All you need to know about The Dutchess

She's one of the hottest frontwomen of the 2000s, and is even bigger than the original Fergie (remember Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York?).

Now the Black Eyed Peas member, real name Stacy Ferguson, returns to Dubai on Friday – sans her bandmates this time around – to show her fans just why the Grammy-nominated singer is one of the biggest female stars of the moment.

To celebrate her return to the region, Emirates Business brings you a guide to all things Fergilicious.



—She got into show business early: Born in 1975, Stacy Ann Ferguson started acting in commercials at the age of seven, starring in the children's TV series Kids Incorporated. When she turned nine, Fergie provided the voice of Sally Brown in two Peanuts specials: It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown and Snoopy's Getting Married.

—She was in another band, before joining the Black Eyed Peas: Between 1991 and 2001, Stacy 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, their record label declined to release it, and she left the group shortly thereafter.

Of her time with the band, Fergie once said in an interview with www.qconline.com: "A lot of times we would go places and try to perform, but nobody wanted to see us.

"We had some good times – we did a 40-city tour with Cher and Cyndi Lauper – but then there were other times when we'd go to different places and there'd be 10 people there.

"It's humiliating and embarrassing that you're putting in all this work and nobody's appreciating it."

—In 2003 her luck changed for the better: The Black Eyed Peas were recording their third album, Elephunk, when member Will.i.am invited Fergie to provide the vocals for the song, Shut Up.

"At one of my last shows with Wild Orchid, Black Eyed Peas was on the bill," Fergie explained at the time. "One day, they needed a powerful voice for Shut Up and Will's friend Dante Santiago, recommended me. From there, we started forming a sound." Shortly before Elephunk was released, Fergie was offered a permanent place in the band.

—The solo deal: Following two incredibly successful Black Eyed Peas albums, Fergie started work on her solo album, The Dutchess, a misspelled variant of Sarah Ferguson's former title. Her first hit was London Bridge, followed by five more single releases: Fergalicious, glamourous, Big Girls Don't Cry, Clumsy, and Finally.

On balancing her solo career with her group, Fergie once said: "I have the best of both worlds.

"The experiences are so different that each fulfil a different aspect of my performing personality."

—She's hot property: Award nominations started pouring in at the beginning of 2007. She won the award for Favourite Female Artist at the American Music Awards, and Big Girls Don't Cry earned her a prestigious Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. She lost out to Amy Winehouse.

—Now she's branching out: Fergie remains part of the Black Eyed Peas and has confirmed she is working on a new album with the group.

However, she's also shooting a new movie entitled, Nine, alongside Nicole Kidman, Daniel Day-Lewis, Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, Penélope Cruz, Marion Cotillard and Sophia Loren. If that's not enough, she's also trying her hand at fashion, creating a line of shoes with manufacturer, Brown.

—And she's getting married: It has been revealed that Fergie plans to wed fiancé Josh Duhamel (who stars in television show Las Vegas ) in June 2009.

A friend of the couple told InTouch Weekly magazine recently: "Fergie has just started interviewing wedding planners.

"She's also working with Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld on getting her fantasy gown."

Fergie live in Dubai

Fergie will perform at Dubai Media City this Friday, November 14.
Gates open at 4pm, and the pop singer is scheduled to go on stage from 8pm. No opening act has been confirmed.

Ahead of her appearance, Fergie had said: "I'm so excited about sharing my music and performing live for my fans in Dubai.

"I love interacting with the audience and I can't wait to get back on stage, doing what I do best."

Tickets are still available, and cost Dh295, Dh495, Dh995. For tickets and info, call: 04 319 7611

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