Mispronunciation of his real name inspired Shaboozey’s stage name
A Virginia high school football coach’s mistake served as the inspiration behind Shaboozey‘s stage name.
The coach initially misspelled the last name of the outlaw country artist, born Collins Obinna Chibueze, leading him to adopt Shaboozey as his nickname and later use it as his official alias in the music industry, as reported by Billboard on Oct. 3.
It wasn’t just the coach who struggled with the correct pronunciation of his last name. Raised by Nigerian immigrants, Shaboozey—whose surname translates to “God is king” in the Igbo language—shared his experience of attending high school in Woodbridge, Va., a suburb of Washington D.C., where many people found his name challenging to say.
“Having your name mispronounced during roll call was a common occurrence,” the “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” singer told Billboard. “You always felt the need to simplify it for everyone else.”
Shaboozey also discussed the origins of his stage name in a recent summer interview.