If you look at the background of the singer Fergie, you’d think she would have grown up normal like your average all-American girl.
Born Stacy Ann Ferguson in 1975, Fergie was raised in a Roman Catholic family. She was quite active in school: a cheerleader, straight-A-student, Girl Scout, and a spelling bee champ.
Compare that to who she is now: a hip-hop singer who turned her life around from being a former addict and is now a happily married bisexual.
Fergie as a young girl
Just a little over a ten years old, Fergie was already part of the Kids Incorporated, a cast member for six seasons in the long-running nine-season show.
Prior to this, she was the voice of Sally in the TV cartoon Peanuts.
“You know, I started in show business at about seven years old. That’s why I feel so appreciative of everything now because I’ve been working hard at this all my life,” Fergie said.
In her teens, she formed a girl group called Wild Orchid doing R&B songs. They recorded three albums with the first album a big success, debuting at number one.
Their second album was a complete failure and their third album was recorded but never released by their label.
When Wild Orchid broke up, she had a growing drug addiction problem. She’d become addicted to crystal meth and Ecstasy to battle her blossoming extreme paranoia.
Fortunately, she managed to kick the habit with hypnotherapy.
Fergie as the Black-Eyed Peas vocalist
In 2002, songwriter will.i.am invited Fergie to do vocals for Black-Eyed Peas for their third album Elephunk.
Replacing departing background singer Kim Hill, Fergie hit it off with the group and she was invited to become a member before the album came out.
Elephunk was the first major hit for Black-Eyed Peas, spawning singles that would be worldwide favourites.
From then on, things got better for Fergie as the Black-Eyed Peas released other successful albums.
In 2006, she released her first solo album, The Dutchess, which became a hit.
Fergie the married bisexual
In 2009, Fergie married actor Josh Duchamel in a Catholic church in 2009. They now have one son, named Axl Jack.
That same year, she also confirmed to The Advocate that she was a bisexual.
“I think women are beautiful,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of fun with women, and I’m not ashamed of it. The problem is that I also love a well-endowed man.”
But then again, this shouldn’t be a surprise. In 2007, she admitted to sexually experimenting with other women when she was 18 years old.
“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,” Fergie told the Mirror.
At 41, Fergie has come a long way with numerous demons to keep at bay. But at least she’s accepted herself and loving all of it now.