Claim: Gwen Stefani was inspired by top-charting pop music from the 1980's.

Gwen Renée Stefani -LRB- -LSB- gwɛn_ˈstəˈfɑːni -RSB- born October 3 , 1969 -RRB- is an American singer , songwriter , fashion designer , actress , and television personality . She is the co-founder and lead vocalist of the band No Doubt that experienced major success after their breakthrough studio album Tragic Kingdom -LRB- 1995 -RRB- along with various successful singles , including `` Just a Girl '' , `` Do n't Speak '' , `` Hey Baby '' , and `` It 's My Life '' . During the band 's hiatus , Stefani embarked on a solo pop career in 2004 by releasing her debut studio album Love . Angel . Music . Baby . Inspired by pop music from the 1980s , the album was met with both critical and commercial success . It spawned three commercially successful singles : `` What You Waiting For ? '' , `` Rich Girl '' , and `` Hollaback Girl '' , the latter reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 while also becoming the first US download to sell one million copies . In 2006 Stefani released her second studio album The Sweet Escape . The album produced two successful singles : `` Wind It Up '' and the album 's title track `` The Sweet Escape '' . Her third solo album This Is What the Truth Feels Like was released in March 2016 and became her first solo number-one album on the Billboard 200 .   Stefani has won three Grammy Awards . As a solo artist she has received various accolades , including an American Music Award , Brit Award , World Music Award and two Billboard Music Awards . In 2003 , she debuted her clothing line L.A.M.B. and expanded her collection with the 2005 Harajuku Lovers line , drawing inspiration from Japanese culture and fashion . Stefani performs and makes public appearances with four back-up dancers known as the Harajuku Girls . She was married to British musician Gavin Rossdale from 2002 to 2015 and they have three sons . Billboard magazine ranked Stefani the 54th most successful artist and 37th most successful Hot 100 artist of the 2000 -- 09 decade . VH1 ranked her 13th on their `` 100 Greatest Women in Music '' list in 2012 . Including her work with No Doubt , Stefani has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide .