Hi, My Name Is …: Country Artists Who Changed Their Names
Who the heck are Robert James Ritchie, Donald Eugene Lytle and Eilleen Regina Edwards? Turns out, they're the given names of some of your favorite country stars.
Lots of artists decide to switch up their monikers when they come to Nashville and start to climb the rungs of music industry success, whether because their legal name simply isn't catchy enough or they're looking to cultivate a specific brand. Some of their stage names hold sentimental value: For example, Carly Cristyne Slusser combined her first name with the surname of her late grandfather to become Carly Pearce.
Then, there are artists who opt to go by their middle names, like Eric Church (the superstar's legal first name is actually Kenneth). Another act who chose to introduce himself to fans with his middle name is Garth Brooks, whose first name is Troyal. Of course, he also underwent a rebranding of sorts mid-career with his Chris Gaines character.
Some groups switch things up in the middle of a successful career, too. LoCash started out as the LoCash Cowboys, but shortened their name after signing a new label deal in 2014. The Cadillac Three were once known as The Cadillac Black, and Randy Travis' first stage name was Randy Ray (his legal name is Randy Traywick.)
Read on to learn more of the surprising name changes and legal monikers of your favorite artists:
Learn the Real Names of Country's Biggest Stars: