Gwen Renee Stefani (born October 3, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer and occasional actress. Stefani made her debut in 1992 as the frontwoman of the third wave ska band No Doubt. The group's album Tragic Kingdom (1995) propelled them to stardom and sold more than fifteen million copies worldwide. It spawned the singles "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs", and the airplay number-one "Don't Speak". The band's popularity went into decline with Return of Saturn (2000), but Rock Steady (2001) introduced reggae production into their music, which was generally well-received.
Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album contains pop and dance tracks and influence from hip hop and R&B. Its third single "Hollaback Girl" became the first U.S. digital download to exceed sales of one million and "Cool" was one of 2005's most popular radio singles. The Sweet Escape (2006), Stefani's second solo album, was preceded by the single "Wind It Up".
In the media, Stefani is known as a fashion trendsetter, and she debuted her clothing line, L.A.M.B., in 2003. It includes many accessories as well as jackets and jeans and she is producing new material set for an early 2007 release.
