Music History Events: New Looks
March 7, 2014 After completing treatment for an eating disorder, Ke$ha drops the $ from her stage name and changes her Twitter handle from @Ke$haSuxx to @KeshaRose ("Rose" is her middle name).More
December 12, 2011 The Jewish reggae star Matisyahu shaves his beard, which he has had for 16 years. He gets the shave at a Manhattan Supercuts, as he doesn't own a razor. Many of his fans are thrown for a loop, but he explains that losing the beard does not mean he is abandoning Judaism.
February 16, 2007 Britney Spears shaves her head at a hair salon, then gets some fresh ink at a tattoo parlor. It's the beginning of a public meltdown for Spears, who filed for divorce from Kevin Federline months earlier and is negotiating custody arrangements for their two children.
October 7, 1999 Garth Brooks releases an album as "Chris Gaines," a character he created that was intended for a movie. The ruse turns off many fans, and the album is Brooks' first since 1995 that fails to debut at #1, charting behind Creed's Human Clay.
August 27, 1993 Rick Rubin, deciding the word "def" has been played out now that it has a listing in Webster's Dictionary, changes the name of his label from Def American Recordings to American Recordings and stages a funeral to "bury" poor Def.More
June 7, 1993 On his 35th birthday, Prince changes his name to an unpronounceable symbol, making him, literally, an icon.More
October 21, 1992 Madonna's book Sex is released. Everything about it is shocking: the $50 price, the Mylar wrapping, the metal covers, and especially the images inside.More
August 20, 1992 Embroiled in controversy over his song "Cop Killer," Ice-T doubles down by appearing in a police uniform on the cover of Rolling Stone.More
May 10, 1991 Bushwick Bill of the Geto Boys gets a signature look when he loses his right eye after being shot by his girlfriend.
September 18, 1983 Kiss make their first public appearance without their trademark make-up when they show up on MTV to promote their new album - and single - "Lick It Up."
February 27, 1981 The Who release "You Better You Bet," their first single since the death of their drummer, Keith Moon, in 1978. Their new stickman is Kenney Jones, formerly of the Faces.
December 23, 1977 Cat Stevens converts to Islam and changes his name to Yusuf Islam.More
February 3, 1976 David Bowie opens his US tour with a new persona: The Thin White Duke. He's dressed in a black-vested suit with slicked-back hair. Bowie later described the persona as "a nasty character indeed."
March 26, 1971 The Rolling Stones' lips and tongue logo appears for the first time when it is used on VIP passes for their show at the Marquee Club in London.More
September 29, 1968 The Supremes eschew their elegant dresses and go casual to perform "Love Child" on The Ed Sullivan Show. Diana Ross wears a sweatshirt, which is in line with the character in the song.More
August 2, 1962 Bob Dylan makes his name change official, legally saying adieu to his birth name, Robert Zimmerman.
October 25, 2025 Meghan Trainor's trainer posts photos showing the "All About That Bass" singer's 60-pound weight loss, done through diet, exercise and GLP-1 drugs. Trainor takes some heat online for being "too thin," prompting her to retort in the song "Still Don't Care."
September 5, 2024 Linkin Park release "The Emptiness Machine," their first song without frontman Chester Bennington, who died by suicide in 2017. It's the debut of their new lead singer, Emily Armstrong, who quickly wins over fans with her Bennington-like passion.
February 16, 2024 Crunk pioneer Lil Jon releases an album of guided meditations where he answers his famous question, Turn down for what?: "To hear the voice within."
January 13, 2023 Iggy Azalea launches an OnlyFans account to promote her upcoming album Hotter Than Hell and post photos that are too racy for Instagram. The album never materializes, but Azalea becomes a top earner during her run on the platform, which lasts about a year.
December 9, 2022 The British rock band Slaves change their name to Soft Play. Meant to reference "the grind of day-to-day life," they say the name "doesn't represent who we are as people or what our music stands for any longer."
November 2, 2016 Beyoncé goes country, performing her song "Daddy Lessons" with the Dixie Chicks at the CMA Awards. Eight years later, she becomes the first Black woman to top the Country chart when "Texas Hold 'Em" goes to #1.
September 21, 2016 The day before dropping his single "Starboy," The Weeknd releases a photo showing his new haircut.More
August 5, 2015 Grateful Dead alums Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann announce a new band, Dead & Company, with a surprising addition: John Mayer. Deadheads fear they'll be subjected to "Your Body Is A Wonderland," but Mayer fits right in, especially on songs like "Friend Of The Devil" and "Althea" where he sings and plays Jerry Garcia's parts.
July 18, 2013 Jay-Z drops his hyphen, becoming Jay Z. Like his "retirement" in 2003, it doesn't stick - the hyphen returns with his next album, 4:44, in 2017.
September 2, 2009 Shinedown lead singer Brent Smith is fat shamed on the Today show by host Kathy Lee Gifford, who says, "I thought he was Meat Loaf." He gets through their performance of "Second Chance" but is hurt by the comment. A few years later Smith uses it as motivation to quit drinking and start an intense fitness regimen that gets him in excellent health.
July 14, 2007 The album Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus goes to #1, as did the first soundtrack from the Disney show Hannah Montana the previous year. Miley Cyrus, who plays Hannah on the show, is now being promoted as a singer under her real name, not just her character.
December 2, 2003 Robin Antin, the choreographer who founded The Pussycat Dolls as a dance troupe in 1995, holds auditions for a new lineup that can be part of their push into music. "We're looking for really, really hot girls - insanely beautiful girls with beautiful voices," she says. Antin ends up choosing Nicole Scherzinger as the main Doll who does just about all the singing. When their debut album is released in 2005, they become a global sensation.
September 30, 2002 Christina Aguilera's "Dirrty" video hits MTV, shocking viewers with bawdy scenes where she's doing some dirrty dancing. It's a major image makeover for Aguilera, a former Disney star whose 1999 debut album established her as wholesome pop star.More
May 16, 2000 With his Warner Bros. contract terminated, Prince starts using that name again. He changed it to an unpronounceable symbol in 1993 after a dispute with the label.
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