Gwen Stefani

Singer

Birthday October 3, 1969

Birth Sign Libra

Birthplace Fullerton, California, U.S.

Age 54 years old

Nationality United States

#1115 Most Popular

1968

She was named after a stewardess in the 1968 novel Airport, and her middle name, Renée, comes from the Four Tops' 1968 version of the Left Banke's 1966 song "Walk Away Renée".

Her father Dennis Stefani is Italian American and worked as a Yamaha marketing executive.

Her mother Patti (née Flynn ) is Irish American and worked as an accountant before becoming a homemaker.

Stefani's parents were fans of folk music and exposed her to music by artists like Bob Dylan and Emmylou Harris.

Stefani has two younger siblings, Jill and Todd, and an older brother, Eric.

Eric was the keyboardist for No Doubt before leaving the band to pursue a career in animation on The Simpsons.

1969

Gwen Renée Stefani (born October 3, 1969) is an American singer and songwriter.

Stefani was born on October 3, 1969, in Fullerton, California, and raised Catholic in nearby Anaheim, California.

1986

Her brother Eric introduced Gwen to 2 Tone music by Madness and the Selecter, and, in 1986, he invited her to provide vocals for No Doubt, a ska band he was forming.

1987

She went to Loara High School, where she graduated in 1987.

After high school, she attended Fullerton College and Cypress College.

She then transferred to California State University, Fullerton, but dropped out to pursue her music career.

1991

In 1991, the band was signed to Interscope Records.

1992

The band released its self-titled debut album in 1992, but its ska-pop sound was unsuccessful due to the popularity of grunge.

1994

Before the mainstream success of both No Doubt and Sublime, Stefani contributed guest vocals to "Saw Red" on Sublime's 1994 album Robbin' the Hood.

Stefani rejected the aggressiveness of female grunge artists and cited Blondie singer Debbie Harry's combination of power and sex appeal as a major influence.

1995

She is a co-founder, lead vocalist, and the primary songwriter of the band No Doubt, whose singles include "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs", and "Don't Speak", from their 1995 breakthrough studio album Tragic Kingdom, as well as "Hey Baby" and "It's My Life" from later albums.

No Doubt's third album, Tragic Kingdom (1995), which followed the self-released The Beacon Street Collection (1995), took more than three years to make.

1997

Five singles were released from Tragic Kingdom, including "Don't Speak", which led the Hot 100 Airplay year-end chart of 1997.

Stefani left college for one semester to tour for Tragic Kingdom but did not return when touring lasted two and a half years.

2000

Billboard magazine ranked Stefani the 54th most successful artist and 37th most successful Hot 100 artist of the 2000–2009 decade.

In late 2000, Rolling Stone magazine named her "the Queen of Confessional Pop".

During the time when No Doubt was receiving mainstream success, Stefani collaborated on the singles "You're the Boss" with the Brian Setzer Orchestra, "South Side" with Moby, and "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" with Eve.

No Doubt released the less popular Return of Saturn in 2000, which expanded upon the new wave influences of Tragic Kingdom.

Most of the lyrical content focused on Stefani's often rocky relationship with then-Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale and her insecurities, including indecision on settling down and having a child.

2003

In 2003, she debuted her clothing line L.A.M.B. and expanded her collection with the 2005 Harajuku Lovers line inspired by Japanese culture and fashion.

2004

During the band's hiatus, Stefani embarked on a solo pop career in 2004 by releasing her debut studio album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. Inspired by pop music from the 1980s, the album was a critical and commercial success.

It spawned six singles, including "What You Waiting For?", "Rich Girl", "Hollaback Girl", and "Cool".

"Hollaback Girl" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart while also becoming the first US download to sell one million copies.

The album was nominated for a Grammy and sold more than 16 million copies worldwide by 2004.

2006

In 2006, Stefani released her second studio album, The Sweet Escape.

2007

Among the singles were "Wind It Up" and "The Sweet Escape", the latter of which was number three on the Billboard Hot 100 year-end chart of 2007.

2012

VH1 ranked her 13th on their "100 Greatest Women in Music" list in 2012.

Including her work with No Doubt, Stefani has sold more than 60 million records worldwide.

2016

Her third solo album, This Is What the Truth Feels Like (2016), was her first solo album to reach number one on the Billboard 200 chart.

2017

Her fourth solo album and first full-length Christmas album, You Make It Feel Like Christmas, was released in 2017 and charted 19 tracks on Billboard's Holiday Digital Song Sales component chart in the United States.

2020

Stefani has released several singles with husband Blake Shelton, including "Nobody but You" (2020), which reached number 18 in the US.

Stefani has won three Grammy Awards.

As a solo artist, she has received an American Music Award, a Brit Award, a World Music Award, and two Billboard Music Awards.

She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023.