Hernandez (“Just the Way You are”, “Grenade”)
10. Busta Rhymes – Trevor Smith, Jr. (“Dangerous”; w/Mariah Carey “I Know What You Want”)
11. Chubby Checker – Ernest Evans (“The Twist”)
12. Common – Lonnie Rashid Lynn (ft. Pharrell, “Universal Mind Control”; ft. John Legend “Glory”)
13. Connie Francis – Concetta Franconero (“Who Sorry Now”, “Where the Boys Are” – also played Angie in the same name film)
14. C.C. DeVille – Bruce Anthony Johannesson (w/Poison “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”)
15. Dean Martin – Dino Crocetti (“That’s Amore”, “Rio Bravo” – also played Dude in the same name film)
16. Dr. John – Malcolm Rebennack (“Right Place, Wrong Time”)
17. Elton Hercules John – Reginald Kenneth Dwight (“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, “Rocket Man”)
18. Elvis Costello – Declan Patrick McManus (“Everyday I Write the Book”, “Alison”)
19. Eminem – Marshall Bruce Mathers III (“The Real Slim Shady”, “Stan”)
20. Flavor Flav – William Drayton (w/Public Enemy “Fight the Power”, “Can’t Truss It”)
21. Frankie Valli – Francis (or Francesco) Castellucio (w/Four Seasons, “Walk Like a Man”; Solo, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”, “Grease”)
22. Gene Simmons – Chaim Witz (w/KISS “Rock and Roll All Nite”)
23. Gloria Estefan – Gloria Fajardo (w/Miami Sound Machine, “Conga” “Rhythm is Gonna Get You”
24. Grace Slick – Grace Wing (w/Jefferson Airplane “White Rabbit”, “Somebody to Love”)
25. Iggy Azalea – Amethyst Amelia Kelly (“Fancy”, “Black Widow”)
26. Iggy Pop – James Jewel Osterberg (w/The Stooges “Search and Destroy”, “Raw Power”
27. Joan Jett- Joan Marie Larkin (w/The Blackhearts “I Love Rock ‘n Roll”)
28. John Denver – Henry John Deutschendorf (“Take Me Home, Country Roads”, “Rocky Mountain High”)
29. Joni Mitchell – Roberta Joan Anderson (“Help Me”, “Big Yellow Taxi”)
30. LL Cool J – James Todd Smith (“Mama Said Knock You Out”)
31. Lady Gaga – Stefani Germanotta (“Poker Face”, “Bad Romance”)
32. Lana Del Rey – Elizabeth Grant (“Born to Die”, “Summertime Sadness”)
33. Leo Sayer – Gerard Hugh Sayer (“When I Need You”, “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing”)
34. Lorde – Ella Yelich-O’Connor (“Royals”)
35. Jay-Z – Shawn Carter (“99 Problems”, “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)”)
36. MC Hammer – Stanley Burrell (“U Can’t Touch This”)
37. Michelle Phillips – Holly Michelle Gilliam (w/Mamas and Papas, “California Dreamin’, “Monday, Monday”)
38. Nelly – Cornell Haynes, Jr. (“Hot in Herre”, “Flap Your Wings”)
39. Nikki Sixx – born Frank Carlton Serafino Feranna, Jr. (w/Mötley Crüe, “Dr. Feelgood”, “Girls, Girls, Girls”)
40. Patsy Cline – Virginia Patterson Henley (“Crazy”, “I Fall to Pieces”)
41. Patti LaBelle – Patricia Holt (“Lady Marmalade”, “New Attitude”)
42. Pitbull – Armando Perez (“I Know You Want Me”)
43. Ringo Starr – Richard Starkey (w/Beatles, “With a Little Help from My Friends”; Solo – “Photograph” “It Don’t Come Easy”)
44. Shania Twain – Eileen Regina Edwards (“Any Man of Mine”, “Come on Over”)
45. Slash – Saul Hudson (w/Guns N’ Roses, “Sweet Child O’ Mine”)
46. Smokey Robinson – William Robinson (w/Miracles – “Tracks of My Tears”, Solo – “Cruisin'” & “Being With You”)
47. Sting – Gordon Sumner (The Police, “Every Breath You Take”)
48. Taylor Dayne – Leslie Wunderman (“Tell It to My Heart”)
49. Vanilla Ice – Robert Van Winkle (“Ice Ice Baby”)
50. Vitamin C – Colleen Ann Fitzpatrick (“Graduation (Friends Forever)”, “Smile”)