10 Musician And Band Names With Dark Unusual Origins
2. The Black Keys' Name Pays Homage To An Eccentric Hometown Artist
The Black Keys' name was conceptualised back in the band's early days, when guitarist and vocalist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney still lived in their hometown of Akron, Ohio. They both knew a local schizophrenic artist named Alfred McMoore, who was an acquaintance of their parents. The idiosyncratic McMoore had a tendency to leave strange, incoherent messages on people's answering machines, including the two men's. When McMoore was annoyed with Auerbach and Carney, he would refer to their fathers as "black keys" in the messages, as this was his way of conveying his displeasure.
Sadly, McMoore died in 2009 at the age of 59, but a small part of his unique character was immortalised the day that The Black Keys chose his words while brainstorming band names. The musical duo have certainly done McMoore's legacy proud, for as of today, they have released nine studio albums, won numerous prestigious awards and sold millions of records worldwide.