Music Trivia: How the Band Got Its Name, Volume One

Ever wonder how your favorite bands came up with their names? Some of the legends and mysteries on how a band chose its name have been spawned by media following false leads, but some of the best "naming" trivia about our favorite musicians were created by the musicians themselves. Here are a smattering of some of the favorite stories:

KORN. A good version of how they came up the name revolves around lead singer Jonathan Davis. At some point, Davis worked as an Assistant Coroner in Kern County, California. The legend that started circling this fact was that the band name evolved by combining the world "Coroner" with "Kern County". This legend was fueled in large part because of the actual graphic look of the band's logo. It was written in a child-like fashion, with the R shaped backwards, as a child just beginning to spell might do it.

It all seems very plausible just by virtue of the fact that it's so complicated. In several interviews over the years, however, band members have said the name actually just "came" to them and while all of the speculation was great for business, the stories just weren't true. There was nothing more involved than: because we thought it sounded good. So much for legend.

How the band came up with the name depends on which band member you'd ask and on which day. The sheer mystery of it all fits the band's image, so why would they want to mess with it?

Some bands have names seem way too "smart", but if you break down the band and get to know the band members, the choices make sense. It's that whole concept of "Never judge a book by its cover."

Jethro Tull. The band came up with its name because someone associated with the band knew the name of an inventor who came up with a drill to be used by farmers to seed. Talk about an homage.

Tesla. This band is probably best known for its remake of the '60s anthem "Signs." The band's name derivation is much more interesting than much of its music. But like any good PR tool, that mystery brings attention.

Just as Jethro Tull had done, Tesla pulled its name from an inventor, this one Nikola Tesla. And just as with Tull, outside of the specific circle, the inventor was fairly unknown. His inventions, however, are not so unknown. Tesla (the inventor) was involved with research on radio, X-rays, microwaves and alternating current. Put on one of their CDs and you wouldn't get the sense that the band Tesla was drawn to an obscure inventor for its name. The why they did it remains a mystery.

Three Dog Night. The band is now technically two dogs plus one, given the various legal battles that have ensued over use of the name when the band broke up the first time several decades ago. The term "Three Dog Night" stems from an Australian Aboriginal saying meant to describe how cold it was outside. When it is really cold, you want to be surrounded by lots of fur, and it's a Three Dog Night, according to Aboriginal legend. This name is just a matter of it being that they heard the term and thought it sounded catchy.

Originally, the Three Dogs were Chuck Negron, Cory Wells and Danny Hutton, an odd combination if you research their backgrounds. Ultimately, the combination worked as the band had 21 Top 40 songs consecutively during its rock reign 1969-1974.

Negron's extreme, erratic drug use took a toll on the band over the years. He would recall to a host on the Country Music TV that his behavior was so bad during the drug use that even the drug addicts wouldn't let him live in crack house. He had to live under the crack house, he quipped to the host. Negron would later appear on the A&E show Intervention trying to do a drug intervention on his son. At the end of it, the younger Negron didn't make it through the program and ended up in prison. He also authored a book on the band: Three Dog Nightmare.

After the court cases came and went, Negron started touring under the name: the Voice of Three Dog Night. Cory Wells and Danny Hutton still tour with some original bandmates and new ones under the name Three Dog Night.

Average White Band. One of the more interesting band name creations centers on The Average White Band. It's said that the band was playing at an old hotel, playing without a name and trying to come up with one.

Legend has Hamish Stuart, singer, saying that a girl came through the room and muttered something to the effect: "you're just an average white band." Stuart explained that the bandmates sort of looked at one another and said...that's it!

Musicians may get together quite by accident, but they figure out fast that obscure and quirky sells. Anything that piques the public's interest can be, and is, used by bands to boost record and ticket sales. It all starts with a good name.