Fergie (singer)

For other uses, see Fergie.

Fergie

Stacy Ann Ferguson (born March 27, 1975), better known by her stage name Fergie, is an American pop singer-songwriter, actress, and occasional 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, of which she is the sole white female member, 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.

Biography

Early life

Ferguson was born in Hacienda Heights, California, the daughter of Terri (née Gore) and Patrick Ferguson. She has one sister, Dana, who is an actress. Her parents are Roman Catholics of Irish, Scottish and Mexican descent. The daughter of devout Catholic schoolteachers, she was raised in a surburan area with strict Roman Catholic values while attending Glen A. Wilson High School and Mesa Robles Middle school. 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. She has struggled with drug addiction admitting to past use of both ecstasy and crystal meth.

Stacy Ferguson.

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's well-scrubbed image on that show presents quite a contrast with the "hip-hop funk" image she has more recently begun to cultivate. 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). She also voiced Sally in the 1985 version of The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show.

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. The role eventually went to Selma Blair. Backing out proved to be a wise move as the film was nearly universally panned for its shallow plot and poor acting. As of January 2006, the film has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 5%. In July 2005, 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. 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, who stars in the television show Las Vegas. They met, and began dating, in September 2004 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 have recently purchased a house together.

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." 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".

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

Music career

Fergie at the 2007 MuchMusic Video Awards

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."

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. 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.

Ferguson's addition to the band, which had enjoyed underground success until then, helped them quickly grow into mainstream popularity.

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."

In December 2007, Blender picked Ferguson as their woman of the year.

Solo career

The Dutchess

Main article: The Dutchess

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 Dutchess is similar in style to that of the Black Eyed Peas, as fellow Peas member will.i.am is the album's executive producer.

Ferguson has had five hit songs from The Dutchess, with "London Bridge", "Glamorous", and "Big Girls Don't Cry" becoming number one singles. Her second single, "Fergalicious", peaked at #2. "London Bridge" reached #2 on the United World Chart, while "Fergalicious" and "Glamorous" both made it to #4. "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.

The 6th U.S single is "Finally" which has almost reached the Top 40 in Airplay. It has yet to chart on iTunes main Top 100 songs, but has reached number 77 on the Pop 100 iTunes songs. On November 18 2007, Ferguson won the Pop or Rock "Favorite Female Artist" at the American Music Awards.

Concert for Diana

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.

Second studio album

Her producer, will.i.am, confirmed that the new album is half done. Despite claims that Ferguson would release her second album in March 1 2008, in an interview with Ryan Seacrest for KIIS FM on 5 December 2007, she stated that she would still be focusing on her highly successful debut and that there was "nothing yet" on her new album.

Discography

Album

Year	Album	Chart positions										Sales/certification
		U.S.	UK	CAN	BR	AUS	NZ	IRL	GER	SWI	WW
2006	The Dutchess 1st studio album Released: September 19, 2006 Formats: CD, digital download	2	18	4	2	1	2	9	11	11	3	RIAA: 3x Platinum ARIA: 3x Platinum Worldwide: 6,300,000+ The Dutchess runs on United World Chart for 68 weeks.

Singles

Year	Title	Album	Chart positions											Accrediations
			U.S. Hot	U.S. Pop	AUS	UK	EUR	CAN	NZ	BR	IRL	GER	UWC	RIAA single certification	ARIA single certification	RIANZ single certification.
2006	"London Bridge"	The Dutchess	1	1	3	3	1	16	1	1	3	3	2	Platinum	Gold	Gold
	"Fergalicious" (featuring will.i.am)		2	1	4	-	9	24	5	1	38	23	4	2x Platinum	Gold	Gold
2007	"Glamorous" (featuring Ludacris)		1	1	2	6	6	12	9	36	3	16	4	2x Platinum	Platinum	Gold
	"Big Girls Don't Cry"		1	1	1	2	3	1	1	1	1	6	1	2x Platinum	2x Platinum	Platinum
	"Clumsy"		5	2	3	62	192	4	4	2	17	50	6	Platinum	Gold	Gold
2008	"Here I Come" (featuring will.i.am)1		122	-	22	-	-	-	39	-	-	-	-
	"Finally" (featuring John Legend)		124	67	-	-	-	61	-	-	-	-	-

• * No official release.
• ¹ "Here I Come" was released in Australia and New Zealand only.

Other appearances

Year	Title	Length	Album
2004	"True" (will.i.am and Fergie)	3:46	50 First Dates: Love song from the Original Motion Picture
2005	"Shut Up and Dance" (Shaggy featuring will.i.am and Fergie)	3:24	Clothes Drop
2006	"Won't Let You Fall"	4:36	Poseidon: Music from the Motion Picture
	"Bailamos"	3:10
	"All Night Long" (Diddy featuring Fergie)	6:25	Press Play
2007	"Glad You're Here" (Macy Gray featuring Fergie)	2:54	Big
	"Impacto (remix)" (Daddy Yankee featuring Fergie)	3:26	El Cartel: The Big Boss
	"Barracuda"	4:39	Shrek the Third: The Motion Picture Soundtrack
	"Just Leave" (H20 featuring Fergie)	4:23	TBA
2008	"Beat It 2008" (Michael Jackson featuring Fergie)	4:10	Thriller 25th Aniversary
	"Party People" (Nelly featuring Fergie)	4:04	Brass Knuckles
	"The Look of Love" (Sérgio Mendes featuring Fergie and will.i.am)	4:00	Encanto

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
1987	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

Awards and nominations

Year	Category	Recording	Result
MTV Australian Video Music Awards
2007	Sexiest Video	"Fergalicious"	Won
MuchMusic Video Awards
2007	Best International Video – Artist	"Fergalicious"	Won
2007	People's Choice: Favourite International Artist	"Fergalicious"	Nominated
Teen Choice Awards
2007	Choice Female Artist	General	Won
MTV Video Music Awards
2007	Best Female Artist	General	Won
Los Premios MTV Latinoamérica
2007	Mejor Artista Nuevo Internacional (Best New International Artist)	General	Won
World Music Awards
2007	World's Best selling R&B Artist	General	Nominated
2007	World's Best selling New Artist	General	Nominated
American Music Awards
2007	Best Pop/Rock Female Artist	General	Won
Grammy Awards
2008	Best Female Pop Vocal Performance	"Big Girls Don't Cry"	Nominated

External links

• Official website
• Official website of the Black Eyed Peas
• Stacy Ferguson at IMDb

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