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Fergie (singer)

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Fergie

Stacy Ann Ferguson (born March 27, 1975), better known by her stage name Fergie, is an American pop singer-songwriter, actress, and rapper. She is a former member of the kids' television series Kids Incorporated, and the girl group Wild Orchid. Ferguson was also a co-host of the television show Great Pretenders. She is currently a vocalist for the hip hop/pop group the Black Eyed Peas, as well as a solo artist, releasing her debut album, The Dutchess, in 2006. The album has so far spawned three U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number one singles and five Top 5 hits, making The Dutchess the seventh album from a female artist to spawn five Top 5 hits.[1]

Biography

Early life

Ferguson was born in Hacienda Heights, California, the daughter of Terri Jackson (née Gore) and Patrick Ferguson.[2] She has one sister, Dana, who is an actress. Her parents are Roman Catholics of Irish, Scottish and Mexican descent.[3][4] The daughter of devout Catholic schoolteachers, she was raised in a suburban area with strict Roman Catholic values while attending Glen A. Wilson High School and Mesa Robles Middle school.[5] She is quoted as saying that as a child she was so hyperactive, doctors wanted to put her on Ritalin until her mom vetoed the idea. Through dance school, her mom found her an agent and voiceover work, providing the voices for Lucy and Sally in Peanuts cartoons. From 1984 to 1989, she spent summers performing chart hits on the TV show Kids Incorporated. All that time she was a straight-A student. She was even a spelling bee champion.[6] She has struggled with drug addiction admitting to past use of both ecstasy and crystal meth.[7]

Acting career

As a child actress, Ferguson appeared on the television program Kids Incorporated for several years with Renee Sandstrom, who became a fellow member of Wild Orchid. On the show, the actress displayed her singing talents, singing Whitney Houston's "One Moment In Time". Ferguson was the voice of Sally Brown in two Charlie Brown specials: It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown (1984), and Snoopy's Getting Married, Charlie Brown (1985).

In July 2003, Ferguson had a guest role on the Rocket Power special, Reggie's Big Beach Break, on Nickelodeon; she voiced a fictitious pop music star named Shaffika. In March 2005, casting for Revolution Studios's big-budget remake of John Carpenter's The Fog was underway. Ferguson was set to return to acting in the role of lighthouse radio deejay Stevie Wayne (a part originated by scream queen Adrienne Barbeau). A last minute conflict arose, preventing her contract from closing and Ferguson left the project.[8] The role eventually went to Selma Blair. Ferguson finally returned to acting in 2006, appearing as lounge singer Gloria in Wolfgang Peterson's remake of The Poseidon Adventure. She later appeared in 2007's Grindhouse.

Personal life

Ferguson is engaged to actor Josh Duhamel,[9] who starred in the television show Las Vegas. They met, and began dating, in September 2004[10] when she and her band appeared on Duhamel's show (in an episode titled "Montecito Lancers", which aired on November 1, 2004). Ferguson and Duhamel purchased a house together in 2007.[11]

In April 2007, she gave an interview in which she admitted that she went on a sex and drugs spree when she turned 18, saying: "I have had lesbian experiences in the past. I won't say how many men I've had sex with—but I am a very sexual person."[12] In December 2007 when asked "Bisexuality and homosexuality are often either frowned or mocked upon in certain circles. Does that bother you?", she replied "No, it doesn’t bother me. I’m just me".[13]

Ferguson was featured on Maxim's Hot 100 Women of 2006, and voted in at position #36.[14] In 2007, she was voted in at #10.[15]

Fergie has stated in several interviews that she is an avid user of hypnosis, which she used to overcome her crystal meth addiction and which she currently uses to relax when she gets stressed out.[16][17]

Music career

Early works and the Black Eyed Peas: 1991-2005

Ferguson was a member of the female trio Wild Orchid, which she fronted with Stefanie Ridel and fellow Kids Incorporated star Renee Sandstrom. Wild Orchid released two albums, but after completing a third album, their record label declined to release it, and she left the group shortly thereafter. Her disappointment with Wild Orchid led to an addiction to crystal methamphetamine. In September 2006, Ferguson talked with Time about quitting her crystal meth addiction. "It was the hardest boyfriend I ever had to break up with," she says. "It's the drug that's addicting. But it's why you start doing it in the first place that's interesting. A lot of it was being a child actor; I learned to suppress feelings."[18]

In 2003, the Black Eyed Peas were recording their third album, 2003's Elephunk, when Will.i.am invited Fergie to try out for a song called Shut Up (Black Eyed Peas song). She got the gig and instantly bonded with the trio to record five additional songs on the album.

In the following spring, shortly before Elephunk came out, Interscope chairman Jimmy Iovine had offered Ferguson a permanent spot to take over vocal duties and fill the spot left void by background singer Kim Hill, who had left the group in 2000. When Will of the group was asked to sum up his bandmates, he called Fergie the "body" of the group.[19]

In 2005, Ferguson inadvertently urinated on stage during a performance at San Diego's Street Scene festival. Ferguson later commented on the incident: "I had a few drinks before the show, but I didn't think to go to the bathroom before we went onstage. We were jumping around...and my bladder just started."[20][21]

Solo career: 2006-present

After two successful Black Eyed Peas albums, Ferguson began pursuing a solo career. Her first album, released on September 19, 2006, was entitled The Dutchess. The album's name is a misspelled variant of the former title of Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, with whom Ferguson shares a surname and popular nickname. The solo deal does not mean the demise of the Black Eyed Peas, as Ferguson intends to remain with the group, alternating between the two duties. The album is similar in style to that of the Black Eyed Peas, as fellow Peas member will.i.am is the album's executive producer.

The Dutchess spawned six hits for Ferguson, beginning with "London Bridge", "Fergalicious", "Glamorous", "Big Girls Don't Cry" ,"Clumsy", and "Finally." Her second single, "Fergalicious", peaked at #2 on the Billboard Charts. "London Bridge" reached #2 on the United World Chart, while "Fergalicious" and "Glamorous" both made it to #4; the latters all reached #1 in the U.S. "Big Girls Don't Cry" became Ferguson's first worldwide #1 single, and is her most successful single to date. "Clumsy" was announced as the fifth single from The Dutchess after the major international success of "Big Girls Don't Cry". Ferguson has received her fifth Top 5 solo track from The Dutchess after "Clumsy" earned at #5 position on the Billboard Hot 100, on 22 December 2007.

In addition to promoting her albums and singles, Ferguson appeared at Wembley Stadium on 1 July, 2007, performing "Glamorous" and "Big Girls Don't Cry" in a concert for the late Princess Diana put on by her two sons Prince William and Prince Harry; the DVD of the concert was released 5 November, 2007.

On November 18, 2007, Ferguson won the Pop or Rock "Favorite Female Artist" at the American Music Awards.[22] In addition, her song "Big Girls Don't Cry" also earned Ferguson a Grammy nomination for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance," of which she lost. In December 2007, Blender picked Ferguson as their woman of the year.[23]

During the 2008 Idol Gives Back, Ferguson also did a performance duet with Ann Wilson of Heart. The two (with Nancy Wilson on guitar) performed "Barracuda".

On April 23, 2008, her song "Labels or Love" leaked onto the internet. The song was recorded for the upcoming Sex and the City film soundtrack. In an Entertainment Weekly interview, director and writer Michael Patrick King stated that "it’s an entirely new song with lyrics, but it has the Sex and the City theme as the DNA — on steroids.”

Fergie is doing a collaboration with Jpop superstar Kumi Koda. The two have been reported to be very close friends and are featured together in many photoshoots, such as in the popular Japanese style magazine S-Cawaii,[24] and more recently, a shoot for a music video taken in Atlantic Station, Atlanta. The collaboration is titled "That Ain't Cool", and will be featured on Kumi's 40th single "Moon".[25] It is due to be released in Japan on June 11.

Discography

Main article: Fergie discography

Awards and nominations

Year Presenter Award Result
2007 MTV Australian Video Music Awards Sexiest Video:
"Fergalicious" 		Won
MuchMusic Video Awards Best International Video – Artist:
"Fergalicious" 		Won
People's Choice: Favourite International Artist:
"Fergalicious" 		Nominated
Teen Choice Awards Choice Female Artist Won
MTV Video Music Awards Best Female Artist Won
Los Premios MTV Latinoamérica Mejor Artista Nuevo Internacional (Best New International Artist) Won
World Music Awards World's Best selling R&B Artist Nominated
World's Best selling New Artist Nominated
American Music Awards Best Pop/Rock Female Artist Won
2008 Grammy Awards Best Female Pop Vocal Performance:
"Big Girls Don't Cry" 		Nominated
People's Choice Awards Favorite Female Singer Nominated
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Female Singer Nominated
Juno Awards Best International Album Nominated
ASCAP Song Of Year:
"Big Girls Don't Cry" 		Won

Selected filmography

Year Title Role Other notes Genre
1984 It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown Sally Brown Voice only Animation/Short/Family/Musical
1985 Snoopy's Getting Married, Charlie Brown Sally Brown Voice only Animation/Short
1986 Monster in the Closet Lucy Comedy/Horror
1998 Outside Ozona Girl Comedy/Drama/Horror
2005 Be Cool Herself Comedy
2006 Poseidon Gloria Action-Adventure
2007 Planet Terror Tammy Visan Robert Rodriguez's half of Grindhouse Action/Horror

References

  1. ^ http://billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003633227 Billboard.com
  2. ^ CANOE - JAM! - Interview with hip-hop diva Stacy Ferguson
  3. ^ Details magazine on Gwen Stefani and Fergie at We’ve moved to www.racialicious.com - update your bookmarks!
  4. ^ Fergie Singer, age 32 | Independent, The (London) | Find Articles at BNET.com
  5. ^ Give Peas A Chance Article on Blender :: The Ultimate Guide to Music and More
  6. ^ Give Peas A Chance Article on Blender :: The Ultimate Guide to Music and More
  7. ^ Usmagazine.com | Fergie Discusses Kicking Meth, Thinking Outside the Bun
  8. ^ The Fog Review - Read Variety's Analysis Of The Movie The Fog
  9. ^ "Actor Josh Duhamel, Fergie Engaged". MSN. 2007-12-26. MSN.com
  10. ^ "Josh Duhamel Reveals His Pick-Up Line on Fergie". People. 2007-06-19. People.com
  11. ^ "Duhamel is hot, but he calls Fergie bigger star". MSNBC. 2007-06-19.
  12. ^ FERGIE: I WAS A LESBIAN - Mirror.co.uk
  13. ^ Allhiphop.com "Fergie, Glamour Girl", Archna Sawjani, retrieved 1 January 2008
  14. ^ http://www.maximonline.com/slideshows/index.aspx?slideId=1941&imgCollectId=94&src=GM7070:MD Maximonline.com
  15. ^ http://www.maximonline.com/Girls/Fergie/slideshow/1134/47.aspx?src=GM7070:MD Maxim Magazine
  16. ^ http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/fergie%20goes%20hypnotic
  17. ^ http://www.dotspotter.com/news/710810_Fergie_Uses_Hypnotherapy_to_Fight_Meth_Urge
  18. ^ Fergie discusses her past problems Toronto.24hrs.ca
  19. ^ Give Peas A Chance Article on Blender :: The Ultimate Guide to Music and More
  20. ^ Touré (October 3 2006). Fergie Dances With Herself. Rollingstone.com. Accessed October 7 2007.
  21. ^ Fergie discusses the urination incident Askmen.com
  22. ^ http://abc.go.com/primetime/ama/index?pn=winners
  23. ^ "E! report about Fergie and Blender magazine". E!. 19 December 2007. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  24. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKpEyZ-1mpY
  25. ^ http://www.rhythmzone.net/koda/info/newrelease0806.html
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