Stage Name?

Since I started performing a few months ago at age 59, I am being asked to play more and more all of the time. Okay, here’s the thing. Everyone wants to know my stage name. I always go by R.L. because that’s what my father called me. I think its fine for a stage name, but everyone seems to think I need something more.

Like I said, I am 59, short, fat, gray, bearded, and not attractive at all. I play Country, Bluegrass, some Blues, Jazz, old time Rock ‘n Roll, and mostly comical songs I have written.

I can’t use Looney Tunes (which I really like), because of copyright infringement. Friends have suggested names such as Uno (because I usually perform alone), Hybrid (because of the car I drive), Metro-Nome (because of the trouble I have keeping in time, SLUFF (Short, Little, Ugly, Fat, Fellar), Dirty Old Man (which I’m not, dirty I mean), and a few I don’t care to mention.

So, I thought I would take suggestions from the forum. This does not mean I will use any of the suggestions, but then again, I might. It will be fun away. Because I do play for churches and mixed company, young and old, please keep your suggestions clean.

Thanks, I will be eagerly waiting to see what you guys come up with. I think!

i like FLUFF

I think R.L. is fine... What about just adding something after that..

R.L. Tunes... for example..

If I played country and bluegrass and was going to have a stage name, it would definitely be "The Insatiable Cooter Dangles." But that's mine.

I don't see anything wrong with R.L. Maybe you should have something hilarious and ridiculous ready for if people ask you what it stands for, though. Or even better, say something new every time they ask.

Originally Posted by: quickfingersi like FLUFF

So, much from the Powder Puff Girls! Ha! Ha!

Originally Posted by: Tonja_ReneeI think R.L. is fine... What about just adding something after that..

R.L. Tunes... for example..

Interesting!

Originally Posted by: earthman buckIf I played country and bluegrass and was going to have a stage name, it would definitely be "The Insatiable Cooter Dangles." But that's mine. .[/QUOTE]

I said Bluegrass, not Dukes of Hazzard all time hits!

[QUOTE=earthman buck]I don't see anything wrong with R.L. Maybe you should have something hilarious and ridiculous ready for if people ask you what it stands for, though. Or even better, say something new every time they ask.

I always thought R.L. was fine so, but my friends thought something more interesting. I think R.L. will have to do. Or like you say, R.L. with something added. R.L. Musik or such.

Use your name... I don't understand the concept of stage names. I get band names but a stage name doesn't make sense to me.

R.L. is pretty cool and it's your name. Stage names don't seem classy to me I guess.

Originally Posted by: Drew77Use your name... I don't understand the concept of stage names. I get band names but a stage name doesn't make sense to me.

R.L. is pretty cool and it's your name. Stage names don't seem classy to me I guess.

I think you're right. Everyone keeps asking me "What's your stage name?" or they tell me I need a stage name. I think R.L. is fine. I'm not a professional performer anyway. I'm just having fun!

I think R.L. is nice but you should add a fake last name. Like a tribute to the last name of someone you really respect. But don't make the last name too obvious like Starr or Santana.

Originally Posted by: mackenziemayhemI think R.L. is nice but you should add a fake last name. Like a tribute to the last name of someone you really respect. But don't make the last name too obvious like Starr or Santana.

That's not a bad idea! I could use like R.L. (Billy) Graham, R.L. (Chuck) Norris, R.L. (Tommy) Emmamuel, no that would be too obvious. How about R.L. (Dolly) Parton, R.L. (Doc) Waston, or I know, R.L. Fesler. Fesler was an old man that ran a small neighorhood grocery store when I was a kid. It was like an old general store with a wooden floor and wooden shelves up to the ceiling. He was a very kind and well respected person.

So, what do you think? Be nice! Funny, but nice.

Originally Posted by: looneytunesThat's not a bad idea! I could use like R.L. (Billy) Graham, R.L. (Chuck) Norris, R.L. (Tommy) Emmamuel, no that would be too obvious. How about R.L. (Dolly) Parton, R.L. (Doc) Waston, or I know, R.L. Fesler. Fesler was an old man that ran a small neighorhood grocery store when I was a kid. It was like an old general store with a wooden floor and wooden shelves up to the ceiling. He was a very kind and well respected person.

So, what do you think? Be nice! Funny, but nice.

(Am I the only one who's seeing the [quote] tags all the time?)

That sounds pretty good. I remember struggling for a stage name a few years ago. What I did was try to think up a concept and abbreviate it (or acronymise it).

So I ended up with Techman. I thought it sounded cool because I'm pretty obsessed with my technique; not just with guitar playing, but with everything else like martial arts etc.

Really, though, Techman actually is an acronym for "T.he E.ternal C.onsciousness H.umbly M.anifests in A.ll of N.ature". Might have sounded kind of, well, cheesy but I'm no tree-hugger :P. (Atheist too.)


Getting back to your case, I have an idea: how about "R. L. Diamonds"?

Press reporter after an awesome concert of yours: "That was a phenomenal performance, Arrell [sic]. So, all the fans are just itching to know: what's the R. L. in R. L. Diamonds?"

You: "Rare Like. So it's actually Rare Like Diamonds."

Reporter: "Wow. Your talent IS really rare like diamonds. Can I call you 'dime' for short? Ha ha ha ha ha-" *gets punched in the face*.


In the end, though, I've realized your stage name doesn't really matter. If you've got the talent, whatever name you use will actually become a brand of its own. When I ask most people what "R. E. M." means, they say "a band" and not "Rapid Eye Movement." This is pretty ironic because, I've heard the name was a random word picked from a dictionary... there you go.

Yeah, and I hate R.E.M.

A stage name can help you get noticed, but you still have to have good music. Nobody would care who Nikki Sixx is if his band wasn't good

Who? :)

I don't care to be noticed. I do not consider myself a professional musician and definitely not a good one. I just perform for the experience (it's fun) and mostly because someone asks me too.

The stage name thing came about because some of friends said I should have one, so I have been going by just R.L.

I have made a few bucks writing songs. Though I do perform other artist's songs, I mostly do my own. But a professional, I am not!

Originally Posted by: Hsien-Hsiu LiaoA stage name can help you get noticed, but you still have to have good music. Nobody would care who Nikki Sixx is if his band wasn't good

Who? :)

I don't care to be noticed. I do not consider myself a professional musician and definitely not a good one. I just perform for the experience (it's fun) and mostly because someone asks me too. Odd, more and more people are asking me to perform. Do you think they just want to make fun of me? :)

One group wanted me to play with them, but you have to play in time to do that! :) I like to stop and talk to the audience. I just perform by myself. That way if anyone is offended it's just me they are mad at and nobody else.

The stage name thing came about because some of friends said I should have one, so I have been going by just pain and simple "R.L.". That's what my father called me.

I have made a few bucks writing songs. Though I do perform other artist's songs, I mostly do my own. But a professional, I am not!