Elvis Costello’s birth name is Declan Patrick  MacManus. He changed it in 1977 and, nine years later, back to the original — only he threw in “Aloysius” after Patrick.

There is a lot to like about Costello in addition to his epic name. He’s married to the pianist Diana Krall, he and/or his fans keep two great websites — check out the detail of the bio in one and the wheel feature in the other — and he had the good sense and good fortune to record with Burt Bacharach.

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