Bob wrote: >I don't know for sure, but I speculate that she's always been referred to as >Joan or Joni. In articles where her childhood friends talk about her as a >child, you never hear them refer to her as Roberta. Sometimes parents will >give a child a family name, or a more formal first name, and then refer to >them by a middle name or something else altogether.
perhaps im a bit late jumping in here, Joni has often told stories in her concers about friends reffering to her as Joan or Joni. Bob could be right. Doesn't Joni have some Irish blood? My first name is really Liam (says so on the birthcert and passport!), but have never ever been called that. Garret is my middle name. My parents had wanted to call me Dylan (after Bob believe it or not) and decided then to call me Garret (after a politican) at the last minute. The priest didn't like the name and wouldn't let them (he was probably anti Fine Gael; but then so were my parents and still are 21 years later), citing the fact that it isn't a saints name. He conceded to allow them call me Liam Garret as liam sounds more Irish and is my fathers name:) Furthermore, a friend of mine, Rory, is actually Cormac Rory; Anto is actually Paul Anthony (he was called Paul Anthony until his late teenage years when he began to object); Trish is really Mary Patricia; Noely is really Peter Noel. So there you have it, in Ireland we tend to use middle names quite commonly (and when parents get very serious they always use the double barrell "Louise Mary" etc.) GARRET ps- *when* i publish a book my pen name is Liam Martin (martin being my mothers maiden name: ) np- Eddi Reader "patience of angels"- saw her live last week here in Dublin and am utterly converted; she's wonderful.
