Great Musical Comebacks: Fergie Biography

The reason I chose to write a brief biography on Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas was to see if I could find answers to some of the questions I had regarding this popular Internet post topic. Numerous online resources have been gracious enough to exploit her past meth addiction and display photos of a urine-soaked Fergie continuing a live performance. So, I decided to do a bit of digging myself to find out who is this woman who is responsible for bringing about a newfound fondness for "lovely lady lumps" and "junk in the truck?" Is Fergie even her real name?

Before exploring the current events surrounding this popular musician, taking a look into the past will help shed light on this nursery rhyme reviver (by the way, I hated the London Bridge song). On March 27, 1975 in Whittier, California, Stacy Ann Ferguson was born. For those of you who thought she was of Latino heritage, Fergie was born to parents of Irish and Scottish descent. While we know her as a member of the Black Eyes Peas and now a solo singer, she actually made successful strides in the acting world before sharing her voice with the rest of us.

Acting Career

Fergie's first taste of acting was behind the scenes when she landed the speaking part of Sally for a variety of Charlie Brown specials. She also did voice work for the "Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show" television series of the 80s. Coming out of the shadows of performing, Fergie was the tender age of eight when she filmed the pilot to the soon-to-be-wildly popular "Kids Incorporated" television series. She would go on to star in more than 100 episodes from 1984 to 1989 (the longest stint of any other cast member).

To date, Fergie has also made about 13 appearances on various TV shows and movies, from "Mr. Belvedere" to the 2006 hit, "Poseidon" with Kurt Russell. As for future acting projects, Fergie is currently part of the cast in Quentin Tarantino's "Grindhouse," which is set for release in 2007.

The Ups and Downs of Fergie's Music Career

While many believe Fergie made her first mark in the music world with the Black Eyed Peas, she actually performed a handful of songs for the 1984 soundtrack for "It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown." If you remember the songs "Lucy Says" or "The Pig-Pen Hoe-Down," you're listening to the early vocals of Fergie.

After Kids Incorporated came to an end in 1989; Fergie became the front woman for the band, "Wild Orchid," which consisted of two other "Kids Incorporated" stars, Renee Sands and Stefanie Ridel. She released two albums with the group, but after the completion of a third, the record label decided not to pursue. Fergie was crushed and left the group, eventually surrendering to an addiction to Ecstasy and crystal methamphetamine.

In regards to her drug addiction, Fergie stated in an interview: "I started doing Ecstasy. Then I got addicted to crystal methamphetamine. My weight dropped to 90lb. I lied to my friends and said I was bulimic. Finally I started going crazy. In that moment I talked to God and He said: 'I've given you all these gifts, so what are you doing?' I decided to get clean. I told everybody what was wrong." In a September 2006 issue of Time magazine, Fergie shed light on her battle against drugs telling reporters that her crystal meth addiction was one of the hardest things to quit. She also stated that it was easy to ignore her problem because she reverted to "child star" tactics of denial and suppression of feelings.

But, a new path revealed itself in 2003, when the Black Eyed Peas needed a female voice for their track "Hey Mama." They asked Fergie to lend a hand. The collaboration went extremely well; and she was quickly inducted as one of their newest members. This point in her musical career also signifies a shift in identity, as Stacy Ferguson was soon officially known to the public as "Fergie." Fergie and fellow group members went on to create numerous hits like "Shut Up," and "My Humps" on their albums, Elephunk (2003) and Monkey Business (2005).

Today, life is good for Fergie, as she reaps the rewards of a successful solo album, "The Dutchess," which has reached high positions on music charts across the world. She may also soon experience the sound and joy of wedding bells. In 2004, sparks flew when Fergie met actor, Josh Duhamel (from "Las Vegas" television fame). The two have since become engaged.