| Gwen Stefani  AKA Gwen Renee Stefani
Born: 3-Oct-1969
Birthplace: Fullerton, CA
Gender: Female
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Singer Nationality: United States
Executive summary: No Doubt One of four children born to Dennis and Patti Stefani, Gwen Stefani was raised amidst the progressive ideals and broad-minded attitudes of California's Orange County. In the 1980s she fell under the influence of her brother Eric's interest in punk and ska music, and after forming the ska-revival band No Doubt in 1986 he enlisted his younger sister as a singer alongside vocalist and band co-founder John Spence. Spence ended his own life the following year, and it was under such unfortunate circumstances that Gwen Stefani found herself assuming the role of lead singer for the group. After several years of maintaining day jobs while floundering on the local party circuit, No Doubt finally secured a contract with the MCA subsidiary Interscope Records in 1991; a self-titled release appeared the following year, but generated little public interest, and the label subsequently withdrew financial support from the band's performing and recording activities.
Disillusioned by the direction his project was heading, Eric Stefani delivered his walking papers to No Doubt in 1994 and shifted his efforts instead towards a career in animation (eventually joining the stable of animators that produced the television series The Simpsons). The future of the band was further brought into question by the dissolution of the eight-year relationship between Gwen Stefani and bassist Tony Kanal. It was during this uncertain period that a second album, Beacon Street Collection (1995), appeared: a self-produced, self-financed and independently-released collection consisting of material recorded over the previous two years. The album sold well enough to convince Interscope to finance recording sessions for their next effort, issued later in 1995 as Tragic Kingdom. Led by the popular single Just A Girl, Kingdom finally ushered No Doubt into the charts and brought Stefani in particular into the public spotlight.
After contributing the song New to the soundtrack of the film Go in 1999, No Doubt released its fourth album Return of Saturn in 2000. Critical response to its gloomier, less ska-oriented sound was mixed, and the band gradually distanced themselves the record, dropping its tracks from their live repetoire. Stefani and her cohorts took this outcome to heart and returned to the safety of upbeat, party songs for their next album Rock Steady (2001) -- an approach most clearly represented by the singles Hey Baby and Hella Good, both of which re-established them in the upper reaches of the charts. A singles collection (The Singles 1992-2003, rounded out with the Talk Talk cover It's My Life) appeared next, followed by the remix collection Everything In Time (2004); both of these, augmented by a DVD collecting their promotional videos and another with a live set from their Tragic Kingdom tour, were released in combination as the box set Boom Box.
In 2004 Stefani launched her solo career with the album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. -- the singer having already made steps to establish herself seperately from the No Doubt collective through guest appearances on albums by Prince (So Far, So Pleased on Rave In 2 The Joy Fantastic (1999)), Eve (Let Me Blow Ya Mind on Scorpion, 2001) and Moby (on his remix of Southside, also 2001). Its release was preceeded by the single What You Waiting For?, a popular dance track in Canada, Australia, the UK and (to a lesser extent) the US; this success was then improved upon by Rich Girl, a top 10 entry (a result of its unfortunate use as a Pepsi jingle) and her second collaboration with rapper Eve. This was in turn surpassed by the #1 position earned by the album's third single Hollaback Girl. As has been the case with many performers in recent years, Stefani sought to capialize on her popularity in 2004 by launching her own fashion line L.A.M.B.
Father: Dennis Stefani
Mother: Patti Flynn
Sister: Jill
Brother: Eric Stefani (musician, animator)
Brother: Todd
Boyfriend: Tony Kanal (musician, dated 1987-94)
Husband: Gavin Rossdale (musician, m. 14-Sep-2002, div. 2015, three sons)
Son: Kingston James McGregor Rossdale (b. 26-May-2006)
Son: Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale (b. 21-Aug-2008)
Son: Apollo Bowie Flynn Rossdale (b. 28-Feb-2014)
Boyfriend: Blake Shelton (country musician, together since 2015)
High School: Loara High School, Anaheim, CA (1987)
University: California State University Fullerton
No Doubt Vocalist 1986-present
Gwen Stefani
Dairy Queen
Endorsement of L'Oreal (2011-)
Endorsement of Pepsi (2005-)
Grammy Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (with Eve, for Let Me Blow Ya Mind) (2001)
Grammy Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal (with No Doubt, for Hey Baby) (2002)
Grammy Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal (with No Doubt, for Underneath It All) (2003)
Italian Ancestry Paternal side
Irish Ancestry Maternal side
Scottish Ancestry Maternal side
Risk Factors: Dyslexia
FILMOGRAPHY AS ACTOR
Fahrenheit 11/9 (6-Sep-2018) · Herself
The Defiant Ones (9-Jul-2017)
Trolls (8-Oct-2016) [VOICE]
Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone (Jun-2010) · Herself
The Aviator (17-Dec-2004)
Mayor of the Sunset Strip (17-Jun-2003) · Herself
Zoolander (28-Sep-2001) · Herself
Official Website:
http://www.gwenstefani.com/
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