Find out how a high football coach helped inspired “A Bar Song” artist Shaboozey’s stage name.
A Virginia high school football coach’s fumble helped inspire Shaboozey‘s stage name.
The man had originally misspelled the outlaw country star’s actual surname, which led the artist, born Collins Obinna Chibueze, to adopt Shaboozey as his nickname and later use it as his official alias in the music industry, Billboard reported Oct. 3.
And the coach wasn’t the only one to originally get his last name wrong. The son of Nigerian immigrants, Shaboozey—whose surname means “God is king” in the Igbo language—spoke about his experience attending high school in Woodbridge, Va., a suburb outside of Washington D.C., with a name that many people found difficult to say correctly.
“Hearing your name [mispronounced] during attendance was always a thing,” the “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” singer told Billboard. “You felt like you had to make it easier for everyone else to understand.”
Shaboozey had also reflected on the origin of his stage name in an interview this past summer.
“Playing football in high school as a freshman, you kind of come in and you’re kind of the guy that has to just prove themselves,” he said in a 102.7 KIIS-FM interview in June. “My coach had just seen my last name and he was like, ‘Shaboozey,’ and wrote it on a helmet exactly how it’s spelled as my artist name.”
Terry Wyatt/Getty ImagesThe “Start a Riot” singer continued, “I just got called that throughout school, throughout my years in high school and Woodbridge and everyone around town knew me as that. And I just thought it was cool to just play at my football coaches, like, ‘Look at me.’”
Shaboozey said he has not kept in touch with that particular football coach. The musician added, jokingly, “He might go to the dinner table every night, like, ‘Do you know I named him?’”
Read on to find out other celebs’ real names…
Prince Williams/WireImageThe outlaw country star’s real name is Collins Obinna Chibueze. He adopt Shaboozey as his nickname and later used it as his official alias as a music artist after his Virginia high school misspelled his surname that way.
Steve Jennings/FilmMagicAustin Richard Post
Congratulations to Post Malone, who incorporated his surname into his stage name. However, the rapper does prefer his close friends to call him by his real name.
During the 2024 MTV VMAs, Taylor Swift referred to him as “Austin” when they won the Best Collaboration award for their duet “Fortnight.”
(Disney/Eric McCandless)Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson
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Mike Coppola/Getty Images for iHeartMediaCardi B took on the name Bacardi after family and friends started calling her sister Hennessy. Later on she shortened the name to something that suited her quite a bit more.
Tim Rooke/ShutterstockBefore she became the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle was briefly known as Rachel.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images for StagecoachShania Twain shared the origin story of her stage name during an appearance on Apple Music’s Home Now Radio: “In short, I was born, Eilleen Regina Edwards, and then I was adopted and I became Eilleen Regina Twain. Then I became a professional singer and I needed a stage name that sounded a little less like my grandmother’s name, because I’m named after my grandmother, both my grandmothers, Eilleen and Regina. I think, in my mind, I was just not really wanting to be called my grandmother’s name onstage, so I decided to change it to Shania Twain. I met somebody with the name Shania, thought it was beautiful, and Shania Twain was born.”
Christopher Victorio/ShutterstockKayleigh Rose Amstutz
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Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty ImagesOddly enough, Gigi Hadid got her stage name in school when the teacher would confuse her and a girl named Helena. Since her mom called her “gigi” as a term of endearment at home, she told the teacher to just call her Gigi and it simply stuck.
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Chelsea Lauren/REX/ShutterstockMiley Cyrus‘ bright smile is what inspired her childhood nickname, Smiley. Eventually the name was shortened to Miley and it stuck.
Kevin Mazur/WireImageApparently the singer looked more like a Bruno than a Peter, so one day his dad started calling him Bruno. Ever since, he has been known as Bruno Mars.
Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for Live NationBefore the meat dresses and chart-topping music, Lady Gaga was just an everyday girl from New York.
Rich Fury/Getty ImagesJason Sudeikis confirmed on Today that he was named Daniel after his father, but following some confusion, his mom started using his middle name Jason to avoid confusion.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Academy Museum of Motion PicturesEmma Stone ended adopting this stage name after finding out that the Screen Actors Guild already had a member registered under her birthname.
Jim Smeal/REX/ShutterstockTurns out Reese isn’t even Reese Witherspoon‘s middle name. The actress chose the moniker in honor of her mother, whose maiden name is Reese.
Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagicEvery artist has an alter ego, and Lana Del Rey just happens to be the persona of choice for the singer.
Jason Merritt/Getty ImagesIn 2014, Frank Ocean legally changed his name because, why not?
Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tribeca FestivalA little known fact about 30 Rock‘s Tina Fey is that she is actually named Elizabeth. The comedian made a not so subtle tribute to her birth name by naming her character Liz Lemon.
Jason Merritt/Getty ImagesThis pioneer of West Coast rap would later go on to be known as Snoop Dogg.
Lester Cohen/Getty Images for NARASTurns out the “Royals” singer is really into learning about the aristocracy, hence the reason why she chose the name Lorde, but with a feminine ‘e.’
Laura Cavanaugh/Getty ImagesBefore he started shaking his bonbon for the masses, music superstar Ricky Martin went by this everyday name.
Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesIt’s hard to believe that Iggy Azalea was born Amethyst Kelly!
Matt Baron/REX/ShutterstockFans were confused when Taylor Swift thanked then-boyfriend Adam in an acceptance speech, which lead people to the discovery that Calvin Harris is simply a stage name. The DJ told Shortlist magazine he chose the name because his first single was more soulful and wanted something a bit more “racially ambiguous.”
Tim P. Whitby/Getty ImagesBefore she became a household name, this was what erstwhile Friend Jennifer Aniston answered to.
Jason Merritt/Getty ImagesAlicia Keys didn’t always have such a musical name.
Mike Coppola/WireImageBefore he became arguably the biggest movie star in the world, Tom Cruise went by this name.
Kevin Lee/Getty ImagesBack when she was born in 1980, this was how the future bigtime actress Natalie Portman greeted the world.
Jason Merritt/Getty ImagesBefore she became a big-time TV star and married Ellen DeGeneres, this was the name Portia de Rossi answered to.
Jim Dyson/RedfernsGuess music superstar Elton John didn’t think his original name would be a hit with audiences.
Jeff Vespa/WireImageCheck The Simple Life alum Nicole Richie‘s birth certificate and this is the name you’ll see.
