 In the course of the film, Spinal Tap has four different drummers:  John "Stumpy" Pepys, Eric "Stumpy Joe" Childs, Mick Shrimpton, and  Joe "Mama" Besser. These names were inspired by the four different  men who played the role of third Stooge in The Three Stooges films:  Jerome "Curly" Howard (qv), Joe "Curly Joe" DeRita (qv),  Shemp Howard (qv), and Joe Besser (qv).