Fergie

Fergie performing at the Jimmy Kimmel Live!

### Associated Acts

Madonna ∙ Britney Spears ∙ Shawn Mendes ∙ Nicki Minaj ∙ Shakira ∙ Christina Aguilera ∙ Cameron Dallas

**Stacy Ann Ferguson** (born March 27, 1975), popularly known by the mononym **Fergie** (/ˈfɜːrɡi), is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She originally achieved chart success as part of the hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas. Her debut solo album, *No Good* (2018), saw commercial success and spawned, for now, a *Billboard* Hot 100 number one single; "M.I.L.F. $".

Fergie was originally a member of the children's television series *Kids Incorporated* and the girl group Wild Orchid. In 2001, she left the group and in the subsequent year joined The Black Eyed Peas. She worked with The Black Eyed Peas on two albums before releasing her debut solo album *The Dutchess* in September 2006. 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).

She signed her solo record label deal in 2017, working on her first solo album. Fergie also launched her first fragrance, *VIVA*, under Avon and has since then made a giant partnership with the brand, sponsoring her music videos, performances and events.

## Early life

Fergie was born in Hacienda Heights, California. Her ancestry includes English, Irish, Mexican, Native American, 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.

## Career

### **1984–2002: Television, Wild Orchid & drugs**

Fergie studied dance and began to do voiceover work; she provided the voice for Sally 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, she 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. 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."

Wild Orchid's first single, "At Night I Pray", debuted on the *Billboard* charts in September 1996. In March 1997, the band released their self-titled debut album, 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. They completed a third album, which their record label declined to release, and Fergie left the group in September 2001. In 2006, Fergie told *Entertainment Weekly* that both frustrations with the band's image and personal drug problems led her to leave Wild Orchid.

While performing with Wild Orchid, Fergie developed an addiction to crystal methamphetamine which followed her after she left the group in 2001. In September 2006, Fergie talked with *Time* magazine 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."

### **2003–2006: The Black Eyed Peas & Josh Duhamel**

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 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 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 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.

Fergie began dating actor Josh Duhamel in September 2004, after she met him when she and the Black Eyed Peas filmed a cameo for an episode of Duhamel's show *Las Vegas*.

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. "Don't Lie", the second single from the album, saw success on the U.S. Hot 100, reaching No. 14, although becoming somewhat more successful in the UK and Australia, reaching a peak of No.6 in both countries. "My Humps", another song from the album, immediately achieved commercial success in the U.S. and fairly substantial radio play despite the sexually suggestive lyrics, reaching number three on the U.S. Hot 100 and number one in Australia, making it their fourth Australian number one single. However, many mocked the song for its poor lyrical content; John Bush, writing for AllMusic, described it as "one of the most embarrassing rap performances of the new millennium". In autumn 2005, The Black Eyed Peas toured with Gwen Stefani, as supporting act. In December 2005, they embarked on the "European Tour". In March 2006, The Black Eyed Peas toured again, as the featured headliner for the Honda Civic Tour.

### **2006–2008: Return to Acting & Engagement**

Fergie returned to acting in 2006, appearing as a lounge singer in the *Poseidon* remake. She later had supporting roles in 2007's *Grindhouse* and the 2009 musical film *Nine*. Fergie and other members of the cast of *Nine* received a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture nomination for their performance in that film. Fergie and Duhamel became engaged in December 2007.

### **2009–2012: Marriage & Return to Black Eyed Peas**

In early 2009, Fergie and Josh Duhamel got married in a Catholic ceremony on January 10, 2009.

Fergie and the group left A&M Records, both Fergie and the group were still with Interscope Records. The group's fifth studio album, *The E.N.D* ("The *E*nergy *N*ever *D*ies"), was released on June 9, 2009. The overall sound of the album has a more electro hop beat rather than the usual hip pop/R&B feeling of their previous albums. In its first week, the album sold 304,000 copies and debuted at number 1 on the *Billboard* 200. They released "Boom Boom Pow" as the lead single from their fifth album, *The E.N.D.*, in March 2009. It went to number one in the United States and became the group's first chart topper. As of March 2011, the album has sold over 3,000,000 copies in the US alone.In France, the album proved to be very successful. It spent 55 weeks inside of the top 10 with 11 at No. 1. They subsequently released a second single from the album, "I Gotta Feeling", which proved an even greater success than the first: it moved from number two behind "Boom Boom Pow" to the top spot in July, and stayed for 14 straight weeks at number one on the *Billboard* Hot 100, the longest stay at the top of 2009. The two hit singles back to back kept The Black Eyed Peas on the top for 26 consecutive weeks, from April 18 through October 16.

"Meet Me Halfway" was released as the third single from the album in September 2009. The single reached number one in the United Kingdom and Australia. It also peaked at seven on the *Billboard* Hot 100. In October 2009, Fergie became a part owner of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins. "Imma Be" was released as the fourth single; it reached number one on the *Billboard* Hot 100 for two weeks. "Rock That Body" was then released as the fifth single and reached number nine on the U.S. charts. In September 2009, the group embarked on The E.N.D World Tour, visiting Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand. In October 2009, they also were the opening acts for 5 concerts of the U2 360° Tour North America leg. The group performed at the Grammys on January 31, 2010. They performed a mash-up of "Imma Be"/"I Gotta Feeling". They won 3 out of the 6 awards they were nominated for including Best Pop Vocal Album for *The E.N.D.*, Best Pop VocalPerformance by a Group for "I Gotta Feeling" and Best Short Form Video for "Boom Boom Pow". On July 27, 2010, The Black Eyed Peas released a remix album: *The E.N.D. Summer 2010 Canadian Invasion Tour: Remix Collection*. It was released on iTunes in Canada only, during the Canadian leg of The E.N.D World Tour. It mostly features remixes of the singles taken from *The E.N.D.* It also features a remix of "Let's Get It Started" taken from *Elephunk*; the remix was also a bonus track on the deluxe edition of *The E.N.D.*. She launched her debut fragrance, *Outspoken*, under Avon in May 2010.

Their sixth studio album, *The Beginning*, was released on November 30, 2010, and received mixed reviews. The album's first single release was called "The Time (Dirty Bit)". In January 2011, she began appearing in Dr Pepper Cherry commercials. "Just Can't Get Enough", the album's second single, was released in February 18, 2011. The music video was released on March 16, 2011, and it was filmed in Tokyo, one week before the earthquake and the tsunami. The video was directed by Ben Mor. The group's third single was "Don't Stop the Party" and it was released on May 10, 2011. On the same day, a music video for the song was released on iTunes, along with the single. The video, which is directed by Ben Mor, features on stage and backstage footage of the group during The E.N.D. World Tour in 2009–10. The video premiered on Vevo on May 12, 2011. On May 22, the group appeared on the 2011 Billboard Music Awards and won 1 of their 4 nominations, for "Top Duo/Group". On the July 6, 2011 during a concert at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, The Black Eyed Peas announced they are taking an indefinite hiatus following the completion of their current tour, as they did between 2005 and 2009.

### **2013–2017: Pregnancy & New Label**

With the announced hiatus from the Black Eyed Peas, Fergie decided to invest her time and energy on her private life, to make up from her past issues - Fergie has stated in several interviews that she is an avid user of hypnotherapy, which she used to overcome her crystal meth addiction and to relax - and also dedicate herself to her marriage and growing the family. As expected, Fergie got pregnant in late 2012, giving birth to a baby boy, Axl Jack, in August 2013.

After spending over five years dedicating herself to her personal life, Fergie decided to start working on her own project - the Black Eyed Peas had no predictions on coming back and Fergie felt like "needing a time to work on my own", as she said in an interview in 2018 for Ryan Seacrest. Fergie got a record label deal with Warner, at her subsidiary Retrofurue, a new label that has its main base on working and investing on its artists on full time and always with them, not for them.

### **2017-present: Solo Career, *No Good* & Worldwide Success**

Fergie's debut solo album, *No Good*, was released in January 2018. It was initially recorded in 2017, and the songs on the album are "from a seven-year period, but [Retrofuture CEO] Gotney heard some [tracks] and was like, 'This is great, let's put it out'. In an interview, Fergie announced that she was "writing about her personal struggles and casting her demons away and feminine power. I'm singing for young girls and women to be strong, and what they’re going through in life, just growing up in this world of uncertainty." "Look At Me" was released as the album's lead single on December 15, 2017; the euro-pop song caused controversy due to its sassy lyrics that talked, indirectly, about her relationships with her fellow Black Eyed Peas members, as well due to the music video, shot in London, on the Tower Bridge and at the "men's only" club, Gentlemen's Club. The song peaked at #4 in the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 at the UK Official Charts, among other top 5 positions in Europe and top 15 at Canada, Australia and Brazil. Fergie made her debut on stage as a solo artist at the Billboard Music Awards, performing "Look At Me" in the red carpet of the event.

Fergie then announced her first solo album, entitled *No Good*, and herself as the executive producer. As she also announced the following single, "M.I.L.F. $", Fergie released a pre-order single along with the album pre-order, a song called "TENS", that featured ballroom MC, Jack Mizrahi. The song turned into a LGBTQ anthem thanks to its homage to the ball culture and the whole LGBTQ scene worldwide, getting a unexpected peak of #20 at the Billboard's Hot 100 and #19 in Brazil, without even being released as an official single.

Still in January, Fergie announced her partnership with Avon, in an exclusive sponsorship that would include her a beauty and fragrance line, as well sponsorship for her videos, promotions, events and more. Fergie released her first fragrance, VIVA, and launched her beauty line as well as her new single was released on the same night.

The official second single off the album, "M.I.L.F. $", a song that inspired Ferg to write it after the birth of her son, Axl, according to Billboard. The music video was conceptualized by Fergie and features a group of famous mothers, including Ciara, Chrissy Teigen, Alessandra Ambrosio, Kim Kardashian West, Gemma Ward, Tara Lynn, Devon Aoki, Angela Lindvall, Isabeli Fontana, Amber Valletta, and Natasha Poly as lingerie-clad 1950s housewives. The song turned into a massive hit, peaking at #1 for three consecutive weeks at #1 in the UK Official Charts, and peaking in #1 for one week at US Billboard Hot 100, as well in Canada, Germany, France and Brazil.

In the week following up to the second single release, Fergie released her album, *No Good*, on January 26, 2018, that included productions from Polow Da Don, Absolute, Scott Storch, Cory Rooney, Jermaine Dupri and more; the album received an green-average note of 65 on Metacritic, in which the critics praised her passion and her start on her solo career at 42. The album broke Miley Cyrus' records on highest sales on first week, record that Ariana Grande took from Fergie a few weeks later.

In late-February 2018, Fergie performed "M.I.L.F. $" at the American Music Awards, in a spetacular performance that included a gigantic scenario, celebrity cameos, platforms and even some comedy sketches. The performance was picked as the Best Performance from the award by GIGWISE and Fergie herself as picked as one of the best dressed of the night by Glamour.

## Discography

*Main Article: Fergie Discography*

* *No Good* (2018)
* *Odyssey Simulator* (2020)