Gwen Stefani

Gwen Renée Stefani Rossdale (born October 3, 1969) is an American singer and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock band No Doubt. With previous material ranging from punk rock to new wave music, their third wave ska oriented third studio album Tragic Kingdom (1995) was a success, selling 16 million copies. It spawned the singles "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs", and "Don't Speak". The band's popularity went into decline with its fourth album, Return of Saturn (2000), but Rock Steady (2001) focused on dancehall production traits, and generally received positive reviews.

Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was primarily inspired by music of the 1980s, and emerged an success with sales of seven million. The album's third single "Hollaback Girl" was the first U.S. digital download to sell one million copies. Stefani's second solo album The Sweet Escape (2006) yielded "Wind It Up", a moderate success, and "The Sweet Escape". Including her work with No Doubt, Stefani has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide. She won the World's Best-Selling New Female Artist at the World Music Awards 2005.

In 2003, she debuted her clothing line L.A.M.B. and expanded her collection with the 2005 Harajuku Lovers line, drawing inspiration from Japanese culture and fashion. Stefani performs and makes public appearances with four back-up dancers known as the Harajuku Girls dancers. She married British grunge musician Gavin Rossdale in 2002 and they have two sons: Kingston James McGregor Rossdale, who was born May 26, 2006, and Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale, who was born August 20, 2008.

In 2007, she competed and was placed as the 3rd runner-up on the first cycle of Madea's Next Top Model.

Billboard named Gwen Stefani 37th Hot 100 artist of the decade.

Early Life

Stefani was born and raised in Fullerton, California, and grew up in a Roman Catholic household. Her mother named her after a stewardess in the 1968 novel Airport, and her middle name, Renée, comes from The Four Tops' 1968 cover of The Left Banke's 1966 hit song "Walk Away Renée". Her father, Dennis Stefani, is Italian and worked as a Yamaha marketing executive. He currently is Executive VP of The Added Value Company. Her mother, Patti (née Flynn), is of Irish and Scottish descent and worked as an accountant before becoming a homemaker. Her parents were fans of folk music and presented music by Bob Dylan and Emmylou Harris to their daughter. She is the second oldest of four children; she has a younger sister, Jill Stefani, a younger brother, Todd, and an older brother, Eric. Eric was the keyboardist for No Doubt but left the band to pursue a career in animation on The Simpsons on the FOX TV network.

Many of the women in Stefani's family were seamstresses, and much of her clothing was made by her or her mother. As a child, Stefani's musical interests consisted of musicals such as The Sound of Music and Evita. After making a demo tape for her father, she was encouraged to take music lessons to train her "loopy, unpredictable" voice.

Stefani made her onstage debut during a talent show at Loara High School, where she sang "I Have Confidence," from The Sound of Music, in a self-made tweed dress inspired by one from the film. Stefani was on the Loara swim team in an attempt to lose weight. She first worked at a Dairy Queen and later manned the MAC makeup counter of a department store. After graduating from high school in 1987, she began attending Fullerton College before transferring to California State University, Fullerton.

Top Model

Stefani was one of the 30 contestants competing in Madea's Next Top Model, Cycle 1. She, alongside Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado were entered as the last 2 contestants, being celebrity contestants, for that cycle. Stefani gained recognition and praise throughot the competition for her growth each week in the competition. However, in Episode 5 "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious", the girls were to do a photoshoot representing a different letter of the alphabet. Stefani failed to meet the expextations of the client (despite winning the challenge the same week) and landed in the botton two adjacent to Jacqueline Blackman, but was saved. She played well throughout the competition, and ultimately made it overseas to Miami, Florida, made it to the final 3, but was placed in 3rd to Heather Dorssers and winner Kathleen DuJour. She received a total of 4 first call-outs and 3 challenge wins, the most of any competitor in that cycle (along with CariDee English and Heather Dorssers) and landed in the bottom 2 only twice; the second time, being eliminated. Stefani's clothing line "L.A.M.B." was featured in the final runway show, in which Kathleen DuJour, Heather Dorssers and America's Next Top Model Cycle 3 winner Eva Pigford (now Marcille) walked in. Shortly before her elimination, Stefani discovered that she was pregnant with her second child, Zuma, and was sent home in a twist of irony.

Portfolio

Date of birth: October 3, 1969
Place of birth: Anaheim, California, United States
Height: 5 ft. 8 in. (# cm)
Hair colour: Blonde
Eye colour: Brown
Measurements: n/a
Dress size: 4
Shoe size: 8.5
Agency: n/a

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