Biography
Fashion icon Gwen Stefani achieved Grammy-winning success as the spirited frontwoman of new wave revivalists No Doubt before forging a chart-topping solo career that drew comparisons with early Madonna. Born in Fullerton, California in 1969, Gwen Stefani first began performing in her mid-teens alongside her keyboardist older brother Eric in his ska-punk band No Doubt. While their first two albums were all but ignored by the mainstream, 1997's Tragic Kingdom catapulted the group to worldwide fame, topping the US charts, picking up four Grammy nods and producing one of the era's defining alt-rock singles, "Don't Speak." With her striking bleached blonde hair, distinctive vocals and energetic stage presence, Stefani also became an MTV icon, while her relationship with and eventual marriage to Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale helped to raise her profile even higher. She briefly ventured outside the band by collaborating with the likes of the Brian Setzer Orchestra, Prince and Moby before returning to the fold for 2000's relatively underwhelming Return of Saturn. A year later she joined forces with rapper Eve on the Grammy-winning US No.2 hit "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" and recorded No Doubt's fifth LP, Rock Steady. She finally launched her solo career proper in 2004 with Love. Angel. Music. Baby. , a vibrant melting pot of pop, R&B, dancehall and electro featuring collabs with Andre 3000, The Neptunes and Dr. Dre. Peaking at No.5 on the Billboard 200, the record spawned several hit singles including "What You Waiting For?," "Rich Girl" and the chart-topping "Hollaback Girl", all of which were accompanied by equally colorful videos showcasing Stefani's posse, the Harajuku Girls. Stefani then proved she was a double threat when she portrayed silver screen icon Jean Harlow in Howard Hughes biopic "The Aviator" (2004) before teaming up with the likes of Akon and Keane's Tim Rice-Oxley on 2006 sophomore The Sweet Escape. "The Sound of Music" (1965)-sampling lead single "Wind It Up" and its follow-up title track added to Stefani's canon of hits before she embarked on her first major world tour. However, she then put her solo career on hold when she reunited with No Doubt in 2009 for various live shows and a belated sixth LP, Push and Shove, which arrived three years later. In 2014, Stefani replaced Christina Aguilera on the seventh season of talent show "The Voice" (NBC, 2011- ) and went on to collaborate with fellow judge Adam Levine on Maroon 5's V. She also guested on albums by Calvin Harris and Eminem before topping the US album charts for the first time as a solo artist with 2016's This Is What The Truth Feels Like. That same year, Stefani voiced DJ Suki in animated hit "Trolls" (2016) and lent her unique voice to five songs on its official soundtrack. In 2017 Stefani duetted with partner Blake Shelton on You Make It Feel Like Christmas, a festive effort which was accompanied by a same-named NBC special, while a year later she announced a residency at Las Vegas' Zappos Theatre titled "Just a Girl."
