Jamie Foxx says he chose a gender-ambiguous stage name to improve his chances of getting an open-mic spot. He had performed as Eric Bishop but was not put back on the lineup; after seeing that the comics running the list picked a few women, he wrote down names including Jamie Foxx. The surname was a tribute to comedian Redd Foxx.
Why did Jamie Foxx change his name?
Foxx recounted the story in a SiriusXM audio documentary about Redd Foxx. He described an open-mic lineup where comics running the list selected performers, and said that after his first set under Eric Bishop he was not put back on. His response was to try a name that would not make his gender obvious to the people choosing who performed.
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As Foxx put it, “I put down Jamie Foxx because they would only pick a few girls to go on the set, and they didn’t know if I was a girl or not.” The explanation is Foxx’s recollection of what happened at those open mics, not a statistic about comedy-club booking practices generally. Sean L. McCarthy’s 2016 account of the documentary reproduces his remarks.
Why did he choose “Jamie” and “Foxx”?
“Jamie” was the practical choice
Foxx said he chose Jamie because it could be mistaken for a woman’s name, which he thought might help him get selected when only a few women were being picked. Profiles published by The Irish Times in 2004 and TIME in 2003 likewise describe the first name as feminine-sounding or gender-neutral and connect it to the chance of getting an open spot. They corroborate the explanation, but do not independently measure how often women were booked ahead of men.
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“Foxx” honored a comedian he admired
The surname was a tribute to Redd Foxx, whom Jamie Foxx described as one of his favorite comedians. He also cited Sanford and Son and said he liked the double x. The SiriusXM documentary account transcribes his explanation: “And the reason I chose Foxx was of course because Red Foxx is one of my favorite comedians, one of my favorite shows is ‘Sanford and Son.’ And the two ‘xx’s.” The transcription spells the comedian’s name “Red”; his standard name is Redd Foxx.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Jamie Foxx, D.L. Hughley
- Chris Tucker, Adele Givens
- Martin Lawrence
- Sheryl Underwood
Rank #4
Rank #3
- From his days on the pioneering sketch comedy show "In Living Color" to his smash hit films, Jaime Foxx knows how to bring the laughter. Now, for the first time on DVD, Foxx returns to his comedy roots with a DVD series that will keep you in stitches from start to finish. Filmed before a live audience at Atlanta's hottest urban comedy arts festival, Foxx hand picks the best up and come
What the name-change story establishes
- Jamie Foxx is a professional name; Foxx said he initially performed at open mics as Eric Bishop.
- In his account, “Jamie” was a tactic to improve his odds of getting selected for a set.
- “Foxx” was a tribute to Redd Foxx, with the double x also appealing to him.
- The story describes Foxx’s own experience; the cited accounts do not establish an industry-wide booking rate or prove that all comedy clubs used the same selection practices.
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