Interviews- a lot of them!

As Mark Beech became a national newspaper journalist, his list of interview “victims” gradually extended to top politicians, artists and many top musicians, as well as their family, friends, managers, concert promoters, roadies, groupies, and anyone else he could think of along the way.

This resulted in articles on Barbara Cartland and Margaret Thatcher (some mistake?) to Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Sir Paul McCartney, and just about any other star whose name can be casually dropped in conversation at parties. Or included on web sites like this. Hey, The A-Z of Names in Rock is about names. What do you expect? 

Genesis (no, not them)

Mark explains: “I was writing about former Police man Sting when the subject of his name came up. A friend of mine suspected that, in keeping with Sting’s serious image, his moniker probably signified something deeply profound or pretentious. At the very least, she had suggested, it must be a reference to “sting” as in a bank robbery? An insect name, as per The Beatles or The Crickets?    I had heard it was something to do with a jumper.” 

Sting confirmed it was merely a silly nickname because of a black and yellow horizontally-striped Breton-type top, which was all he could afford in his career’s earliest days.    It made him look like a bee or a wasp.    Hence the name.