VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

Vance Elderkin · Contributor IV Joined: 02 Feb 2007 Posts: 133

When I was doing radio (all except my last job) I used "stage names" because I worked some night shifts, I had a wife and kids, and everybody in town knew I wasn't home, if you know what I mean. It was very handy a couple of times when some nut cases tried to track me down. Most of the time I used Vance Randall (Vance being my real middle name, Randall being a name I got when I stuck my finger in a telephone book). I also used Perry West a few times when I was working at two stations simultaneously.

I'm used to being called Vance now, and Elderkin (my real last name) isn't that common, so the combination works for me.

Lee Gordon · Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 12:17 am Post subject:

SkinnyJohnny · Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 3:53 am Post subject:

I worked with a guy who called himself "Special Ed", they rejected his idea of the name "Sex Ed".
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Bruce · Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 4:03 am Post subject:

CC Heim · Backstage Pass Joined: 27 Sep 2010 Posts: 401

Lee Gordon · Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2010 3:57 pm Post subject:

I am not a number. I am a free man!
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Nikki · Contributor II Joined: 09 Jul 2010 Posts: 50

Aha! That makes sense. Thanks, Bruce.

And DB, that's good to know! I always hear the argument for 'family unity' and I kinda go 'whatever'. I'm still keeping my name Wink

Deirdre · Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 10:23 am Post subject:

People from school never knew what to call me— Mrs. . . . what?

I just let them know we all have our own names and I'm Mrs Williams.

With Hardy, Williams, Abramczyk, Guptill, and Cooper all at one address, the person with the hardest job is the postman.
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Dave DeAndrea · Been Here Awhile Joined: 22 Jan 2008 Posts: 206

In my older radio days, I went through quite a few names. When I began, just using an initial for the last name was "the cool thing" (gotta love the 80's).. so it was David D. Moved to a station across town to do evenings as David Andre for a while. From there to an Urban AM in Seattle and David D. came back to life. Then to a group of stations in Oregon where I went through several names (and formats). I started as David Blaze. Then I used a different voice and voice tracked to overnights as Slam Duncan. At one point, we went to a Rock format and the Hobo Laughing

assigned names to everyone... so we had names like Marti Graw, Tedddy Bear and I became...Dr. Love. That was the worst!

Then, back to David D... I always went by David when I was growing up... never Dave. But when I came to do a morning show with a guy named Rick.. "Rick and Dave" just sounded better, so I've used my real name (and became a "Dave") ever since.
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surroundhound · Joined: 14 Sep 2010 Posts: 15

Love hearing all these cool stories. Particularly those like Bruce and Dave's, where you go through several and end up with your own. Smile

Scott Pollak · Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2010 8:18 pm Post subject:

In radio I used Scott Stephenson because back when I started (1975) EVERYBODY used 'radio names', and Pollak just sucks. As a radio name, as a last name, as any kind of name. And my dad's name was Stephen, so I was "Stephen's son." Almost clever, huh?

I use Voice By Scott because it's easy to remember and in 3 words tells what I do. The branding with the golden retriever and (on my website) the wine glasses and old books all should convey my sound, as I DON'T do high energy or in-yer-face or young 'n' cool.

It seems to be working, as am I!
Wink

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JimRon · Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 11:35 am Post subject:

When I started in radio in college, I started using an airname cause I didn't think Jim Feldman sounded good on the air. Wasn't snappy to say. So Ron James was born (middle name, first name). Also used it early on in my VO career. Half the station knew me as Ron James, the other half as Jim Feldman.

And when I left the airwaves to concentrate on the Production Director job I stopped using the airname/stagename for VOs too, and now just go by my real name.

Actually kinda funny... when people would ask for one name or the other, depending on who they asked and what name they asked for the person they were asking wouldn't know who it was. Then everyone started calling me JimRon (which i still go by at the station).
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Lee Gordon · Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2010 11:25 pm Post subject:

At least three people I have worked with in radio kept their air names even after they were no longer on the air, and two of them kept the names even after they left the business entirely.

At the station I mentioned earlier in the thread -- the one with all the wacky DJ names -- they were phasing out the goofy names by the time I got there. If they hadn't, I would have called myself Rufus T. Firefly. Presumably, I would not have kept that name after leaving the business.
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Voice President of the United States
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todd ellis · Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 5:36 am Post subject:

scott reminded me - in the '70s there was a morning guy here who went by "the polack" ... schluski ... i think was his last name. just thinking out loud - scott made me smile.
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panright · Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 10:54 am Post subject: Pen Names (ahem)

I too have have what's considered traditionally a man's name (Perry) and have been debating whether to change the spelling (hate to do that but...) or to use my middle name (Anne). But I like my name because it IS unusual for a woman (so maybe Peri Norton?)
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