Gwen Stefani & No Doubt: A Simple Kind of Life - Jeff Apter - Bog

No Doubt, the eclectic Orange County band, was formed in 1986 by Eric Stefani and John Spence who soon recruited Eric's younger sister Gwen as co-vocalist. With the addition of Tony Kanal on bass, No Doubt launched a 25-year career that would fuse ska, grunge, alt.rock and shades of several other musical genres into a unique mix. The 1987 suicide of John Spence resulted in the battlefield promotion of Gwen Stefani to lead vocalist, a shift that would prove a launch pad for her future solo career and media celebrity status. Through it all No Doubt went from strength to strength and in 1995, following the departure of Eric Stefani, finally found mainstream success when their third album, Tragic Kingdom, enjoyed over 15 million sales worldwide. Since then this ska-loving band from Southern California has flourished. Despite a frequently shifting line-up and the potential distraction of Gwen Stefani's parallel solo career, No Doubt have stayed true to their original mission to be musical and visual innovators. This is their fascinating story.