Playing Coachella at age 54 is bananas! B-A-N-A-N-A-S!
Gwen Stefani has never been afraid to make some noise. The 54-year old announced herself loudly when she began her career as the fierce and flamboyant lead singer and founder of the band No Doubt, exploding onto the scene in 1995 through hits like “Just a Girl,” “Don’t Speak,” “Hey Baby” and “It’s My Life.”
Her subsequent solo career, enhanced by her punky-brash alto with exceptional range, as well as her signature sense of style, brought Stefani further acclaim. Able to smoothly slip between genres such as mainstream pop, pop rock, ska, and reggae, Stefani earned a Grammy Award in 2001 for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. Other accolades include an American Music Award, a Brit Award, four MTV Video Music Awards, and two Billboard Music Awards.
“Act as young as you feel. You’re not getting older;
—Gwen Stefani
you’re getting more entitled to be your fabulous self.”
In 2014 Stefani took her career in a different and fortuitous direction, signing on to be a coach on The Voice, where she met Country singer Blake Shelton whom she married in 2021. Shelton seamlessly moved into the role of stepfather to Stefani’s three children, and the family often spends time at their ranch in Oklahoma, a far cry from her urban, Southern California roots.
But while Stefani may have gone a little bit country, she’s always been a lot of rock and roll. Her musical spark remains intact, as evidenced by a surprise announcement that No Doubt will be headlining the 2024 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, the first time the much-loved band has played together since 2015.
As to whether further performances are in the works, Stefani answers “anything can happen,” a mantra that has guided her 30-year career through an intricate array of twists and turns and earning her the love and respect of fans everywhere at every stage of her remarkable life.
Photos courtesy of Shutterstock
