A few explanations:
Howard Spence, though once a big western star, is way past his prime. He talks about how he's "washed up". That's why nobody recognizes him, especially not the younger people. Go up to some random kid on the street and show him a picture of Lee Marvin; he'd have no idea who that is, even though Lee Marvin was one of the biggest western stars of his day. So it's not a plot hole; it's very deliberate & shows how he's lost the limelight.
Also we learn that Doreen never told her son the name of the father. So when Earl hears "Howard Spence" for the first time, it's gibberish. Again, imagine telling some 20-year-old kid that his father's name is Lee Marvin. The kid would probably say "That sounds like a pair of jeans."
About Sky's mother, you have to see it from Howard's point of view to understand his lack of interest. Every 2-bit hussy wants to slap him with a paternity suit. If you listen to his earlier conversation with his mother, you'll see that he doesn't care anymore, and he has blocked all women out of his memory (the way he runs away from all responsibilities). Sky realizes this because she has studied him carefully. So it's out of respect & consideration that she doesn't dump her life story on him at their first meeting. Besides, he wasn't exactly in a mood to chit chat.
No, the Playboy Playmate wan't Sky's mother. Sky's mother represents 1 of the many obscure, small-town women who hooked up with Howard over the years. The mother's identity is not relevant to the story. At one point Sam Sheppard wanted to make the mother a Native American, but since Wim doesn't like unnecessary details crowding the story, he prefered to leave it a mystery.
Wim Wenders is one of the most meticulous directors out there. His films don't have plot holes. But people often think they do because not everything is explained. You just have to work a little harder to figure it out.
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