January 1, 2006 in Features

Baby on board

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Associated Press photo

Pharrell, right, and Gwen Stefani perform “Can I Have It Like That” during the 33rd annual American Music Awards in Los Angeles.
(Full-size photo)

SUNRISE, Fla. – According to the almanac, Dec. 21 was the winter solstice – the shortest day of the year – but for Gwen Stefani it was a long, melancholy slog spent in an anonymous arena in this bland suburb of Fort Lauderdale.

On the closing night of her first solo tour, Stefani found herself short of breath by the third song and staring out at a surprisingly listless crowd.

She exhorted the fans at the Bank Atlantic Center to make some noise, and the audience of mostly daughters and mothers stirred a bit. Then she tried it again with a different approach: “I want you to do this so loud the baby hears you!”

The crowd went wild.

Just like that the week’s worst-kept celebrity secret was officially surrendered, and Stefani, who has been struggling through fatigue and distraction for weeks, pushed herself through the rest of the show like a marathon runner on finish-line fumes.

By the time she donned her famous majorette uniform (which was recently altered for her changing figure) and yelped through the “Hollaback Girl” finale, the show was as much about spirit and sentiment as it was about sound.

Afterward, backstage, her husband, rock singer Gavin Rossdale, videotaped the tearful scene as Stefani said goodbye to the tour’s backup dancers and musicians: “I’m so sad, but I’m so glad it’s over. I’m so glad.”

Stefani, 36, became famous as the lead singer of No Doubt, a pop powerhouse in the late 1990s. Last year, she decided she wanted to get in touch with the urban pop hits she grew up singing to her bedroom mirror in Anaheim, Calif., in the 1980s. She also wanted to play dress-up.

The result was a solo project, “Love.Angel.Music.Baby.,” that she describes as a lark, a chance to work with Dr. Dre (as well as Pharrell Williams, Andre 3000, Linda Perry and others) and make videos like Madonna. The album dips into hip-hop, R&B, disco and pure pop.

The “lark” album became one of the 10 best sellers of 2005, with 2.4 million sold in the United States alone. It also led to five Grammy nominations, including one for album of the year.

Before taking the stage at the Sunrise show, Stefani shook her head when asked about competing with U2 and Paul McCartney for the music industry’s top accolade.

“I still don’t believe,” she said solemnly. “I really don’t.”

Being onstage without her No Doubt bandmates has been a bit unsettling as well.

“Going on tour without them, I felt like I was cheating,” said Stefani, who made it clear that No Doubt is not over.

“We’ve been a band for 18 years. None of this was expected. Just like the pregnancy, too. I’m sure everybody’s wondering how this is all going to turn out.”

With that in mind, Stefani carefully weighed her options in announcing her big news.

“I’m really horrible with secrets,” she said. “It’s amazing we kept it quiet as long as we did, I suppose.”

In the end, the news that Stefani was with child was reported by Us Weekly.

“They called my father-in-law in England,” she said. “He’s a retired doctor and just the sweetest man. And they said something like, ‘Congratulations, it’s confirmed, everybody knows’ … And he was like, ‘Uh, well, we’re delighted.’ Oops. Then it was like a wildfire.”

There’s cause to wonder whether motherhood and hip-hop beats will change the rhythm of Stefani’s career for good.

“We’ll see how it goes,” she said. “There’s so many things that are going to change, you know? And I don’t know what my passion will be when the baby comes. I don’t know anything.”

The plan now is to return to her London home with Rossdale and “eat pizza” and avoid interviews. Then, in February, she expects to attend the Grammys in Los Angeles but will not perform.

“I will be, what, 5 1/2 months pregnant by then, and wearing the band uniform?” she says. “I don’t think so.”

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