18 facts you may not know about the pop star Pink

Grammy Award-winning and chart-topping recording artist Pink has been in the public eye ever since the debut of her first solo album, “Can’t Take Me Home,” in 2000. Even if you’re just a casual fan, chances are you know at least one of her hit singles by heart. In addition to her music career, Pink has made headlines for her candid takes on marriage and parenting. But even if you’re a superfan, you may not know everything there is to know about this pop star.

Here are some interesting facts you probably never knew about Pink.

1. Her Real Name Is Alecia Beth Moore

You don’t have to be a diehard fan to know that Pink is just a stage name. Born Alecia Beth Moore, the singer says Pink was a nickname she received for a lot of reasons, one of which has to do with the movie “Reservoir Dogs,” which features a character named Mr. Pink. She addressed her name’s origin during an appearance on Good Morning America.

2. She Was A Troubled Teen & Once Overdosed On Drugs

Pink dropped out of school and began singing in nightclubs.

“The problem was, I was labeled as trouble–so I was like, ‘Trouble? I’ll show you trouble. You want trouble, well here it is!’” she told Faze of her image as a teenager. She began to abuse drugs and alcohol, and at one point, Pink overdosed, as did her friend Stacey Coffey who sadly did not survive.

3. She Used To Work At McDonald’s

Before she was a household name, Pink worked regular jobs, including at McDonald’s. She said her days flipping burgers gave her financial independence, telling Food & Wine, “It was important to my family that I make my own money. I was a drive-through girl at McDonald’s. I had a Janet Jackson microphone — I had power.”

4. She Has Nearly Two Dozen Tattoos

Pink has more than 20 tattoos, including two of her late dogs, Sir Corky Moore and Elvis.

5. She’s Into Gardening

In her downtime, Pink tends to vegetables in her garden.

6. She’s Been In Multiple Movies

In addition to singing, Pink has appeared in a number of movies over the years, including “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle,” “Get Him to the Greek,” “Thanks for Sharing” and “Happy Feet Two.” She is sometimes credited as Alecia Moore.

7. An Unexpected Celebrity Inspired Her Acrobatics

Well-known for the aerial stunts she performs during her concerts, Pink explained during a web exclusive for CBS Sunday Morning that she did gymnastics as a child and was inspired to incorporate acrobatics into her shows after seeing aerialists at a Cher concert.

8. She Puts Her Money Where Her Mouth Is

Whether through her songs or her music videos, or by making donations, Pink is a proud supporter of causes she believes in. The singer even became a UNICEF ambassador in 2015.

9. She’s Into Motocross

This may not shock you, considering her husband Carey Hart is a former motocross star, but she and her husband have made this an activity for the entire family to enjoy.

10. She’s A Vegetarian (Well, Mostly)

Pink told Food & Wine Magazine that she was a vegetarian from the age of 15, until her first pregnancy got her craving chicken again.

“I haven’t eaten anything four-legged or cute since I was 15,” she said. “I had also stopped eating chicken, but when my daughter, Willow, was in my belly, she just demanded chicken wings and fingers.”

11. She Grew Up In A Small Town In Pennsylvania

Pink describes her small-town upbringing in Doylestown, Pennsylvania,  as “free-range” in an interview with People Magazine.

“My mom worked full-time and went to school full-time. My dad was an insurance salesman,” she told the magazine. “My brother and I rode bikes to school and played in the woods all day. Lots of rescuing animals, tree climbing, sports, gymnastics. I had a good childhood.”

12. She Proposed To Her Husband

After dating for four years, Pink took matters into her own hands and asked Carey Hart to marry her like the modern woman she is! Just six months later, the two were married in Costa Rica.

13. Of All The Songs She’s Performed, This One Is Her Favorite

Pink was adorably interviewed by a 5-year-old, and when she was asked about a favorite song from her long list of songs, she replied that “Get The Party Started” was in first place.

14. Michael Jackson Is Her Favorite Singer

During the interview with the 5-year-old, she also admitted that Michael Jackson was her favorite singer.

“He’s one of the best that ever did it,” she said.

15. She’s Open About Her Family Life

Whether she’s talking about raising her kids in a “genderless household” or her sometimes sexless marriage, she lays it all out there. And her fans love her for it.

She told Ryan Seacrest of a time that a fan told her how much she appreciated the singer’s parenting style:

“[The fellow mom] finds strength in knowing that someone like me is out there screwing it all up, too,” Pink said.

16. Her Parents Got Divorced When She Was A Kid

If you’re not familiar with Pink’s early music, you may not know that her parents divorced when she was young, and it had an impact on both her life and her music. She’s proud to be a voice for those who are going through that kind of difficulty in their family lives, too.

“I accept the challenge that kids are gonna be relating to me more so than a lot of people because I am telling the truth and I’ve been there,” she told ABC News.

17. She’s Proud To Be A Tomboy

Pink considers herself to be a “tomboy,” she told People magazine, and she’s not ashamed of it one bit. In fact, she uses her masculine traits to teach her daughter the importance of staying true to herself.

“When people make fun of me, that’s what they use — they say I look like a boy or that I’m too masculine or I have too many opinions or my body is too strong and I said to [Willow], ‘Do you see me growing my hair?’ She said, ‘No, Mama.’ Do you see me changing my body? ‘No, Mama.’ Do you see me changing the way I present myself to the world? ‘No, Mama.’ Do you see me selling out arenas all over the world? ‘Yes, Mama,'” the singer shared on-stage at the VMAs.

She then went on to prove a point: “So, baby girl, we don’t change. We take the gravel and the shell and we make a pearl,” she said. “We help other people to change so that they can see more kinds of beauty.”

18. Her Dad’s A Musician

Music runs in the family, as Pink’s dad, Jim Moore also has a talent for signing and songwriting. He wrote a song while serving in the Vietnam War, “I Have Seen The Rain,” which Pink included on her 2006 album “I’m Not Dead,” and performed live with him as a duet:

Did any of these come as a shocker?