Friday June 3rd, 2011 - Springfield, IL Twenty years ago today, I officially had my name changed to Dobie J. Maxwell. Doing that smack dab in the middle of one’s life is neither easy or convenient, but I had several reasons I felt made it necessary so I did it anyway. Looking back, I did the right thing. I’ve never hidden the fact that I changed my name, all kinds of people in entertainment use a stage name. Does anyone think Hulk Hogan was a given birth name? I can’t picture an eight year old kid at camp with ‘Hulk H.’ written in magic marker in his underwear. In my realm of experience, I’ve been around standup comedy, radio and pro wrestling - all three of which have a high rate of name changes on a professional level. It would take a while to think of someone who actually uses their given name exactly how it appears on their birth certificate. It’s no big deal to use a stage name, but a real change is a hassle. I remember having to advertise in a publication to which bill collectors would subscribe so as the name change wouldn’t be to avoid prosecution. I also remember having to get an application and fill it out along with $200 as I recall. I had an actual court date and had to explain to the judge why I was changing my name. It was all over in three minutes tops. I vividly remember the judge asking me “Let me get this straight - you’re changing your name to DOBIE?” I told him I was, and he rolled his eyes and said “Okay” with a tone of mockery and disbelief in his voice. He slammed the gavel and I was Dobie J. Maxwell. I was informed I’d have to stick with that name for at least an entire calendar year, then I’d be free to change it again after that if I so chose. I wasn’t aware of that, and maybe the judge was trying to give me an out in case I regretted my decision. It would be a lot like a tattoo artist doing an erasable skull with a snake coming out of the eye just to be prudent. Prudent or not, I wanted a name that had no strings attached so I could get by in life on my own merits. Sink or swim, I wanted to do it on my own - and I have. My birth name is no secret, but I don’t tell anyone who hasn’t known me for over twenty years what it was. That name never fit me anyway. Dobie became a nickname that stuck, and now it’s the name everyone knows. I can call a booking agent and everyone knows who it is. My birth name wasn’t even our given name. My grandfather changed it because my grandmother’s step father had all girls and wanted to carry on the family name. Even I still get confused. The funny thing is, I had a numerologist do a reading one time and I gave both my birth name and my name now, and they both have the exact same number. That floored me, but the numerologist said it was a very common occurrence. It’s an energy thing apparently. Whatever the case, Dobie J. Maxwell has been struggling through life for twenty years now. It doesn’t really matter what I choose to call myself anymore, I am who I am. There are those who like me and those that don’t. The name doesn’t have much to do with it.
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