'''Gwen Renée Stefani'''
[Some sources give Stefani's first name as Gwendolyn, but her first name is simply Gwen. Her listing on the ''California Birth Index'' from the Center for Health Statistics gives a birth name of Gwen Renée Stefani.] (born October 3, 1969) is an American singer, fashion designer, and actress, and is the frontwoman of the pop/ska/rock band No Doubt. She first experienced mainstream success with the release of No Doubt's 1995 album ''
Tragic Kingdom'', which shipped over 10 million copies in the US and spawned the hit singles "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs", and "Don't Speak."
In 2004, Stefani wrote and recorded her first solo album ''Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'' The album contained pop music and dance tracks, and included hip hop and R&B-influences. Its third single "Hollaback Girl" became the first U.S. digital single to exceed sales of one million.
Stefani is currently working on a second solo album due for release in late 2006, and she is also recording with No Doubt on an album that's expected to be released sometime in 2007. She married Bush front man Gavin Rossdale in 2002 and gave birth to her son, Kingston, in 2006.
Early life
Stefani was born in Fullerton, California, but grew up in Anaheim. Her father, Dennis Stefani, is Italian American, and her mother Patti Flynn is of Irish and Scottish descent. She has a sister, Jill, and two brothers, Eric and Todd. Jill appeared in No Doubt's "Just a Girl" music video. Gwen attended California State University, Fullerton, and Loara High School (class of 1987), where she was on the swim team. Her first job was scrubbing floors at a Dairy Queen, and she once worked at the makeup counter of a department store. Her brother Eric was the keyboardist for No Doubt, but eventually left the band to pursue a career in animation on ''The Simpsons''. Other members of the group include Tom Dumont, Tony Kanal, and drummer Adrian Young.
Career
1986—Present: No Doubt
thumb|Stefani on the cover of No Doubt's ''
Tragic Kingdom'', 1995
The band's third album ''
Tragic Kingdom'', which followed their eponymous debut ''No Doubt'' (1992) and ''The Beacon Street Collection'' (1995), took three years to make. During this time, the band almost split up due to the break up of Kanal and Stefani. However, this was to become a major inspiration for Stefani lyrically. The album, released in 1995, was certified diamond in the US for shipping over 10 million copies and sold 15 million copies worldwide.
[http://www.nodoubt.com/band/] Following the success of ''
Tragic Kingdom'', Stefani became highly popular and recognizable. The tension this produced with
