Tommy Lee. Elton John. Jayne Mansfield. Nikki Sixx. Slash. Axl Rose. Englebert Humperdink. Marilyn Monroe.
Cliff Richard. Gene Simmons. Ginger Wildheart. Betty Grable.
A fine list of performers.
NONE of which were born with the names listed. Some of them of course legally changed the names they were given at birth. Others are/were known just by nicknames. But that is how people know them. It’s how members of the public recognise them. It is ludicrous to assume that Rhianna, Paul Stanley or Tom Cruise would be asked to use a birth name on a social media site, or elsewhere, for that matter. No-one would know who the fuck they were.
How about Kat Von D, Deadmau5, Ice T, or Banksy. Let’s insist they become a name that no-one ever heard of?
Yet Facebook seems to pick and choose who it allows to use a different name, even though those people may have signed up to use Facebook with the stage name they use, and they have likely used it for 20 plus years.
What is being referred to here is the recent decision by Facebook to disallow Dogs D’Amour drummer Bam Tastic, to continue to use his name. A name he has been using for some 30 years.
We all know it’s highly unlikely that someone was named Bam by his parents in the 1960’s, however likely it may be now. But it’s ridiculous to exclude a person from social media purely based on a stage name. It is true, this was not the name given at birth. But it IS his name. Facebook is seriously fucking up by trying to make this change.
Bams wife Share Ross (Vixen, Bubble, Joe Elliot) who is known to millions as Vixens bassist, also uses a name that was not given her at birth. No-one from Facebook has requested that she become someone she is not, to this point. It’s a possibility, but then people wouldn’t know who she is either….. Yes, it really is as ridiculous as it sounds.
Bam stated on his Facebook Artist page that “Well… UPDATE: my case is closed. I am not allowed to be Bam. Really? REALLY Facebook.”
It appears that Facebook is fickle. Canadian actress Avaah Blackwell was until recently known by her birth name on the social media site. Facebook were contacted by her, and she told us “I had to email Facebook and state my case. I explained that the artist had not changed, just the name.”
Avaah was allowed to change her name on Facebook.
And that other famous Bam (Margera)…. still on Facebook at the time of going to press!
Yet others such as Rocky Shades (Wrathchild, Wildside Riot), Katt Scarlett (Femme Fatale) and Bam (Dogs D’Amour, Bubble) have been forced to use their birth names, or leave the social media site.
Double standards? Nit picking? It sure as hell seems that way.
Let’s get this stupid rule reversed. It’s actually causing more harm and disruption than good.
GOOD LUCK Bam.
KG (Headbangerwoman) Sept 18th 2015
UPDATE: Around the same time that this article was published, Facebook reinstated Bam, using his birth surname of Ross.
Welcome back Bam Ross!
Others still remain in limbo.
KG 9/19/2015
Turn It Up To Twelve 
a friend of mine, also a musician for decades, was also forced by facebook to change his name to his birth name….when they questioned facebook, facebook told them it was to ‘weed out child molesters”. this use your real name policy doesnt weed out anybody but possibly the artist whos name the fans know, as opposed to their given name, which the fans might not know. yet as the admin of a rock n roll page, i see requests to join from names you know are so not the given names. i dont agree with their policy, nor do i agree with the ‘u must only have 5000 friends’….but they need to do more research before they dump that policy down peoples throats…nobody knows him by reginald dwight and since elton john legally changed his name, you dont have to…but just because an artist doesnt legally change their name doesnt mean it isnt the name they go by. this policy is insane
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I do a radio show and was going to change my name on FB because of that but won’t now, one of the other DJs all but disappeared and had to set up a new profile (after FB made him revert to his birth name) because no-one could find him or tag him so he had to re-friend everyone to let them know what had happened. I know FB is a ‘free’ service but if everybody left there would be no FB and no business.For this reason I suggest (as the saying goes) they wind their necks in and allow people to be the people they are ! It astounds me that racist, homophobic and sexist posts and comments are seen on FB all the time and when reported we are told they are not breaking FB rules, but someone can’t call themselves “Rocky Shades” despite the fact that that is the name on all their albums and pictures and how they are referred to in the rest of the media.!!
It is time this company got it’s priorities and morals in the right order or it might just find itself being spoken about in the same breath as MySpace , Who? ….. Exactly !!
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Thank you Karen. Amazingly enough… FB reinstated his account as Bam and using his real last name. We appreciate your support!!!! And yes… FB needs to allow people to use their site with the names they are known by.
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It just makes sense!
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