Jermaine Jackson poses for a portrait after getting fitted for a suit by Saville Row tailor Gary Anderson at The Dorchester Hotel on December 12, 2011 in London, United Kingdom.
There have certainly been some strange celebrity name changes in recent memory—Lisa Bonet became Lilakoi Moon, Ron Artest is now Metta World Peace—but a member of the world famous Jackson family is taking a simpler approach: he just wants a single letter changed. Jermaine Jackson—Michael’s older brother and former Jackson 5 bandmate—is seeking to change his surname to Jacksun for “artistic reasons,” Rolling Stone reports.
Jackson filed a name change petition at a Los Angeles court on Wednesday to make the one-letter tweak, according to the Associated Press. Although the court filing does not explain the rationale behind the adjustment, Jackson’s friend Steve Dennis told the AP that celebrities often change their names and pointed out that it does not alter how it is pronounced.
“It is something he has chosen to do, and it’s fair to say that you cannot blame this one on the boogie, you’ve got to blame it on the sunshine,” Dennis said, alluding to the Jackson 5’s disco song “Blame it on the Boogie.”
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A court hearing for the name change will be held on Feb. 22.
TMZ notes that Jackson has to have his new moniker announced publicly—which means it has be printed in a local publication—several times in the coming months before it is considered official.
Jackson has been traveling with his brothers on their Unity Tour 2012 and promoting his new book about the late King of Pop, called “You Are Not Alone.” Music industry insiders have called the Jacksun petition a “publicity stunt,” according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The singer may also be trying to distance himself from his legendary family, who earned plenty of media attention this summer for the “kidnapping” of matriarch Katherine Jackson and the ongoing feuds between MJ’s children and relatives.
Only time will tell if Jermaine will be granted the oh-so-crucial signature shift, or if he never can say goodbye to his iconic surname.
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