On the 8th of January 1959, his 12th birthday, David Robert Jones opened a strangely looking brown leather case and found a brand new Selmer alto saxophone inside. It was all white with golden keys. His father asked him if he liked it and young David just nodded silently. He would have loved a guitar. He wanted to be an American rock star just like the one on TV who was dancing wild with the guitar hanging around his neck. He only started to like the saxophone when his teacher Ronnie played him a record by some good looking American guy, whose alto saxophone sounded crazy and wonderful like the birds in the sky. David immediately wanted to stop even playing one more note. 

I will never be able to play like that.

Nobody will.

What a great name that is, „Art Pepper“, it sounds so cool, almost like a song. I want to have an American name too. Do you think I could call myself David Pepper?

Why?

Because „Jones“ sounds boring.

Rubbish, there are tons of great musicians by that name.

That is the problem!

Listen Dave, first you become a musician then you change your name not the other way around.