Why Chris Anderson traded in his name
Mary Jane Irwin · 11/19/07 06:55PM
Chris Anderson, the editor-in-chief of Wired, was not always Chris Anderson. As journalist John Kelly recounts, he once hired a questionably talented fellow named Greg Anderson to play bass for his New Wave band, The Item. (Kelly owned a bass but didn't know how to play.) Anderson didn't dig The Item's Partridge Family pop-punk appeal. He quit for the bleached-hair friendliness of Egoslavia. The only problem? For Anderson to jam with the cool kids, he had to change his name, since Egoslavia already had a lead singer named Greg. (Egoslavia, for that matter, was originally called R.E.M., but that's another story.) We're not sure Anderson's name change was that wise an idea. As Chris, he now risks confusion with the Chris Anderson who runs the Ted conference, not to mention two Australian Chris Andersons — the rugby player and a telecom executive. Next time, Chris, pick a first name further down the long tail.
