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Highlights
- Fergie left the Black Eyed Peas to focus on motherhood and new ventures, like her solo music career and wine business.
- Despite mixed reviews, Fergie’s sophomore album “Double Dutchess” featured cameos from Nicki Minaj, YG, and her own son Axl Jack.
- Fergie experienced highs and lows, from hosting a TV show to a controversial performance of the national anthem and her father’s passing.
Fergie (also known as Stacy Ann Ferguson) rose to fame in the 2000s as part of the revival of hip-hop/dance group Black Eyed Peas. When the group’s third album Elephunk came out in 2003, the Californian singer filled the void left by singer Kim Hill and soon helped develop a newfound style with futuristic dance songs and a hip-hop flavor.
She began serving as a crucial frontwoman of the band, scoring several chart-topping hits like “Where is the Love?,” “My Humps,” “Pump It,” and more.
After more than a record of topping charts and global domination, the crooner left the Black Eyed Peas in 2017, citing her new motherhood life as the main reason. Since then, the singer has ventured into many things — except for making music. To sum it up, here’s every major thing that’s happened to Fergie since her sudden exit from Black Eyed Peas.
Updated April 2024: Fergie kept a low profile after leaving the Black Eyed Peas, spending time with her son Axl. She has been spotted at all of the big concerts in the last several months, each time with fans asking her to put out new music. However, as for now, it appears there are no plans for Fergie to release an album any time soon.
8 Fergie Released Her Second Solo Album
Fergie released Double Dutchess in 2017
Rumors about Fergie’s departure followed her sophomore solo album, Double Dutchess, released in September 2017. The album boasted several cameo appearances – featuring Nicki Minaj, YG, Rick Ross, and even her son Axl Jack.
Double Dutchess debuted at number 19 on the Billboard 200 with 21,000 units of first-week sales – but it received mixed to negative reviews from music critics.
7 Fergie Launched Her Own Music Label
Fergie partnered with BMG Music to launch Dutchess Music
That same year Fergie also cut ties with Interscope Records, to focus on her own imprint. Named Dutchess Music (as an obvious nod to her first two albums as a solo artist), the singer partnered up with BMG Entertainment to release her sophomore album under their banner.
“What Fergie has put together with Double Dutchess is so inventive it redefines her as an artist. Her prolific output has already made our collaboration one of my most exciting times with BMG and we can’t wait for its reveal,” BMG Executive Vice President of Recorded Music Jon Cohen said of signing the singer, as exclusively reported by Variety.
The version of The Star-Spangled Banner that Fergie did at the NBA All-Stars Game drew huge backlash
Unfortunately, not all big projects have turned out well for Fergie. In 2018, the singer performed a controversial rendition of the United States’ national anthem at an NBA All-Stars Game, and it’s safe to say things didn’t go quite as planned. The unusual performance drew heavy criticism and mockery from the public, online and offline.
“I wanted to try something special for the NBA. I’m a risk taker artistically, but clearly, this rendition didn’t strike the intended tone,” the former Black Eyed Peas singer said at the time. “I love this country and honestly tried my best.”
5 Fergie Finalized Her Divorce From Josh Duhamel
Fergie and Josh Duhamel’s divorce was final in 2019
Fergie was married to actor Josh Duhamel from 2009 until 2017. The two met on the set of Duhamel’s Las Vegas show, after the Black Eyed Peas made a cameo appearance.
The couple welcomed son Axl Jack in 2013, but they separated in 2017. After two years, Fergie and Josh officially finalized their divorce paperwork in November 2019, but they maintain a healthy friendship to co-parent their son.
Since that time, Duhamel has gone on to get remarried and have another child.
4 Fergie Broke Her Silence On Her Father’s Passing
Fergie’s father, John Patrick Ferguson passed away in 2021
In September 2021, Fergie’s father, John Patrick Ferguson, passed away at age 74. She then took to Instagram to post several throwback pictures and videos of her late father to pay a heartfelt tribute.
“Your spirit was a pillar of positivity. I miss your smiling face, and you waking up saying ‘I feel great! I’m excited for the day!’ I still hear you every morning,” she said in the lengthy caption. “You were one with the earth. I can’t bite into a juicy nectarine or taste a mint leaf without thinking about the ones you grew in the backyard.”
3 Fergie Hosted The Four: Battle For Stardom
Fergie was a judge on The Four: Battle for Stardom in 2018
In 2018, Fergie made her first-ever foray into hosting by joining Sean Combs, DJ Khaled, Meghan Trainor, and Charlie Walk on two seasons of Fox’s singing competition The Four: Battle for Stardom.
Talented singers competed against each other to win a recording contract with Republic Records and Universal Music Group.
James Graham and Evvie McKinney rose to fame as the series’ first two winners.
2 Fergie Focused On Motherhood
Fergie’s son Axl was born in 2013 and she stepped away from the spotlight to raise him
One of the main reasons the singer left the Black Eyed Peas was to focus on her motherhood and home life. Her son with Josh Duhamel, Axl Jack, was born in August 2013 – and she’s been a hands-on mom ever since.
In fact, Fergie didn’t shy away from taking her child to work, introducing Axl to her Hollywood friends, including Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs on the set of The Four.
1 Fergie Took Her Wine Business To The Next Level
Fergie launched her wine company, Ferguson Crest in 2006
Fergie also stayed busy with her wine business. She opened Ferguson Crest, a “family-run boutique winery devoted to producing top-quality varietals,” with her father Pat in 2006, and she’s been actively involved with the company since.
Fergie often promotes her winery brand on TV programs or any kind of media she appears, including during her cameo on Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party with rapper Snoop Dogg and his unlikely friend Martha Stewart.
