Oliver Hardy in north Georgia in the 1905 fall semester when he was 13. He had little interest in formal education, although he acquired an early interest in music and theater. He joined a theatrical group and later ran away from a boarding school near Atlanta to sing with the group. His mother recognized his talent for singing and sent him to Atlanta to study music and voice with singing teacher Adolf Dahm-Petersen. He skipped some of his lessons to sing in the Alcazar Theater for $3.50 a week. Hardy began styling himself "Oliver Norvell Hardy", adding the first name "Oliver" as
Oliver (given name) "Oilibhéir", Scottish Gaelic "Oilvreis", Italian "Oliviero", Spanish "Óliver". The name was introduced to England by the Normans. It was commonly used in medieval England, but became rare after the Restoration, because of the unpopularity of Oliver Cromwell. The name was revived in the 19th century, possibly inspired by the title character of Dickens' "Oliver Twist" (1838). Pet forms of the English given name include "Ollie" and "Noll". In 2013 it was the fifth most popular name for boys in Australia. Oliver (given name) Oliver is a masculine given name of Old French origin; "Oliver" is one of Charlemagne's retainers in