In light of the Black Lives Matter movement, music stars have been taking the interesting step of changing what now seem like unacceptable stage names, such as DJ The Black Madonna, who has stopped going by this moniker, saying that it has caused “controversy, confusion [and] pain”.

According to the BBC, dance music DJ Joey Negro has also decided to change his stage name, while last month saw US bands Lady Antebellum and Dixie Chicks assume new identities because of links to slavery.

Joey Negro now goes by the name of Dave Lee, writing on Facebook: “I understand now though that it’s not appropriate for me to carry on using the name. I’ve recently received emails, tweets etc saying that it is unacceptable and people find it out of place in 2020 – and I agree.

“I’m sorry to have caused any offence. My whole life has been about music but particularly black music, I love soul, funk, disco, jazz in a way that’s impossible for me to articulate in words and I have tried to champion it with the best intentions.”

The Black Madonna, meanwhile, whose real name is Marea Stamper revealed on Twitter that she would now be known as The Blessed Madonna, following a petition calling for her to change it.

Polling in the US now shows that 63 per cent of Americans support the movement, while 69 per cent say black people and other minorities are not treated equally by the criminal justice system… two big signals that deep changes in public attitudes are now being seen where racial discrimination is concerned.

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