Over the decades, countless musicians have ditched the birth names bestowed upon them by their parents in favour of more striking and memorable stage names. With some of the most famous names in music, Absolute Radio takes a look at the real names of famous musicians...
Featuring Lana Del Rey, David Bowie, Axl Rose, Slash, Lorde, Freddie Mercury, Maxim Reality, Nikki Sixx, Nicky Wire, Skin, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Bono, The Edge, Lemmy, Tré Cool, Joe Strummer, Marc Bolan, Eddie Vedder and loads more - check them out below.
John Martin Maher (Johnny Marr)
Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (Lana Del Rey)
William Bruce Rose (Axl Rose)
Gerard Crosbie (Gerry Cinnamon)
Edward Louis Severson III (Eddie Vedder)
Farrokh Bulsara (Freddie Mercury)
Michael Peter Balzary (Flea)
Perry Bernstein (Perry Farrell)
Frank Ferrano (Nikki Sixx)
Frank Edwin Wright III (Tré Cool)
Courtney Michelle Harrison (Courtney Love)
Georg Albert Ruthenberg (Pat Smear)
Chaim Klein Witz (Gene Simmons)
James Newell Osterberg, JR. (Iggy Pop)
Vincent Damon Furnier (Alice Cooper)
Michael Ryan Pritchard (Mike Dirnt)
Ronald James Padavona (Ronnie James Dio)
Bree Joanna Alice Robinson (Brody Dalle)
Chad Robert Turton (Chad Kroeger)
Nicholas Jones (Nicky Wire)
Amy Lynn Hartzler (Amy Lee)
William Perks (Bill Wyman)
Jeffrey Isbell (Izzy Stradlin)
Stanley Eisen (Paul Stanley)
Henry Garfield (Henry Rollins)
Richard Harrison (Rick Parfitt)
Vincent Neil Wharton (Vince Neil)
Stevland Hardaway Morris (Stevie Wonder)
Michael McKagan (Duff McKagan)
John Baldwin (John Paul Jones)
Keith Palmer (Maxim Reality)
Eric Patrick Clapp (Eric Clapton)
Susan Janet Ballion (Siouxsie Sioux)
David Robert Hayward Stenton Jones (David Bowie)
Richard Wayne Penniman (Little Richard)
John Simon Ritchie (Sid Vicious)
Paul Daniel Frehley (Ace Frehley)
John Graham Mellor (Joe Strummer)
David Howell Evans (The Edge)
Marvin Lee Aday (Meatloaf)
Steven Victor Tallarico (Steven Tyler)
John Michael Osbourne (Ozzy Osbourne)
John Francis Bongiovi (Jon Bon Jovi)
John Anthony Gillis (Jack White)
Reginald Kenneth Dwight (Elton John)
Robert Allen Zimmerman (Bob Dylan)
Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor (Lorde)
Quentin Leo Cook (Fatboy Slim)
Jake Edwin Charles Kennedy (Jake Bugg)
Roger Keith Barrett (Syd Barrett)
George Ezra Barnett Smitherson (George Ezra)
William John Paul Gallagher (Liam Gallagher)
Rory Charles Graham (Rag'n'bone Man)
Stephanie Lynn Nicks (Stevie Nicks)
William Michael Albert Broad (Billy Idol)
Steven Patrick Morrissey (Morrissey)
Leslie Sebastian Charles (Billy Ocean)
Stuart Leslie Goddard (Adam Ant)
Andrew John Hozier-Byrne (Hozier)