Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefaniis an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer, and actress. She is the co-founder and lead vocalist of the rock band No Doubt. During the band's hiatus, Stefani embarked on a solo career where she pursued an interest in mainstream popular music. The singer has explored a variety of genres throughout her career, including dance, dancehall, electro, hip hop, and reggae. She has been called a "pop princess" by numerous publications and has inspired several musicians over the years...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPop Singer
Date of Birth3 October 1969
CityFullerton, CA
CountryUnited States of America
I've always worked really hard, and the hardest thing I've ever done is have kids!
I've made clothes my whole life, but I was just naive about the fashion world. But I think it's successful because I've been really involved. Picking the samples, inspirations, color palette.
There's nothing that compares to being in a band with your best friends. We're so comfortable together, we understand each other. It feels, like, normal. Whereas solo period felt like I was trying to be something, and play a role, and pretend.
I grew up near Disneyland, and my brother's an animator, so I was always really inspired by bright, cartoony colors and that whole feeling of happiness.
To write an album takes so much focus and selfish time, to just write and think about your life. For me. Maybe not for other people.
I love Vivienne Westwood. So much. Every time I go to London, first thing I do is go in there. It's ridiculous!
I think when I first started discovering I could write songs, I was so naive. And it was after I got broken up with and had my heart sliced up into a bunch of little pieces that I was like, "I'm going to say this." I didn't even know how to play guitar.
We [No Doubt] were making music that was the opposite of grunge and what was popular on the radio, and we were fine with that. And for a garage band, we were massive! We were already successful in our own minds.
I think after doing Push and Shove and having it not be successful, I lost a lot of confidence. Songwriting, for me, has always been traumatic, and I've always made all these excuses. But I've realized that you have to just accept that it was a gift: "I don't know where it came from, I don't know how I did it, but I did write all those songs, and I gotta do it again."
I had done the No Doubt record Push and Shove, and that was a real challenge for me: I think after the giving birth twice, going on multiple tours, all the stuff that I had done, I really got quite burned out after that.
I like the old, vintage Hollywood look.
I remember so vividly the first song I ever wrote. It was called 'Different People.'
It's superfun being a mom, but it's hard too.
My mom always said I was the peacemaker in the family. My older brother, Eric, was the leader, the creative one. I was just his puppet.