Gwen Stefani Biography

Singer

Photos ( See all 54 )

Gwen Stefani was the popular lead singer for the band No Doubt before going solo in 2004. The band, founded by Gwen's older brother Eric Stefani, made its name in 1995 with the hit album Tragic Kingdom, a heady mixture of rock, speedy reggae and playful pop hooks. The album also made a star of Stefani, who combined a belter's voice with brash blonde good looks and a dependably bare midriff. The band's later albums included Return Of Saturn (2000) and Rock Steady (2001). In 2004 Stefani released her first solo album, Love, Angel, Music, Baby,, nominated for a Grammy award as Album of the Year and including the hit single "Hollaback Girl" (which was nominated for a Grammy as Record of the Year). A second solo album, The Sweet Escape, followed in 2006. Stefani also began began an acting career, playing actress Jean Harlow opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in the Oscar-nominated 2004 film The Aviator. Stefani told Billboard.com in 2006 that No Doubt might perform together again someday: "I see it on the horizon, but I'm not focusing on it."

Extra credit: Stefani married Gavin Rossdale, guitarist for the band Bush, in 2002. Their have two sons: Kingston James McGregor Rossdale (b. 2006) and Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale (b. 2008)... Early in her career, Stefani was known for wearing stick-on pottu dots, the jewel-like Hindi forehead decoration. According to People magazine, Stefani began wearing the dots "when she dated fellow band member Tony Kanal, whose parents are Indian."... Stefani launched her own clothing line, L.A.M.B., in 2003. The name is also an acronym for the words love, angel, music, baby.

Other 20th-century pop divas include Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, Britney Spears and Janis Joplin.

Blog posts mentioning Gwen Stefani: