Gwen Stefani
Gwendolyn Renee Stefani was born on October 3, 1969, in Orange County, California. Growing up with her brothers Todd and Eric in Southern California, where they were raised by parents Dennis and Patti, Gwen was highly influenced by the rising popularity of ska and punk, which were making their presence felt in the So Cal area.
Gwen’s brother Eric started the band No Doubt with his friend John Spence in 1987 and asked the always effervescent Gwen to join in as co-vocalist with Spence. Tony Kanal joined the group a little later, and the trio began to gain popularity by playing at local parties.
gwen becomes the lead
But the party was over when Spence committed suicide in 1987, which led to Gwen moving up the ranks to lead vocalist. “The show must go on,” and it did, as No Doubt continued to perform at local gigs. In the meantime, Gwen had graduated high school and followed up her studies at Cal State Fullerton College.
Gwen was forced to juggle the band, her studies, as well as what turned out to be a seven-year romance with fellow band member, Tony Kanal. In 1989, two new members joined the No Doubt team: guitarist Tom Dumont and drummer Adrian Young. Once No Doubt really began attracting a fan base (thanks mostly to their energetic live performances), Flea, the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ bassist, recorded a demo for the band in 1990, which led to a deal with Interscope Records.
In 1992, the band released their self-titled debut, but despite the substantial following the band had garnered, the album was far from a commercial success. Interscope was losing faith in their potential, but No Doubt’s persistence did not waver.
No Doubt went back into the studio with their own money and recorded a collection of “extra” songs they had written. Their sophomore effort, Beacon Street Collection, was released in 1995, and not only struck a chord with their devout fans, but also re-sparked Interscope’s confidence in the band.
No Doubt were back in business and returned to the recording studio with the support of their record company. The fruit of their effort was the hugely successful Tragic Kingdom, only this one was sans Eric Stefani, who left to become an animator on The Simpsons.
no doubt releases tragic kingdom
1995’s Tragic Kingdom broke through the charts with its debut single “Just A Girl,” with the help of the punk-tinged catchy lyrics and an accompanying colorful video. The album went on to spawn hits such as “Spiderwebs” and the super smash hit, “Don’t Speak.” The latter was written as an ode to Gwen and Tony’s former relationship, and became the band’s biggest smash to date.
The album went on to become a Billboard No. 1, and garnered two Grammy nominations for the group.
No Doubt’s 2000 release, Return of Saturn, spawned the hits “Ex-Girlfriend” and “Simple Kind of Life.” The spunky singer paired up with Moby to add her infectious voice to his single, “South Side.”
no doubt releases rock steady
In 2001, No Doubt released Rock Steady and enjoyed some time on the charts with “Hey Baby” and “Hella Good.” They finally picked up two Grammy Awards, both in the category of “Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal,” for “Hey Baby” and “Underneath It All.”
gwen stefani goes solo
After the “best of” compilation The Singles 1992-2003 was released in 2003, Gwen proved that she could make it on her own with her solo debut, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. With hits like “What You Waiting For?” and “Rich Girl” (featuring Eve, with whom Gwen had already paired up on the single “Let Me Blow Ya Mind”), Gwen is a pop goddess.
gwen launches l.a.m.b.
Dipping her toes into other industries like fashion, with her clothing and accessory line called L.A.M.B., and movies, with a bit part in 2004’s The Aviator, the future is only bright for Gwen Stefani.
On a personal note, Gwen married her long-time boyfriend of more than five years, Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale, on September 14, 2002, in London. No doubt about it, the self-proclaimed Sound of Music fanatic brings a girly yet powerful spark to the entertainment industry.
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