11 Music Icons Who Changed Their Names

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11 Music icons Who Changed Their Names

There are many artists and musicians other than ‘Rappers’ who actually changed their names prior to making it big. Their is a huge jungle of reasons why they did so but none the less it seems to have worked for them.
The following is a list of 11 modern day music icons for whom this Mantra looks like to made the difference in being a failure or a superstars , it includes many artist which we all grew up listening to.

1. Bruno Mars – Peter Gene Bayot Hernandez11 music artists bruno mars

Peter Hernandez was born in Honolulu, Hawaii into a family of musicians. He first recorded with Motown Records, but that was unsuccessful. He then signed with Atlantic in 2009. He has been nominated multiple and has two Grammy Awards under his belt. In 2011 “Time Magazine” named him one of their 100 most influential people in the world.

2. Katy Perry – Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson11 music artists katy perry

Katy Perry started her career singing gospel music as a teenager. Her album “Katy Hudson” was released in 2001. She then moved to LA to start singing secular music. She signed with Capitol Records in 2007 and her hit songs “I Kissed a Girl” and “Hot n’ Cold” were released in 2008 and from there the rest is history. She has won three Guinness World Records and has been on the Forbes “Top Earning Women in Music list from 2011-2013.

3. Lorde – Ella Maria LaniYelich-O’Connor11 music artists lorde

Lorde signed with Universal Music Group in her teens and was paired with Joel Little. Her hit “Royals” was an international sensation and was on the Billboard Hot 100. Lorde was also one of the youngest solo artists to have a US number one single since Tiffany in 1987. She picked her stage name because she is fascinated with “royals and aristocracy”.

4. Nicki Minaj – Onika Tanya Maraj11 music artists nicki minaj

Nicki received attention after releasing some mixtapes between 2007-2009; she then signed with Young Money Entertainment in 2009. Her album “Pink Friday” was number one on the Billboard 200 and the song “Super Bass” was a top three single. She was the first female solo artist to have seven singles chart the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

5. Lana Del Rey – Elizabeth Grant11 music artists lana del rey

Lana started writing songs at the age of 18 she signed a recording contract with 5 Pints Records in 2007. She released her 1st digital album called “Lana Del Ray” in 2010 and bought herself out of her contract in April of that year. She then signed with Interscope, Polydor, and Stranger Records in 2011.

6. Jamie Foxx – Eric Marlon Bishop11 music artists jamie foxx

Jamie Foxx is multi-talented; he acts, sings, writes songs, and is a stand-up comedian. His work in the 2004 hit “Ray” won him an Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globe for best actor. That same year he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars for his role in “Collateral”. He has also won a Grammy Award and starred in his show called “The Jamie Foxx Show.”

7. Lady Gaga – Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta11 music artists lady gaga1

Lady Gaga started out in theater, performing in high plays. She studied at CAP21 through NYU’s Tisch School of Arts and then dropped out to pursue her music career. She worked as a songwriter for Sony/ATV Music where she was noticed for her vocal abilities, she went on to sign a deal with Interscope Records and KonLive Distribution.

8. Elton John – Reginald Kenneth Dwight11 music artists elton john

Sir Elton John has been in the music business for over five decades and has sold more than 300 million records. He is one of the best-selling musicians in the world. He has had more than fifty Top 40 hits, seven consecutive No. 1 albums in the US and for 31 consecutive years he has had at least one song on the Billboard Hot 100. He was introduced into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and Queen Elizabeth II knighted him in 1996.

9. Courtney Love – Love Michelle Harrison11 Music Artists courtney love

Courtney Love made a name for herself in the 1990’s in the punk and grunge scenes. She received a Golden Globe nomination for her role in “The People vs. Larry Flynt” in 1996. She was cast in “Sons of Anarchy” and announced that she would be touring with Lana Del Rey as the opening act for her Endless Summer Tour in 2015.

10. Rihanna – Robyn Rihanna Fenty11 Music Artists rihanna

Rihanna’s career began in 2003 when she met a record producer through mutual friends. She signed a contract with Def Jam Recordings after its president, Jay-Z, heard her demo tapes. She has sold over 150 million records and she has multiple best-selling singles. Rihanna has earned multiple awards including seven Grammys, eight AMA awards, twenty two Billboard Music Awards, and two BRIT Awards.

11. Miley Cyrus – Destiny Hope Cyrus11 Music Artists miley cyrus

Miley Cyrus got her big break after being cast on the TV series “Hannah Montana” on the Disney Channel. She signed a recording contract with Hollywood Records and her first album “Meet Miley Cyrus” went quadruple-platinum for exceeding four million shipments.