 |  | | Full Name: | Gwen Renee Stefani | | | Birthday: | 10/3/1969 | | | Sign: | Libra | | | Eye Color: | Brown Height: 5' 6" | | | Hometown: | Fullerton, California | | | | | Relationship Status: | Gwen married singer Gavin Rossdale in 2002. Their son, Kingston James McGregor Rossdale, was born on May 26, 2006. The family divides their time between California and London. While she was singing with the band “No Doubt,” Gwen had a seven-year relationship with bassist Tony Kanal, who balked at the idea of marriage. | | | Big Break: | During the period when her relationship with Tony Kanal was breaking up, in the mid-1990s, Gwen wrote some of her most touching and important songs. The resulting album, “Tragic Kingdom” (1995), was the record that made her a household name. | | | Best Known For: | Gwen first rose to fame as the lead singer of “No Doubt.” She has recently achieved remarkable success on her own. In 2005, Gwen received 5 Grammy nominations for her solo album “Love. Angel. Music. Baby.” | | | Cool Facts: | Gwen is a distant cousin of Madonna: “Before ending up in Anaheim, my grandpa first moved to Detroit from Rome. And my dad’s mom’s younger sister’s husband’s mother is a Ciccone.”
Gwen is well known for her eclectic fashion style, which mixes vintage and designer label clothes. She has launched two fashion lines of her own. | | | Quick Bio: | Gwen was born in 1969 to Dennis Stefani, an Italian-American Yamaha employee who moonlighted as a folk musician, and his Scotch-Irish wife, Patti Flynn. She has one sister and two brothers. Her best friend growing up, Becky DelliCarpini, is now a member of her band. Gwen was graduated from Loara High School in 1987. She began her career scrubbing the floor at a local Dairy Queen, and moved on to selling makeup at a department store. Gwen’s first performance was at a local talent show, where she joined forces with her brother Eric, a keyboard player and songwriter, and his friend John Spence, a talented singer. This trio was the core of what eventually became the group “No Doubt.” They played their first official gig on New Year’s eve 1986/1987. Bass player Tony Kanal, who had attended one of their early performances, soon became a member of the band. John Spence, originally “No Doubt’s” lead singer, committed suicide in 1987. His death left Gwen as lead singer. Gwen says that performing before a raucous (mostly male) heavy metal audience was sometimes quite difficult for her. Guitarist Tom Dumont joined the band in 1988, and drummer Adrian Young came aboard a year later. “No Doubt’s” eclectic musical influences range from New Wave to reggae. “No Doubt’s” first album was released in 1992. Very few people were listening: Gwen remembers calling radio stations to request their songs. Their second album, “The Beacon Street Collection,” which came out in 1992, did a little better. Eric Stefani, Gwen’s brother, left the group in 1994 to pursue a career in animation. After her brother left, Gwen started writing her own songs. The powerful songs she wrote about the souring of her relationship with bass player Tony Kanal brought the group great critical acclaim. “Tragic Kingdom” has sold over 15 million copies worldwide. “Don’t Speak,” the third single from that album, topped the Billboard chart for 16 weeks. Their next album, “Return to Saturn” (2000) was a disappointment to many fans, but their subsequent effort, “Rock Steady” (2001), won two Grammy awards. Gwen’s began work on her first solo album in 2002. It was released to great acclaim in 2004, and Gwen followed up with a very successful solo tour. | | | Other Notes: | Want to have some fun with Gwen? Check out her word search puzzle! | | | |
