Lady Gaga. Drake. Snoop Dogg. Vin Diesel. You know the names—but not the ones they were born with.
In this second episode of You Won’t Believe Who These Names Belong To, we uncover the real names behind the fame and the surprising stories of how some of pop culture’s biggest legends rewrote their identities—and sometimes, their destinies.
🎭 What does it take to go from Peter Hernandez to Bruno Mars? From Mark Sinclair to Vin Diesel?
Join us as we dig into the childhoods, turning points, and bold decisions that shaped their public personas.
From hilarious nicknames to strategic reinventions, these transformations are anything but accidental.
🧠 How many did you guess right? What names shocked you most?
Got a weird name-change story of your own—or know someone who once legally became Optimus Prime?
Drop it in the comments and share the game.
📌 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with a friend who thinks “Caryn Johnson” sounds familiar…
👉 You might also like:
Check out Did Einstein Steal Her Genius?—another story that rewrites everything you thought you knew:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQmG7VpR6Ek
#LadyGaga #Drake #SnoopDogg #VinDiesel #StageNames #NameChange #CelebrityOrigins #PopCultureHistory #AnOuncePodcast
Other episodes in the series:
You Won’t Believe Who These Names Belong To!
The “Name Change Series” from An Ounce Released on or about:
(1) July 31, 2025:The Real Identities of Famous Icons
(2) August 14, 2025:They Changed Their Names -Then Changed Pop Culture
(3) August 28, 2025:Masters of Disguise - When Changing Your Name Was the Only Way to Escape
(4) September 4, 2025:The Reinvention Game
________________________________________
Chapters
00:00 – Intro: Do You Know Their Real Names?
00:39 – Stefani Germanotta → Lady Gaga
01:56 – Peter Hernandez → Bruno Mars
03:06 – Mark Sinclair → Vin Diesel
04:06 – Caryn Johnson → Whoopi Goldberg
04:53 – Aubrey Graham → Drake
05:46 – Calvin Broadus Jr. → Snoop Dogg
06:26 – Final Reflection & Closing Thoughts
06:45 – An Ounce
________________________________________
References
• Bruno Mars name origin – The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/aug/24/bruno-mars-facts
• Whoopi Goldberg name history – Biography
https://www.biography.com/actors/whoopi-goldberg
• Vin Diesel real name and background – IMDb Bio
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004874/bio
• Drake on Degrassi – NPR
https://www.npr.org/2023/10/05/drake-degrassi-career
• Lady Gaga early life and name – Britannica
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lady-Gaga
• Snoop Dogg biography – Rolling Stone
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/snoop-dogg-biography-career-2022-1284649/
10 second pre-roll promo for An Ounce Podcast on YouTube
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.
The Brothers Ortiz
The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.