(1975-)

Who Is Fergie?

Singer Fergie began her career by appearing in commercials and on the cast of Kids Incorporated in 1984. She later joined the hip-hop rock band the Black Eyed Peas and their 2003 album, Elephunk, became a hit, driven by singles like "Where Is The Love?" and "Hey Mama." Fergie has also released two albums as a solo artist, The Dutchess and Double Dutchess.

Early Life

Born Stacy Ann Ferguson on March 27, 1975, in Hacienda Heights, California, singer-songwriter Fergie would go on to become a member of the popular hip-hop/rock group the Black Eyed Peas as well as a successful solo artist.

Fergie started out as an actress, appearing in commercials and doing voice work before joining the cast of Kids Incorporated in 1984. The show featured the members of a fictional musical group called Kids Incorporated and gave Fergie a chance to demonstrate her singing ability. It first ran in syndication and was later acquired by the Disney Channel. Along with Fergie, the program showcased other upcoming performers, such as Jennifer Love Hewitt and Eric Balfour. She stayed with the show for six seasons.

In the 1990s, Fergie joined forces with Stefanie Ridel and former Kids Incorporated cast member Renee Sands (also known as Renee Sandstrom) to form the pop group Wild Orchid. They released their first self-titled album in 1996, which spawned the modest hits "At Night I Pray," "Talk to Me" and "Supernatural." Their 1998 follow-up album, Oxygen, did not fare as well as their initial effort.

With her musical career failing to take off, Fergie began partying a lot and eventually developed an addiction to crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as crystal meth. She eventually decided to end her hard-partying ways, kicking her drug habit in 2002. In a later interview with TIME magazine, Fergie said that crystal meth "was the hardest boyfriend I ever had to break up with."

The Black Eyed Peas

As she worked on getting her life back together, Fergie joined the Black Eyed Peas, an emerging hip-hop group with a popular following. Her first album with the group was 2003's Elephunk, which became a huge smash driven by several successful singles, including "Where Is The Love?" (which also featured vocals by Justin Timberlake) and "Hey Mama." The group won a Grammy Award for best rap performance by a duo or group for the song "Let's Get It Started"—another hit from Elephunk.

The band, which also includes apl.de.ap, will.i.am and Taboo, released a 2005 follow-up album, Monkey Business, which reached the top of the rap, R&B and hip-hop charts and made it to No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Showing the diverse nature of their music, the group won the Grammy Award for best rap performance for "Don't Phunk With My Heart" in 2005, and the Grammy for best pop performance for "My Humps" in 2006.

The Black Eyed Peas enjoyed another wave of chart success in 2009 with the release of The E.N.D. The recording reached the top of the Billboard album charts helped by such songs as "I Gotta Feeling" and "Boom Boom Pow." The group followed in 2010 with their sixth studio album, The Beginning.

Solo Success

In 2006, Fergie fulfilled a dream she had since her Wild Orchid days—making her own solo album. With The Dutchess, she reached the top of the charts with such hits as "London Bridge," "Glamorous" and "Big Girls Don't Cry." Fergie shows off her ability to handle diverse styles and moods on the recording, from emotional ballads to hip-hop infused dance tracks to songs with reggae-flavored undertones.

Continuing to pursue a solo career, Fergie contributed the song "A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)" to the Great Gatsby soundtrack in 2013. The following year, Fergie delivered the single "L.A. Love (La La)."

In 2017, the singer released her second studio album, Double Dutchess, which includes collaborations with Nicki Minaj, YG and Rick Ross. Around that time, will.i.am said the Black Eyed Peas were moving forward on a new album without Fergie, signaling the end of her contributions to the group.

Fashion, Film and TV

In addition to her music, Fergie has been recognized for her good looks. She was selected as one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" in 2004. In 2007, Fergie was featured in a series of advertisements for Candies, a shoe, clothing and accessories company. A big fan of fashion, Fergie has done more than just model. She also inked a deal to design two handbag collections for Kipling North America.

Returning to her acting roots, Fergie took on small roles in such films as Poseidon (2006) and Grindhouse (2007). She also appeared in the 2009 musical Nine, with Daniel Day-Lewis, Penelope Cruz and Judi Dench, and the following year she contributed voice work to Marmaduke.

Shortly after releasing her second album in January 2018, Fergie began hosting the singing competition show The Four. She also sang the national anthem before that year's NBA All-Star Game, a jazzy, sultry performance that ignited a social media firestorm.

Personal Life

In January 2009, Fergie wed actor Josh Duhamel. They welcomed their first child, Axl Jack, in August 2013. In September 2017, the couple announced that they were separating after eight years of marriage. “With absolute love and respect we decided to separate as a couple earlier this year,” they said in a joint statement. “To give our family the best opportunity to adjust, we wanted to keep this a private matter before sharing it with the public. We are and will always be united in our support of each other and our family.”

QUICK FACTS

Name: Stacy Ann Ferguson
Birth Year: 1975
Birth date: March 27, 1975
Birth State: California
Birth City: Hacienda Heights
Birth Country: United States
Gender: Female
Best Known For: Singer Fergie has enjoyed success as a member of the hip-hop group the Black Eyed Peas and as a solo artist.
Industries