Joel Madden: ‘Sparrow Will Have To Defend His Name’
Joel Madden and Nicole Richie deliberately gave their baby son Sparrow an unusual name – to toughen him up at school. The couple welcomed their second child Sparrow James Midnight Madden in September.
Madden has revealed the name was inspired by legendary Johnny Cash song A Boy Named Sue, which recounts the difficulties facing a man who is given a woman’s name.
The Good Charlotte star admits Sparrow is likely to get picked on at school because of his strange moniker – but he’s convinced the experience will be character-building.
He tells Britain’s OK! Magazine, “It reminded me of the Johnny Cash song A Boy Named Sue. My worry raising a son in Hollywood is, what will he have to struggle for? I wanted to give him a name that he’s going to have to stand up for. I love it.”
The couple is also parents to daughter Harlow Winter Madden, 21 months.
November 4th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
You know, if one day I ever have a son, I’m gonna name him…BILL OR GEORGE, ANYTHING BUT SPARROW!!!!!
November 4th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
um, what kind of parent is this? You think your child needs something else to toughen him up? How about you parent them to stand up for themselves and solve problems like everyone else does?
Kids pick on each other for any reason, now you DELIBERATELY pick an unusual name AND you talk about it in the media?
um, stupid move Mr. Madden, keep this kind of stuff on a need to know basis.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:54 am
OMG, what a jackhole!!! I have an unusual name (not DeeDee) and have had to explain, spell and re-spell, justify, etc that name MY WHOLE LIFE. I went to Catholic elementary school and a nun ridiculed and humiliated me because my name “wasn’t a saints’s name.” Like I had anything to do with it!!! Tell Sparrow that when people, anyone, makes fun of his name I will come right over and BEAT HIS PARENT’S STUPID ASSES! I thought the name weird, but to give your own child a awful name to make him tougher “in school.” School is such a small part of a person’s life. I feel sorry for the guy at 45 or 65 explaining that it’s his real name not a nickname!!
November 5th, 2009 at 6:20 am
man, that’s just cruel! the mentality of these young parents today is scarey!!
November 10th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
What imbeciles. Shows their immaturity that they are not aware that kids have enough torment at school for ANY reason. Speech impediments, weight, height, acne, the list goes on and on. To say this will “toughen him up” goes to show how far out of touch these people are with kids today.
What a=holes. They named him that because THEY wanted to, so spare us all with your lame.immature and selfish excuses. Kids have enough to deal with, you just put another stressor on his plate. STOP HAVING KIDS until you talk to a counselor!
November 16th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Um, I don’t think they named the kid Sparrow specifically to teach him to be tough, haters. I think they probably loved the name and when it crossed their minds that the kid might get picked on they thought, “Well, it’s okay – it’ll toughen him up.” You guys are making it sound like it was some sort of dastardly trick to screw with the kid. To listen to some of you you would think YOU HAVE TO CONFORM TO WHAT THE REST OF THE WORLD THINKS IS OKAY – DON’T BE AN INDIVIDUAL – DON’T DO ANYTHING OUTSIDE THE NORM OR PEOPLE WILL NOTICE – OH NOOO! I feel sorry for the kids of parents who think like THAT.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:09 am
Well, that’s exactly how Mr. Madden describes it. Re-read the article. He wanted his son to have to be “tough”.
Lot’s better ways to do that than to give him a name that he’s going to hate. And he will. I promise you, he will.