Fergie

Stacy Ann "Fergie" Ferguson (born March 27, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper and actress.

She first achieved chart success as part of the hip hop group the Black Eyed Peas.

She provided the voice for Sally Brown in two made-for-television Peanuts cartoons, It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown (1984) and Snoopy's Getting Married, Charlie Brown (1985), as well as on four episodes of The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show.

From 1984 to 1989, Fergie starred on the TV show Kids Incorporated and was the longest running cast member.

She starred in the first six of the show's nine seasons.

Fergie was a member of the female trio Wild Orchid, which she fronted with Stefanie Ridel and fellow Kids Incorporated star Renee Sandstrom.

By 1992, the girls began meeting with record labels, but they still could not get a recording contract.

They eventually signed a music publishing deal with Sony Publishing before signing a record contract with RCA Records in 1994.

Wild Orchid released their self-titled debut album in March 1997, which debuted at #153 on the Billboard 200.

In September 1998, they released their second album, Oxygen, which was a commercial failure, only selling 200,000 copies worldwide.

From June 16 to August 28, 1999, they opened for Cher's Do You Believe? tour alongside Cyndi Lauper, which took them to 52 cities across the United States and Canada.

The following spring, shortly before Elephunk came out, Interscope chairman Jimmy Iovine offered Fergie a permanent spot to take over vocal duties and fill the void left by background singer Kim Hill's departure in 2000.

In 2001, she left the group and in the subsequent year joined the Black Eyed Peas.

They completed a third album, which their record label declined to release, and Fergie left the group in September 2001.

In a positive review of the Black Eyed Peas' new-found style, Rolling Stone noted that since 2002, when the group "hired a blond bombshell named Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson and gave up their pursuit of backpack-rapper cred, they have made a kind of spiritual practice of recording futuristic songs – a total aesthetic commitment that extends from their garish wardrobes to their United Colors of Benetton worldview."

From Elephunk came "Where is the Love?", which became the Black Eyed Peas' first major hit: it peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the charts in several other countries.

The album subsequently spawned "Shut Up", which topped the charts in many markets.

The Black Eyed Peas were recording their third album, Elephunk (2003), when will.i.am invited Fergie to try out for a song called "Shut Up".

She secured the gig and instantly bonded with the trio, going on to record five additional songs on the album.

The third single from the album, "Hey Mama", reached the top 10 in several European countries and later peaked at number twenty-three in the United States in 2004.

Their next album, Monkey Business, was released on June 7, 2005, and debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart, selling over 295,000 copies in its first week and was later certified triple platinum by the RIAA.

Their next and last commercially released single from the album was "Pump It", which borrows much of its sound from "Misirlou", specifically Dick Dale's version; it peaked at number 8 in Australia but 18 in America.

The album's first single, "Don't Phunk with My Heart", was a hit in the United States, reaching number three on the U.S. Hot 100 and earned them another Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.

Her debut solo album, The Dutchess (2006), saw commercial success and spawned three Billboard Hot 100 number one singles: "London Bridge", "Glamorous", and "Big Girls Don't Cry".

Fergie was originally a member of the children's television series Kids Incorporated and the girl group Wild Orchid.

She worked with the Black Eyed Peas on two albums before releasing her debut solo album, The Dutchess, in 2006.

Fergie has additionally appeared as an actress in various films, such as Poseidon (2006), Grindhouse (2007), and Nine (2009).

In 2006, Fergie told Entertainment Weekly that both frustrations with the band's image and personal drug problems led her to leave Wild Orchid.

In April 2007, she gave an interview in which she admitted that she went on a sex and drugs spree when she turned eighteen, 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."

She continued her collaboration with the Black Eyed Peas and released a further two albums with them, The E.N.D. (2009) and The Beginning (2010).

Her footwear line, Fergie Footwear, was launched in 2009.

Ferguson was born in Hacienda Heights, California, to Terri (née Gore) and Jon Patrick Ferguson.

Her father died in September 2021 at age 74.

She has a younger sister named Dana Ferguson.

Her ancestry includes English, Irish, Mexican, and Scottish.

She was raised Roman Catholic and attended Mesa Robles Middle School and Glen A. Wilson High School.

She was a cheerleader, straight-A student, spelling bee champion, and Girl Scout.

Fergie studied dance and began to do voiceover work.

She launched her first fragrance, Outspoken, under Avon in May 2010 and has since released four more fragrances.

Her second solo album, Double Dutchess, was released in 2017.