Top 10 R&B Singers with the Worst Stage Names
Some of these singers, I feel, maybe could've had more successful careers if they had better names. Other singers just have names that don't cut it for R&B artists, at least to me.
Durrell Babbs, born January 1, 1976, is an American R&B singer-songwriter and record producer. He was also part of the short-lived group TGT along with singers Tyrese and Ginuwine. He is most known for his song Please Don't Go and his 2007 album Sex, Love & Pain. He is well known for his sad piano ballads... read more Seriously, what kind of name is Tank for an R&B singer? When someone hears the name "Tank," a soulful, romantic R&B singer does not come to mind.
It sounds like the name of a 10-year-old. I get that he came out when he was young, but it just isn't a good name for an adult male at all.
Personally, I wouldn't have wanted a name like that even as a kid.
I love his music and voice, but these kinds of names don't always work unless it is a name like Beyoncé, Jaheim, or even Maxwell. He should've used his full name, Joe Thomas.
Mario Dewar Barrett, born August 27, 1986, and known professionally as Mario, is an American R&B singer. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, he signed a record deal with J Records at the age of 14 and released his self-titled debut studio album in 2002. Its lead single, "Just a Friend 2002," peaked... read more Anybody who has ever tried to do a Google search about him knows what a pain it can be. You always have to specify, "Mario (singer)."
Tremaine Aldon Neverson, born November 28, 1984, is an American singer, songwriter, rapper and actor. His debut album, I Gotta Make It, was released in 2005 through Atlantic Records. His follow-up album, Trey Day, spawned his first top 20 single, "Can't Help but Wait". Songz released his third album... read more It just doesn't scream R&B singer. The Z in the name makes you think of a rapper.
Miguel Jontel Pimentel (born October 23, 1985) is an American singer and songwriter specializing in contemporary and alternative R&B.Miguel released his debut studio album, All I Want Is You, in November 2010. The album contained the well-known singles "Sure Thing" and "Quickie".
In 2012,... read more
The same thing can be said about this name as Mario's and Joe's. Not a bad name, but it just doesn't stand out if you don't already know him and his music.
Abęl Makkonen Tesfaye, known professionally by his stage name The Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was born on February 16, 1990, in Toronto, Ontario. He began uploading music to YouTube in 2010 and later released several studio albums, including Kiss Land, Beauty Behind... read more It sounds like the name of some alternative band, not an R&B singer. Then again, that's probably what he was going for.
Terius Youngdell Nash, better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for writing hit songs such as Umbrella by Rihanna and Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) by Beyoncé. He has also released several solo albums, including Love/Hate... read more What's with the random hyphen in between "the" and "dream"? Was he trying to be like T-Pain with that name?
And what is this "dream" he is referring to, the American dream? Because it sure ain't the quality of his voice or music, that's for sure!
Eric Bellinger Jr., born March 26, 1986, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Los Angeles, California.He is best known for his work as a songwriter, writing for artists such as Chris Brown (most notably "New Flame"), Usher ("Lemme See"), and Justin Bieber ("Right Here").
As... read more
Okay, maybe I'm nitpicking a bit here since I can't stand most of his music, but to me at least, "Bellinger" just doesn't have a catchy ring to it at all, even though it is his real name.
It sounds like exactly what he is, someone who is more known in the background as a songwriter than he is as an actual solo artist.
Of course, if you didn't already know him and his music, you'd probably think of Lloyd Banks, a rapper.
John Roger Stephens, known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He has won multiple Grammy Awards as well as an Academy Award, Tony Award, and Golden Globe, making him one of the few EGOT winners. Legend has also appeared in television and film roles,... read more I personally don't mind it, and maybe that's just because I've been listening to him since I was a kid, but I could see why this name might rub some people the wrong way.
