We played one of our favourite tracks today from Santigold and mentioned how she had to change her name in 2009 after a lawsuit from director Santo Victor Rigatuso, who produced the 1985 movie Santo Gold's Blood Circus.
Surely, if he left it alone he could have sold a few more copies on accidental Google searches!
Anyhoo...here are some more Bands who had to change their names:
The Brit pop band Suede had issues in the US as there was an obscure lounge singer who had the same name, forcing them to become The London Suede.
The Verve were originally called ‘Verve’ but a Jazz label of the same name sued!
Linkin Park Originally called Hybrid Theory until another band called Hybrid flagged up issues. So they swapped to Lincoln Park, which became Linkin Park.
Jimmy Page called his new band The New Yardbirds but a cease-and-desist letter from his old bandmates meant that he was unable to continue using the name. And Led Zeppelin was born from a joke by Keith Moon of The Who when he said the new band would go down like a lead balloon.
Pearl Jam were originally called Mookie Blaylock after an All-Star basketball player but since he was still playing they had to change it.
Puff Daddy to P. Diddy to 'Swag' to Diddy and now back to Puff Daddy - Yawn
The most famous is probably Prince to 'the Artist Formerly Known as Prince' after a legal dispute with his record company.
But none of these are as interesting as why Eighties pin-up Terence Trent D’Arby who changed his name to Sananda Maitreya in 2001 ...He had heard angels addressing him with his new name in a dream.
