Just a Girl, Don't Speak, Hollaback Girl
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$100 Million
Whether it’s punk music, pop, or even appearing on a reality television competition, Gwen Stefani has been able to succeed at it all. Not many people could’ve guessed that Stefani’s career would change so much, but looking back, it shouldn’t have been a big surprise how famous she’d become.
Born on October 3, 1969 in Fullerton, California, Stefani came from a middle class family that provided her with a very normal upbringing. When she was only 17 years old, Stefani would join her first band, alongside her brother Eric. The group would be dubbed No Doubt, and originally had been a ska band with Stefani taking the role of lead singer.
Even though they were formed in the mid 1980s, No Doubt was having trouble gaining attention from record labels. After trying for several years to achieve mainstream success, they eventually were signed by Interscope Records in the early 1990s. Still a ska band at this point, No Doubt released their first album, but it would unfortunately be a huge flop.
After another album in 1995 that didn’t see much national attention, No Doubt had their breakthrough with “Tragic Kingdom”. The album featured the hit songs “Just a Girl”, “Spiderwebs” and “Don’t Speak”, with several other songs reaching the charts. It seemed like overnight, No Doubt was on top of the world with Stefani leading the charge.
Stefani herself hadn’t anticipated just how big the album would be, as she was actually enrolled in college at the time. She would drop out of school as her career took off, having to spend most of her time while on tour. Stefani was a hot name in music all of a sudden, and was being asked to collaborate with other singers apart from No Doubt, working with the likes of Moby and Eve.
No Doubt would take some time off to write their next album, taking five years until they released “Return of Saturn” that included the songs “Ex-Girlfriend” and “Bathwater”. It wasn’t as big of a hit as “Tragic Kingdom”, but still kept No Doubt in the public eye. The next year, in 2001, No Doubt would again have a hit album, this time releasing “Rock Steady” that had the hits “Hey Baby” and “Underneath It All”.
With a solo career starting to bloom, Stefani would get away from the group to release her first solo album “Love. Angel. Music. Baby.” that was a huge hit with fans and critics alike. With songs like “Hollaback Girl” and “Cool”, Stefani was a bona fide solo star, earning herself several Grammy Award nominations in the process. Though she didn’t win one for her album, she’s won three for “Let Me Blow Ya Mind”, “Underneath It All” and “Hey Baby”.
As her solo career continued to have success, No Doubt would go on a hiatus, with many thinking that they wouldn’t have a reunion. At this point, Stefani had made many references to possibly becoming a mother, especially after having dated Bush lead singer Gavin Rossdale for a decade. The two would get married in September 2002, and would have three sons. In 2015, though, the couple would split up.
Stefani was far from done with singing after becoming a mother, releasing the album “The Sweet Escape”. In 2008, though, fans that had been hoping for a No Doubt reunion would get their wish as they announced that they were back in the studio and working on a new album. It took quite some time before they finally released their album, but came out with “Push and Shove” in 2012, their only album since 2001’s “Rock Steady”.
Talking about the years leading up to the album, Stefani said that “I had a really rough few years...We hadn’t been together since my solo record, so it was amazing, but I think I really physically and emotionally (hurt) myself. I came from that tour just drained. I knew they had been waiting, and we were going to make this record, and there was a lot of pressure. We tried to write it, but it took so long, and I just don’t think I had anything left in me to bring. It has to come from within.”
As if Stefani’s career wasn’t already at its peak, she would join the NBC series “The Voice” as one of the coaches. It’s a role that she’s held ever since, and it actually helped her meet her current boyfriend. That’s because another coach on the series is country singer Blake Shelton, and the two have been in a relationship since back in 2015 following both of them getting divorced.
One of the most watched programs of 2017 would even belong to Stefani, as she had a Christmas special called “You Make It Feel Like Christmas”. While also being a major part of “The Voice”, Stefani is also involved in a Las Vegas residency and also endorses several products, while also having her own fashion line. The future figures to be bright for Stefani, as she’s still one of the biggest names in music as she approaches her 50s, with no signs of slowing down.
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