Sibset of the Week: The Broads & The Fruchtmanns

Annie Lennox with her two daughters

It’s time for another double dose of sibsets, inspired once again by my father’s record collection. Since I rather upset Abby last time I made mention of said collection, let’s start with a disclaimer. My father is a self-professed big kid. He’s a bigger fan of Lady Gaga than I, and despite having at least two, if not three, daughters in the target demographic of One Direction, it was him who went out and bought their début single and it was a competition between him and I as to who could purchase Ed Sheeran’s album the quickest. He’s currently singing Year 3000 in the kitchen, I kid ye not.

Now that we’ve said that, let’s kick off this bumper post with the Broads. You may be racking your brains wondering who on Earth I’m talking about. Personally, if I saw this post I’d be wondering whether Stuart Broad really is old enough to have kids, or even whether he’s lived a previous life as a musician before turning to cricket. But we’re not talking about one of my Nottingham brethren, we’re talking about Billy Idol, of course, who was born William Broad and born in Middlesex. As a child, and indeed to this day, I get him mixed up with Billy Joel. Personally, Strictly Come Dancing is the root of my love of his music, after the professionals performed a jive to his single Rebel Yell a few years ago.

If you don’t like alliterative names, avert your gaze now, because that’s the route he’s taken when it came to naming his two children:

Willem Wolf 

Bonnie Blue

Personally, I’ve nothing against alliterative names unless the push the realms of sensibility. Does Bonnie Blue do this? I guess she does to a certain extent, depending on your personal taste, and for me she certainly plays with my line of sensability. I do love how Willem Wolf sounds, though.

Our other musician may not be immediately obvious from the surname I’ve used above, since she goes by her maiden name professionally, and the surname Fruchtmann is that of the Israeli-born father, Uri.

Annie Lennox comes from lovely Scotland, and achieved major success as part of the Eurythmics. She’s also found success as a solo artist, when not engaging in political or social activism. She’s been married twice, but it was during her second marriage to the aformentioned Israeli producer that she became a mother three times between 88′ and 93′:

Daniel (stillborn)

Lola

Tali

Controversial name Lola rearing her head again, whilst Tali is a Hebrew name meaning dew. Both perfectly lovely names, as indeed is Daniel. When it comes to couples who come from two different cultures, finding names which work in both is always a major factor and for many it does become the topic of debate. I’m mentioned my friend Alice time and time again, whose name has suffered at the hands of the French and Germans during her visits to their country and likewise the England&Wales favourite Harry doesn’t fare well with an American accent.