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13 Things You Didn't Know About Voice Coach Gwen Stefani
From her signature red lip to her long-running music career, the No Doubt front woman is a true pop icon.
While there have been many legends to sit in The Voice's red chairs, Gwen Stefani is one of the most powerhouse forces to grace the game.
The SoCal ska-pop queen has been rocking the radio waves since the early 90s, boasting a three-decade career of infectious hits, iconic style looks, and life-changing red chair spins. From her rise to fame with No Doubt to her emergence as a cosmetic mogul, Stefani continues to up the ante with each career move. Stefani's talent is timeless, and we can't get enough of learning more about her life, her sweet romance with fellow Voice Coach Blake Shelton, and evolution as an artist.
As one of the most seasoned Coaches on The Voice, fans never tire of her charismatic energy and electrifying discography. Read on to learn some seriously interesting facts about the "Hollaback Girl" herself, Gwen Stefani.
1. Gwen Stefani has the 2,764th Hollywood Walk of Fame star
Stefani became the proud recipient of the 2,764th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 19, 2023. Joining her husband on the legendary walkway, Stefani has been recognized for her extraordinary achievements within the music industry throughout her sprawling career. Shelton gave a touching speech about his wife's many achievements, and not a dry eye was left in the crowd.
RELATED: Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton Were So Cute at His Walk of Fame Ceremony
“Gwen Stefani is the pride and joy of California!” boasts the announcement on the Hollywood Walk of Fame's website. “Not only is she an acclaimed singer/songwriter and performer, Gwen is also a talented fashion designer and cosmetics mogul. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is ready to welcome not "Just a Girl" but a mega talent to the Hollywood Walk of Fame!”
2. Gwen Stefani started wearing her signature red lip in high school
A style icon in every way, Stefani has become renowned for her signature scarlet lip. In a 2012 interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Stefani explained the red lip began when she was still in high school after her grandmother gifted her the crimson shade.
Stefani recalled sitting in her "beat-up Honda Prelude and putting on that lipstick in the rearview mirror and being like, 'Uh-huh, I like that. That's the sh-t right there.' I never stopped after that."
3. Gwen Stefani's iconic ponytail first appeared in the video for No Doubt's breakout single
Every Stefani stan knows her bright red lip is often paired with her platinum blonde ponytail, a look that has become part of Stefani's retro-loving aesthetic. The origins of this look span back to the single responsible for skyrocketing No Doubt to fame, the feminist rock anthem "Just a Girl." The famed music video introduced the world to Stefani and the ska-punk rockers with stylistic flair, and it was all thanks to Stefani's artistic eye.
RELATED: Gwen Stefani Colored Half Her Hair Jet-Black in New Videos
"I think the special thing about my ponytails, 'cause there's lots of different versions, it's just something that I've always done. And I think that people kind of recognize it from maybe the 'Just a Girl' music video," Stefani revealed in a 2019 interview with Wired. "Which, by the way, I did my own hair, and makeup, and styling, and everything. You know, for me it's all about just being on stage and feeling comfortable and being able to perform, so that's where the ponytail was born."
4. Before her solo debut, Gwen Stefani dominated the Top 40 with No Doubt
Stefani earned her fame as the lead singer of the ska punk band No Doubt, who dominated radio waves in the 90s and early 2000s. We can thank Stefani for bringing us timeless bops like "Don't Speak," "Just a Girl," and of course, the Grammy-winning songs "Hey Baby" and "Underneath It All."
RELATED: Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Adam Levine, & Pharrell Did a Steamy No Doubt Tribute
No Doubt has now become synonymous with 90s ska, with many of their chart-topping singles maintaining their timeless chokehold today.
5. Gwen Stefani met Blake Shelton on set for The Voice
Stefani first met her husband, fellow Voice icon Blake Shelton, in 2014 when they were Coaches on Season 7 and officially started dating the following year. The Voice power pair tied the knot in June 2021 in a wedding officiated by Shelton's best bud, Carson Daly. In a September interview with People, Stefani spoke about the delightful surprise of a California girl like herself ending up on an Oklahoman ranch with her country-singing hubby.
RELATED: The Unexpected Way Gwen Stefani Says Blake Shelton “Changed Her Life”
"I didn't see any of this coming with Blake. To be able to escape to Oklahoma, a place that I don't think I would have ever gone to, and when I met Blake, that's when I felt [at] home," Stefani revealed. "Oh, this is where I'm supposed to be, with this guy. It was so automatic and just an amazing gift to be able to experience love like that for the first time. So going to Oklahoma was like being introduced to a whole world I didn't know about. He's changed my life."
6. Gwen Stefani loves the color yellow
Anyone who remembers the music video for "Hollaback Girl" might recall the bright yellow colors used for the car and outfits. Stefani loves the color yellow because it makes her happy. In a 2015 interview with makeup artist Kandee Johnson, Stefani explained that while she keeps colors pretty minimal for her makeup looks, she loves turquoise and yellow shades the most because they make her happy.
7. Gwen Stefani's favorite film is The Sound of Music
The hills are alive with the sound of Stefani's favorite movie, which is 1965's The Sound of Music. While answering rapid-fire questions with Johnson in the aforementioned interview, Stefani revealed that while she doesn't usually rewatch movies, she can easily put The Sound of Music on repeat and was excited to show her family the film.
8. Gwen Stefani hopes to become a holiday icon Like Mariah Carey
With the release of her 2017 album, You Make It Feel Like Christmas, Stefani achieved a major milestone: becoming a holiday icon. In an interview with EW, Stefani revealed she'd love her and Blake Shelton's heartwarming holiday duet to become an annually cherished bop, much like Mariah Carey's mythic "All I Want for Christmas Is You."
RELATED: Watch Every Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani Song Duet
“I love the idea of being a part of the joy of Christmas,” Stefani told EW ahead of the album's release. “And I love the idea of having a record that will be an annual thing. I really hope we hit on something that people want to hear every year. That would be the fantasy, to be Mariah Carey.”
9. Gwen Stefani's first song landed on Barack Obama's campaign playlist
While Stefani has many bops under her belt, she first began writing lyrics for No Doubt's third album, Tragic Kingdom. One of the first songs she had a part in writing was No Doubt's "Different People," a power ballad about acceptance. The song made its way to Barack Obama's famous 2012 Spotify Campaign Playlist.
"The first song I ever personally had any part in writing was a song called 'Different People,'" Stefani dished in a 2019 interview with Wired. "That song ended up on Obama's playlist. Is that weird? I mean, how is that even possible? But it happened."
10. Gwen Stefani was a featured artist on a Prince Album
Stefani is no stranger to working with larger-than-life music legends, but one of her top collaborators is undeniably Prince. The talented pair came together for the song "So Far, So Pleased" on Prince's Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic album in 1999. Prince was also featured on the No Doubt track "Waiting Room" for the 2001 album Rock Steady.
11. Gwen Stefani's first job was as a lifeguard
While No Doubt was formed after Stefani and her friends began playing music while working at their local Dairy Queen, it wasn't her first job. Stefani told Wired that her first job was actually as a lifeguard. While she enjoyed the ice cream, she eventually left that job to work as a Makeup Artist at a department store.
"My first job was, I was a swim instructor lifeguard at a pool. My second job, 'cause everyone thinks it's my first job, but it was actually my second job, was at Dairy Queen. I started there, and my uniform used to fit perfectly, and then by the time I ended there, it didn't fit anymore," Stefani teased.
12. Gwen Stefani auditioned for Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Stefani is a woman of many talents, acting included. Stefani has been spotted on the big screen several times throughout her sprawling career, first in 2001's Zoolander, then as the stunning Jean Harlow in Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator in 2004. Stefani also voiced DJ Suki in 2016's Trolls!
But a role that slipped from Stefani's fingers that might surprise some is the role of Mrs. Smith in the iconic 2005 action-comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Stefani dropped the inside scoop about Angelina Jolie scoring the gig in a 2022 interview on The Ellen Show.
13. Gwen Stefani rarely uses a makeup artist
Despite consistently serving stunning looks, Stefani said in an interview with Glamour that she has rarely ever used a makeup artist throughout her long-running career. Stefani's passion and talent for makeup led her to create her makeup line GXVE Beauty in May 2022. Before the No Doubt fame, there was a deep love for makeup that has defined Stefani's many style moments throughout the past three decades.
Originally published Jun 23, 2022.
