Elton Jones would never have cut it.

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From a friend's drunken rant last night;

"Thing is...he's never gonna make it as a singer...what he needs is two surnames...all the greats, Cliff Richard, Elton John..two surnames" Huge sigh.

Is he right? Are the duo-suffixed gang more likely to have fame and success than the rest of the world?

― winterland, Tuesday, 13 April 2004 08:40 (twenty-two years ago)

maybe i'm the exception that proves the rule (i have two surnames)

― the surface noise (electricsound), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 08:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, Michael Anthony's the bassist for Val Halen. Not a bad gig, objectively speaking, but within the band he's certainly the low man on the totem pole.

― Prude (Prude), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 08:44 (twenty-two years ago)

two first names?

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 08:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Elton Jones?

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 08:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Whoops...two first names..sorry...thought it was only him that was drunk

― winterland, Tuesday, 13 April 2004 08:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I vaguely remember a Lenny Henry sketch in 80s...Lenny is pursuing guy playing George Michael in an attempt to interview him... "So, George Michael from Wham, what's it like having two Christian names?"

well, he should know.

― MarkH (MarkH), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 08:52 (twenty-two years ago)

They did this with Rowan Atkinson and Elton John for some Comic Relief thing, I'm pretty sure...

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 08:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Thierry Henry > Stern John

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 09:08 (twenty-two years ago)

this thread further highlights the pop anomaly that is Owen Paul

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 09:09 (twenty-two years ago)

collins john vs john collins fite!!!!

― chris (chris), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 09:09 (twenty-two years ago)

the music business is full of 'em...Les Paul, Billy Paul as well.

does Stern John live up to his name?

― MarkH (MarkH), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 09:09 (twenty-two years ago)

....whereas if one has two surnames, it means one is a liberal democrat!

― Robbie Lumsden (Wallace Stevens HQ), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 09:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Barrington Levy?

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 09:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually..it seems to be a disadvantage for a politician...can't think of any American presidents who fit in this category..though in Britain there's a fine showing by David Lloyd George

― winterland, Tuesday, 13 April 2004 09:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Blair Tony

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 09:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Christ! better watch out for Michael Howard then!

― Robbie Lumsden (Wallace Stevens HQ), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 09:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Edward Heath?

(as in Ledger)

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 09:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Not to mention Kenneth Clark

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 09:58 (twenty-two years ago)

I think that's pushing it. Heath and Clark are both surnames turned into first names by Liberal Democrats that you're now trying to sell back to us.

― Robbie Lumsden (Wallace Stevens HQ), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 10:00 (twenty-two years ago)

spencer tracy

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 10:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought having two first names used to mean that the person is gay and therefore barred from using family name, therefore resorts to using first and middle name. (At least this was how it was explained to me by my former (gay, disowned, double first named) hairdresser.) But maybe this only works with hairdressers.

I mean, where does that leave David Jay and Mattie Jay with their middle initials as surnames?

Oh yeah, the former didn't want to be associated with his brother, the latter couldn't choose between divorced parents.

― Super-Kate (kate), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 10:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually..it seems to be a disadvantage for a politician...can't think of any American presidents who fit in this category..though in Britain there's a fine showing by David Lloyd George

Thomas Jefferson
William Henry Harrison
Andrew Jackson
Ulysses Grant
Chester Arthur
Benjamin Harrison
Woodrow Wilson
Bill Clinton

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 10:03 (twenty-two years ago)

-sons are all new first names.

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 10:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Boutros Boutros Ghali.

What's his problem?

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 10:06 (twenty-two years ago)

My favourite is the father of Manchester United's Phil and Gary Neville: Mr. Neville Neville

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 10:07 (twenty-two years ago)

As in the Bowie song:

"Neville Neville, you've torn your dress
Neville Neville, your face is a mess"

etc

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 10:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Ford Madox Ford?

― Robbie Lumsden (Wallace Stevens HQ), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 10:09 (twenty-two years ago)

I spoke to him, on the telephone, once.

crosspost x2

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 10:09 (twenty-two years ago)

U spoke 2 Ford Madox Ford????

what does crosspost mean?

― Robbie Lumsden (Wallace Stevens HQ), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 10:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Ford Madox Ford is not his real name though, and Jerome K. Jerome is not his real name either.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 10:11 (twenty-two years ago)

the were two posts between what I was replying to and what I was replying.

crosspost

― RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 10:12 (twenty-two years ago)

William Carlos Williams was his real name...

gotcha, rjg

― Robbie Lumsden (Wallace Stevens HQ), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 10:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Jerome K Jerome is his real name. Klapka in the middle. Some Hungarian uprising hero or somwthing.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 10:17 (twenty-two years ago)

massive x-post to Kate

yes, hence the proliferation of hairdressers in britain called things like "MichaelJohn - For Hair" etc

― chris (chris), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 10:19 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought Jerome Klapka was his name and he added the Jerome bit. Hmmmmmmmmm.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 10:20 (twenty-two years ago)

My hairdresser had no less than *three* first names Jean-Louis David or something like that. Best hairdresser I ever had, too, so maybe the number of first names is an indication of quality.

― Super-Kate (kate), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 10:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Gareth Lee.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 10:23 (twenty-two years ago)

My mum used to get her hair cut by Emile. (Just Emile) he was a burly miners' son.

― chris (chris), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 10:26 (twenty-two years ago)

My mum used to get her hair cut by Emile. (Just Emile) he was a burly miners' son.

Elton John would never have cut it

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 10:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Didn't Emile go into a highly expensive partnership with a guy called Michael? The latter was always off sick and Emile couldn't handle the responsibility on his own and the customers began to boo him.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 10:40 (twenty-two years ago)

The actual Jean Louis David or just the chain? It seems to be a French/Italian kind of Toni & Guy. I got my hair cut at Jean Louis David in Italy and they fashioned a bob with an electric shaver. It was horrific - no underlayering or anything, and they gave me a couple of dodgy wispy pointy bits either side of the nape of my neck and more pointy bits in front of my ears. Shudders, never again.

― Madchen (Madchen), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 10:42 (twenty-two years ago)

No, now I'm getting it mixed up, because, yes, I went to Jean Louis David, (in NYC which was also excellent) but this was a different triple name. Oh memory, where have you gone? Maybe it was Jean-Paul something because my brother used to call it the Sartre Salon...

― Super-Kate (kate), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 10:45 (twenty-two years ago)

West Indian cricketers own this thread surely; Carlisle Best and Cardigan Connor being firm favourites in my household.

― Japanese Giraffe (Japanese Giraffe), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 11:17 (twenty-two years ago)

OTM!!!!!!!!!!!!

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 11:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Brian Lara.

― Madchen (Madchen), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 11:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Named after UK prime ministers:

Gladstone Small
Attlee Mahorn
Winston ........ oh millions of 'em!

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 11:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Kate's hairdresser lore is correct but actually goes for any gay man pre-Wolfenden.

It is made more confusing by the high amount of Greek/Cypriots who shorten Michaelides to Michael.

Oh and George Michael to thread, obv. (although his surname is Panayitou).

― suzy (suzy), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 11:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought this thread was abt Elvin Jones

― Andrew L (Andrew L), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 11:55 (twenty-two years ago)

John Kerry?

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 11:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Kerry = county in Ireland. Surname before first name.

― suzy (suzy), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 12:12 (twenty-two years ago)

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