Coordinates | 56°26′″N40°26′″N |
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Name | Nicole Scherzinger |
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Background | solo_singer |
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Birth name | Nicole Elikolani Prescovia Valiente |
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Birth date | June 29, 1978 |
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Birth place | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States |
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Genre | Pop, R&B;, dance-pop |
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Instrument | Vocals, piano |
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Occupation | Singer-songwriter, actress, dancer, model |
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Years active | 2001–present |
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Label | Interscope, A&M;, Polydor UK |
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Associated acts | Eden's Crush, Pussycat Dolls |
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website |
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Nicole Elikolani Prescovia Valiente Scherzinger; June 29, 1978; is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer, model and actress. Scherzinger is well known as the lead singer of The Pussycat Dolls. Previously, Scherzinger was a backing vocalist for the late-1990s rock group Days of the New and was a part of reality TV girl group Eden's Crush. After the disbandment of the group, she joined the Pussycat Dolls and became the group's lead vocalist during their transition into a career in music.
With The Pussycat Dolls, she released two albums, ''PCD'' and ''Doll Domination'' and embarked on several concert tours. When Scherzinger joined the multi-platinum group, they became a worldwide phenomenon, releasing two albums, 2005’s ''PCD'', which has sold nine million copies worldwide, and 2008’s worldwide million-seller ''Doll Domination''. They’ve also scored a string of massive hit singles, including the number ones "Don’t Cha" and "Buttons," the Grammy-nominated "Stickwitu," "I Hate This Part," and "When I Grow Up," which hit the Top 10 in 16 countries. In 2009, Scherzinger wrote and recorded an adaptation of A.R. Rahman’s "Jai Ho" (from the film "Slumdog Millionaire") which went to number one in 17 countries. The group won two Billboard Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, and toured with Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and The Black Eyed Peas. "I'm very proud of what we’ve done," Scherzinger says. "It was really high-quality pop music, thanks to Ron and Jimmy, and I loved the whole process."
After leaving the group in December 2010, Scherzinger began a solo career with the release of her debut studio album ''Killer Love''. The album's second single, "Don't Hold Your Breath" peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart, marking her first number one hit as a solo artist. Scherzinger became the winner of the tenth season of ''Dancing with the Stars'' in early 2010. She was a judge on the first season of the US version of ''The X Factor'', which premiered in September 2011.
Early life
Nicole Scherzinger was born Nicole Elikolani Prescovia Valiente in
Honolulu,
Hawaii, into a staunchly
Roman Catholic family. Her father, Alfonso Valiente, is of
Filipino descent, and her mother, Rosemary, is a mix of
Hawaiian and
Russian descent, as Nicole's grandmother was Russian while her grandfather is Hawaiian. Her mother was eighteen at the time of Scherzinger's birth and lived in an
inner city neighborhood. Scherzinger's parents separated when she was still a baby. When she was six years old, her maternal family moved to
Louisville, Kentucky, with her sister, Keala, and her German American stepfather, Gary Scherzinger. She took her stepfather's surname after he adopted her.
She first attended Bowen Elementary, and later attended Meyzeek Middle School as an adolescent. Scherzinger states that, growing up, her family did not have a lot of money, and she thanks her mother for all the support she gave her to become what she is today. Scherzinger began performing in Louisville, attending the Youth Performing Arts School at duPont Manual High School, and performing with Actors Theatre of Louisville. As a teenager, Scherzinger was the first runner-up at the 1996 Kentucky State Fair's Coca-Cola Talent Classic contest.
Music career
2001–02: Career beginnings
In 2001 Scherzinger competed in the premiere season of
The WB's television show, ''
Popstars'', on which she earned a spot in the all-girl pop group
Eden's Crush alongside the other four chosen members
Ivette Sosa,
Maile Misajon,
Ana Maria Lombo and
Rosanna Tavarez . Eventually, she became one of the main vocalists for the group. The group's 2001 US single, "
Get Over Yourself (Goodbye)", peaked at number one in sales and hit the top ten on
''Billboard'' Hot 100. At the time Eden's Crush was touring in support of both
*NSync and
Jessica Simpson. Scherzinger was approached to be the fourth member of
The Black Eyed Peas, but was forced to decline because she was a member of Eden's Crush and was under contract. The position was given, instead, to
Fergie. Later, however, Eden's Crush' record company,
London-Sire Records, folded and the group eventually disbanded. In November 2007 Scherzinger spoke of her time in Eden's Crush:
It was hell... I was in a band with five other girls and every day was torture for me. We were on TV all the time and the atmosphere was awful... Every day I was in that band I cried my eyes out. The band was meant to be fun and frivolous but the reality was that it was miserable... I was too sensitive back then, but I got toughened up. I couldn't have gone into the Dolls without my experience in Crush.
After the disbanding of Eden's Crush, Scherzinger made a few promotional solo appearances under the stage name of Nicole Kea, including covering "Breakfast in Bed" for the soundtrack to ''50 First Dates'' in 2003. Scherzinger later worked with Yoshiki of Japanese rock band X Japan on his Violet UK project. She sang the English version of "I'll Be Your Love" live with the Tokyo Symphonic Orchestra. The track also appeared on the 2003 Various Artists album ''Exposition of Global Harmony''.
2003–10: The Pussycat Dolls
In May 2003, Scherzinger joined the Pussycat Dolls
burlesque troupe, who were being re-cast as recording artists. She had first seen them performing on ''
The Late Show with David Letterman'' in November 2002, where
Carmen Electra sang "
Big Spender" from the
Bob Fosse musical ''
Sweet Charity''. In 2006, Scherzinger said "It caught my eye because I’d played Velma Kelly in [Fosse's] ''
Chicago'' in college." In one interview she spoke of her role with the Pussycat dolls stating that it was a "challenge fronting the group" but that "every girl has something different to bring and add to the success".
The success of ''
PCD'' brought Scherzinger into the media spotlight and she went on to record a series of duets/guest vocals with a wide array of male vocalists. In 2005, she appeared on recordings by
Shaggy,
Vittorio Grigolo and
Will Smith. In 2006 she sang co-lead vocals with
Avant on his single "
Lie About Us", and
Diddy's hit "
Come to Me" (which she also co-wrote). Other appearances are listed in
discography. In the biography section of her official website she says that everyone recognises her from the Pussycat Dolls's debut single "
Dont Cha" which although amazing does not fulfill her musical desires. When asked what she intended to achieve with her solo career she commented "Some people only have their glasses half full, but there was never a limit to mine." The purpose of the album was to appeal to younger audiences, show them "the heart of Nicole" and show that she is "not always strong and fearless".
Doubt was cast over the future of the album when the Pussycat Dolls released their second album ''Doll Domination'' which featured some of the songs which had initially been recorded for Scherzinger's own album. "Happily Never After" and "Who's Gonna Love You" were placed on the album with no changes whilst additional backing vocals were added to "When I Grow Up" before it was released as the album's lead single. In 2010 during an interview with ''X'' magazine she also revealed that "I Hate This Part", a song which became a top-ten hit in Europe for the Pussycat Dolls, was also intended for her own solo album. Christopher "Tricky Stewart" and The-Dream were also working with Scherzinger and produced, wrote and recorded at least two songs for the album. Both of the known recordings, "Punch You In Your Sleep" and "I'm a Cheat" were re-allocated to The-Dream's ex-wife Christina Milian who has recorded them for her fourth studio album ''Elope'' due in 2010.
Furthermore it was revealed that Keri Hilson (a writer who has been heavily involved in writing for the Pussycat Dolls) had written a song called "Alienated" for Scherzinger, however when the album was delayed and shelved Hilson reclaimed the song and instead recorded the song with producer Cory Bold for her own debut studio album ''In a Perfect World...'' Reviews later went on to give the song critical acclaim for its "electro-blips and whispery raps that are alluring."
In September 2009 it was confirmed that the teary ballad, "Just Say Yes" was reclaimed by Gary Lightbody who has since re-tooled and reworked the song. It was released as the lead single from his band, Snow Patrol's compilation album ''Up to Now'', on November 2, 2009. Addressing the delayed release of her solo album, in September 2008 Scherzinger said, "Despite what other people might write, it was my decision, ultimately. I actually put some of my solo songs on the Pussycat Dolls' new album ''Doll Domination''. Everything is all about timing. I believe it will come out next year, and it will be able to coexist wonderfully with the Dolls' album. It's completely separate from what you've heard with "Baby Love" and "Whatever U Like," and I'm still working on it — that's what happens when you're a perfectionist." She was interviewed by ''Billboard'' magazine in April 2009 regarding her own career plans as well as what The Dolls were up to. She said "the current incarnation of the album is just in talks and in the writing process. I haven't started recording yet." She plans to enter the studio again after the Pussycat Dolls have finished their World Domination Tour. Speaking about the project Scherzinger said she will be working again with Will.i.am, Timbaland as well as with new associates Lady Gaga and A.R. Rahman. In April 2008, Scherzinger recorded a cover version of "Rio" by Duran Duran for an advertising campaign for Unilever's Caress brand of body wash. A commercial video was released, and the single was released via download only, after May 2008. In 2008, in support of Barack Obama, she was one of many musicians to contribute to a track by will.i.am called "Yes We Can". Also on September 5, 2008, Scherzinger joined an all-star cast to perform the charity song "Just Stand Up" on live TV. The Pussycat Dolls returned to the Music scene on May 27, 2008 with the new single "When I Grow Up" which reached number nine on the U.S. Hot 100 and number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Play. The song topped several European charts and became a worldwide top ten hit. The follow-up single "Whatcha Think About That" with Missy Elliott failed to enter the U.S. charts but managed to reach top 20 in several other countries including the UK with a limited release.
After a slight delay and with two singles released the album, ''Doll Domination'' was finally released as a standard and deluxe edition. The latter featured a disc with a solo song by each of the girls. The album debuted at number four on the ''Billboard'' 200, with 79,000 copies sold in its first week beating their debut album by one chart position but selling 20,000 less copies. It only spent seven weeks in the top 100, compared with their debut album which sat in the top 100 for nearly one year. In January 2009 it re-entered the top 100 following several more successful singles. The album in original form spawned two other singles, worldwide top 20 hit "I Hate This Part" and the number-one club song "Bottle Pop" which only received a limited release in the US and Oceania. On January 2009 they embarked their second world tour called ''Doll Domination Tour'' to support ''Doll Domination''. Lady Gaga opened for them in Europe and Australia, while Ne-Yo supported the Pussycat Dolls in the UK leg. In mid-2009 they opened for Britney Spears' tour The Circus Starring Britney Spears on the first leg in North America.
In April 2009 Scherzinger confirmed to ''Billboard'' that the album would be re-released to give more people a chance to get their music. In Europe the album was re-released with three or four new songs. In Australia a compilation called ''Doll Domination 2.0'' was released with six songs from the original version plus four new songs whereas the UK received a six-song EP called ''Doll Domination: The Mini Collection'' released on April 27, 2009 featuring four of the original songs plus a remix and a new song. In August 2009 the album was repackaged once more, this time as ''Doll Domination 3.0'' to include all of the previously released bonus songs on one CD with the original album. Its release was limited to Europe and the UK where the group's singles had all reached top 20. The repackaged versions spawned two more singles: the worldwide number one "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)" (featured on the soundtrack for ''Slumdog Millionaire'') and euro-pop remix of "Hush Hush" (retitled "Hush Hush; Hush Hush") which reached top 20 internationally. Following Scherzinger's over-emphasis in the release of these two singles there were several emotional outbursts to the media including one by Thornton during one of the group's appearances on tour. In 2009, ''Billboard'' ranked the Pussycat Dolls as the 80th most successful musical act of the 2000s. Scherzinger performed "America the Beautiful" at WWE's WrestleMania XXV in Houston, Texas at the Reliant Stadium on April 5, 2009. Scherzinger performed with guitarist Slash on October 2 in Las Vegas.
2006–08: Solo guest appearances & ''Her Name is Nicole''
From 2006 until late 2008 Scherzinger had been working on her debut album which was titled ''Her Name Is Nicole''. She recorded/wrote about 75–100 songs for the album which was supposed to be released in 2007 before being pushed to October 16, 2008 and later into 2009 before being shelved. She told MTV "I've always said that in the Pussycat Dolls, I kind of feel like Superwoman. But that's just one of my alter egos. I've got the vulnerable, lovesick side of me amongst others which all appear on my record."
thumb|upright|Scherzinger in 2007 The album saw Scherzinger work with a wide roster of producers and song writers some of whom had worked with Scherzinger for albums with the Pussycat Dolls.
Sean Garrett and
Polow da Don worked on "
Whatever U Like" (featuring
T.I.) which was released as the album's lead single on July 24, 2007 but deemed unsuccessful reaching just 57 in Canada. "
Baby Love" was the second single released on September 10, 2007. Although well received and compared to the Pussycat Dolls' song "
Stickwitu" the track did not chart well in the United States. Internationally the single fared well reaching Top 15 in most countries including the UK, and mainland Europe. It was remixed to be included on ''
Doll Domination'' as a bonus track. The third single "Supervillain" was described as having a "danceable jam with a catchy chorus" and featured a reggae–dancehall interlude. Written by
Rock City and produced by
Mad Scientist it was only released to US iTunes in November 2007. The song's synthy melodies and disco-motown feel with Scherzinger's 5-octave range were not enough to chart in the US. Fourth single "Puakenikeni" (a
type of flower in Hawaii) also released to iTunes in November was produced by
Akon to as a tribute to Scherzinger's heritage but failed to chart.
Other songs included the critically acclaimed "
Just Say Yes", written by
Gary Lightbody (of
Snow Patrol) which was a soft and slow song with its pulsing, electronic beat. She told MTV of her excitement to record the song previously rejected by
Gwen Stefani. "I'm such a huge fan of Snow Patrol's music, I felt like I was supposed to make it my own. "It's a very honest and truthful song."
Ne-Yo gave Scherzinger two songs, "Happily Never After" a slow ballad of which Scherzinger said she felt it "important for young girls to have an empowering message that they deserve better". Interestingly the song was originally written for
Britney Spears to record for her album
''Blackout'' in 2007. The other song has a tear jerking ballad called "Save Me from Myself" for which Scherzinger helped Ne-Yo in developing the hook before recording the song. When commenting on another song "March" Scherzinger said she wanted a powerful record. "It's about never giving up on your dreams and it’s about what I went through to get where I am today."
Timbaland produced and featured on the song "Physical" on which his trademark vocals can be heard over the upbeat melody and thumping baseline. Part of the song was used in the film ''
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer'' (which she made a short cameo in). The album sessions also produced a number of other songs including "When Your Falling" (also co-written by Akon) "Power's Out" a riveting duet with English singer
Sting (featured in
Revlon adverts with
Jessica Alba) and "I M.I.S.S You" written by
Pharrell Williams and produced by
The Neptunes.
2010–11: ''Killer Love''
Scherzinger confirmed that she has done one song with
Slash for his solo album ''
Slash'' released in April 2010.
On February 1, 2010 along with other artists Scherzinger had re-recorded "
We Are the World", a charity single for the victims of the
2010 Haiti earthquake. The song debuted during
NBC's coverage of the opening ceremonies of the
2010 Winter Olympics. It was released as a single on
iTunes on February 12, 2010 accompanied by the music video.
Then in August 2010 Swedish-Moroccan electropop producer RedOne was interviewed by the BBC. In the interview he revealed he had been working on Scherzinger's album. "I just finished her album. Her last one never came out because it was collecting hamburgers, like fast food. One from McDonald's, one from Burger King, and so on. It tasted good, but it wasn't consistent. Her new record – people are really going to go crazy about it because it's the real her." Scherzinger confirmed these reports in a September 2010 interview with ''X'' magazine. In reference to ''Her Name is Nicole'' she said "It was actually my decision not to put it out, not the label's". Then she said "I've been working with RedOne, which is an honour. He's an unbelievable producer and musician. He had made some amazing songs with Lady Gaga. Now, there is someone with the 'x factor'. I can't touch GaGa or RedOne in that space, but I know that we've created something unique of our own." Scherzinger's new single, "Poison", premiered on her official website and YouTube account on October 14, 2010. It is due for release on November 29, 2010. A picture from the video shoot was revealed by MTV, showing Scherzinger dressed provocatively. "Poison" serves as the first single from the album and peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart becoming Scherzinger's most successful single, until her #1 hit with "Don't Hold Your Breath" in Spring of 2011.
On November 18, 2010, she joined Prince on-stage during his concert in Abu Dhabi. While working with RedOne she has also recorded vocals for songs which will be included on Mohombi's debut album. Mohombi is the first signee to RedOne's record label. Scherzinger appeared at the Jingle Bell Ball at London's O2 Arena on December 4, 2010. The second single, "Don't Hold Your Breath", was released on March 13, 2011 and preceded the album, ''Killer Love'', which was released March 21, 2011. The song debuted at #1 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Right There" impacted UK radio in April 2011 as the third single in the United Kingdom. For its release in the US, it was remixed to feature two new verses from American rapper 50 Cent, it serves as her first American lead single from her debut album, "Killer Love". "Right There" was released as a digital download in the US on May 17, 2011 and sent to US mainstream radio on May 24, 2011. On June 12, Sherzinger performed at Capital FM's ''Summertime Ball'' at ''Wembley Stadium'' in ''London''.
On August 16, 2011, Scherzinger released "Don't Hold Your Breath" in the United States as her second US single. The singles,"Right There (feat. 50 Cent)" & "Don't Hold Your Breath" were to precede her debut album, "Killer Love." This version of ''Killer Love'' was originally set to feature an alternate track listing with American hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg to appear on one of the new songs recorded for the album. On The X Factor USA semi finals, Scherzinger performed a brand new song, "Pretty", which was recorded days before its performance. The album was originally planned for an August release back in 2011, but was later pushed back to November 15. Shortly after, it was confirmed that it would be released on December 6, but the album was then pushed back again to 2012. On March 23, Scherzinger revealed that the US ''Killer Love'' release was cancelled for her second album. Scherzinger has recorded more than 40 songs to be considered for her US solo debut album, but insists that it "will not be finished until the very last minute. I don't know if I will ever feel like I have finished the album."
Scherzinger also released a music video for "Wet", which was released as a single in the UK in August 2011. On November 14, 2011, Killer Love was re-released in Europe. In October 2011, Scherzinger released a new song titled "Try with Me", it is the lead single from the European re-release. The music video for "Try with Me" premiered on 18 October 2011 on MSN. Scherzinger and her team, including X Factor choreographer Brian Friedman, were held at gunpoint by a local gang when they were travelling through the mountains to the Xilitla rainforest in Mexico to shoot the video. They were released without harm but shaken by the experience. To further promote the album, Scherzinger began her Killer Love Tour on February 13, 2012.
2012—: ''Worldwide and U.S. studio album release''
On March 20, it was announced that Scherzinger will perform for the F1 Rocks Malaysia concert. During a press conference in Malaysia, Scherzinger confirmed that there will be a new album released worldwide. Scherzinger had tweeted statements regarding the new album on March 29, 2012. She tweeted, "Just finished this record, can't wait for yall to hear it! Now on to the next...!!!" She had also asked fans for a possible album name a few hours after finishing the recordings. Scherzinger has also been working with new producers like Michael Warren, STIX, Nexus, Alex Da Kid, Bangladesh, Dallas Austin, and more.
Supplementary ventures
Acting
Scherzinger has made minor appearances as an actress. She appeared in the TV comedy, ''
Half & Half'', ''
My Wife and Kids'' and the 2003 film, ''
Love Don't Cost a Thing''. She also had a role in 2001 as one of the "Pop Stars" in the episode, "Finally!", of the show ''
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch'', and also made appearances in ''
Wanda at Large'', ''
Chasing Papi'', ''
Be Cool'' and ''
Cane''. Scherzinger was intended to be cast in one of the lead roles in the upcoming movie with the Filipino Boxing Champion,
Manny Pacquiao, together with professional wrestler,
Dave Batista. She was about to play the leading lady of the Filipino Champ, but her audition was cancelled and the role went to the Filipina actress,
Ruffa Mae Quinto. She also made an appearance in the
Nickelodeon show, ''
Big Time Rush'', as herself.
In 2010 Scherzinger appeared in the ''
How I Met Your Mother'' episode "
Glitter", as
Robin Scherbatsky's former best friend, Jessica Glitter. She has also recorded a version of "
GoldenEye" — the theme song of the 1995
Bond film ''
GoldenEye'' — for the 2010 video game ''
GoldenEye 007''. Scherzinger is currently slated to play Lily Poison in the upcoming film ''
Men in Black 3'', to be released May 25, 2012.
Modelling
In 2006 she made a "Bench Body" brand underwear commercial in the
Philippines, and in October 2008 she promoted Clear Shampoo and Conditioner. Both commercials were reportedly aired throughout Southeast Asia. She appeared in a
Nike shoe commercial with basketball player
LeBron James. In 2010 she made a commercial for the C&A; campaign. She appeared on the covers of numerous
Cosmopolitan editions (British, Bulgarian, Croatian, Estonian, Italian, Indonesian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Mexican, Mongolian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish and others).
Scherzinger frequently has appeared in FHM Magazine's 100 Sexiest Women poll, ranking #49 in
2006, #22 in 2007, #49 in 2008, #60 in 2009, and #73 in 2010. In 2011 she jumped 64 places to rank #9.
Musical theater
Scherzinger majored in acting and musical theatre at
Wright State University, where she played Velma Kelly in ''
Chicago'' and Julie La Verne in ''
Show Boat''. She put her studies on hold in 1999 to sing backing vocals for the rock band,
Days of the New.
In late 2009 it was reported that Scherzinger was working closely with Andrew Lloyd Webber on the musical ''Love Never Dies'', the sequel to ''The Phantom of the Opera''.
Although she has not yet appeared in the show, her version of the title song - ''Love Never Dies'' - was played on the ''Chris Evans Breakfast Show'' on Monday 1 April 2011.
On June 4, 2010, it was announced that Scherzinger would take on the role of Maureen in the Hollywood Bowl production of the rock musical ''Rent'', directed by Neil Patrick Harris. She played the role from August 6–8, 2010.
On October 28, 2010, Scherzinger took part in the 35th anniversary of ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show''.
As part of the 25th Anniversary of ''
The Phantom of the Opera'', Scherzinger performed the title song at
The Royal Variety Performance - held in
The Lowry,
Manchester - on Monday 5 December 2011. She performed alongside four former Phantoms (
Simon Bowman,
Earl Carpenter,
John Owen-Jones and
Ramin Karimloo). The performance was aired on
ITV1 on Wednesday 14 December 2011. Her performance received critical acclaim.
Reality television
In December 2009 Scherzinger served as a celebrity judge on NBC's reality singing competition, ''
The Sing-Off'', along with singer-songwriter
Ben Folds and
Boyz II Men bandmember
Shawn Stockman. The show was hosted by singer
Nick Lachey. Scherzinger's role was to critique performances of the competitors and vote on eliminations in all but the final round, which was determined by audience vote. In the show finale, Scherzinger performed "
You Don't Own Me" with competition finalists the
Beelzebubs of
Tufts University. She returned to her role as judge for a second season of ''The Sing-Off'' in December 2010, but did not return for a third season.
On March 1, 2010, it was announced that Scherzinger would be a celebrity contestant on ''Dancing with the Stars'' for the tenth season and would be partnered with Season 7 champion Derek Hough. On May 25, 2010 Scherzinger won ''Dancing with the Stars'' season 10.
On July 1, 2010, MTV reported the media mogul, Simon Cowell, had hired Scherzinger as a guest judge for the seventh series of the UK reality TV series ''The X Factor'' after regular judge, Dannii Minogue, went on maternity leave. According to ''The Daily Mail'', she was one of several celebrities being considered for a role on the U.S. version of ''The X Factor'', and so the role on the UK version served as an important screen test and opportunity to impress the producers. Following praise from the show's producers, Scherzinger was asked to return as a guest judge after it was discovered that Cole had contracted malaria and was unable to film the 'bootcamp' stages of the competition. Fellow judge and permanent panel member Louis Walsh praised Scherzinger, saying "My favourite though was Nicole who I had never met before. This girl has the X Factor in every way. She just got it, was incredibly impressive and ticked every box." The host of the show, Dermot O'Leary, also praised Scherzinger, saying she was his favourite guest judge. "She was brilliant, tailor-made for it and hilarious too. We were all stunned by her beauty." Scherzinger has been credited in the formation of One Direction, which includes: Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, and Harry Styles. She also left her mark on the competition after she persuaded producers to change the ages of the judging categories. An ''X Factor'' spokesman told the media that "At Nicole's suggestion, and agreed by Simon and Louis, the boys' and girls' category age limit has been increased to 28. The judges believe this will strengthen the competition and talent." Additionally, it was reported that Scherzinger would be asked to help Cowell or Walsh during the "judges' houses" stages of the competition where each judge is given a category of acts to mentor and then, with the help of other celebrities and musicians, they choose three acts to take through the live finals. However, this proved to be wrong as Walsh chose Sharon Osbourne and Cowell chose Sinitta.
On May 5, 2011, Scherzinger was announced as one of two co-hosts of the first season of Cowell's U.S. version of ''The X Factor'' alongside Steve Jones. On June 6, a Fox press release announced Scherzinger would replace Cheryl Cole, whose contract had been terminated. As a result, Scherzinger joined the judging panel alongside Cowell, Paula Abdul, and L.A. Reid, leaving Jones to host ''The X Factor'' by himself. The show premiered on Fox on September 21, 2011. Scherzinger mentored the Over 30s category throughout season one where her most successful act was Josh Krajick who came second overall in the competition. During the Judges' Houses stage of the competition, Scherzinger was aided by friend and fellow artist Enrique Iglesias to help decide which of her acts should go through to the Live Shows stage. Her Judges' Houses location was in Malibu, California.
On January 30, 2012 it was confirmed that Scherzinger would not return to ''The X Factor'' along with host Steve Jones and fellow judge Paula Abdul due to Cowell and FOX deciding not to renew their contracts.
Artistry
Influences
Scherzinger's style has been influenced by rock n' roll ever since her start in the business. She claims that she prefers wearing a "grown up" style of clothing including leather jackets and boots, which can be seen on her very first solo tour. When asked about her trend, she told People: "My style has evolved into being a little bit more grown up. It's rock 'n' roll inspired, but chic. Glam rock." She also added: "If I wear a lace dress, I throw on a leather jacket to toughen things up, or some crazy boots. "I like dresses that are sassy, but have clean lines."
Scherzinger biggest influence on music has been Whitney Houston. When Scherzinger was growing up in Louisville, Kentucky, she received a Christmas gift at the age of six. It was a tiny purple boombox and a cassette of Whitney Houston’s chart-topping 1985 self-titled debut album. "My parents had no money, but they got me this player and Whitney’s album, which had ‘Greatest Love of All’ on it," Scherzinger recalls. "That was it for me. From that moment on I wanted to sing. Her voice was so powerful; every note she sang just felt like the truth." Her other musical influences are Tina Turner, Prince and Michael Jackson.
Personal life
Scherzinger considers herself to be a devout
Roman Catholic. After a three-year relationship and engagement to
311 singer,
Nick Hexum, as well as a brief relationship with reality TV star,
Talan Torriero, Scherzinger began dating
2008 Formula One World Champion,
Lewis Hamilton in 2008. She had met Hamilton at the European Music Awards in Munich in November 2007. They went public at the Monaco Grand Prix six months later. The couple split in January 2010 when they had been together for 20 months. However, in July 2011 Scherzinger’s father, Alfonso Valiente, confirmed the couple were engaged. On October 21, 2011 it was reported that the couple had split again. Scherzinger and Hamilton continued seeing each other, confirmed their reunion on December 2, 2011. The couple blamed their hectic lifestyles for the on-off relationship.
Over the past five years, Scherzinger has been ranked in ''Maxim'''s Hot 100 at 22 and 21 in 2006 and 2007 respectively. In 2008 she ranked at number 19 along with the Pussycat Dolls. In 2009 she ranked at number 49 and in 2010 at number 24. In 2011, Scherzinger was ranked at 51.
Discography
''Killer Love'' (2011)
Tours
Killer Love Tour (2012)
Filmography
Television
Films
Awards and nominations
Year
|
Nominated work
|
Event
|
Award
|
Result
|
2010
|
Nicole Scherzinger
|
Virgin Media Music Awards
|
Hottest Female
|
|
2011
|
Nicole Scherzinger
|
Italian TRL Awards
|
Best Look
|
|
References
External links
XFactor 2011 UK community
!
Category:1978 births
Category:1970s births
Category:Actors from Hawaii
Category:Actors from Kentucky
Category:American actors of Filipino descent
Category:American dance musicians
Category:American dancers
Category:American female singers
Category:American film actors
Category:American pop singers
Category:American mezzo-sopranos
Category:American rhythm and blues singers
Category:American musicians of Filipino descent
Category:American people of Russian descent
Category:American Roman Catholics
Category:Dancing with the Stars winners
Category:Living people
Category:Musicians from Hawaii
Category:Native Hawaiian people
Category:Participants in American reality television series
Category:People from Honolulu, Hawaii
Category:People from Louisville, Kentucky
Category:People of Native Hawaiian descent
Category:Singers with a five octave vocal range
Category:The X Factor judges
Category:The X Factor (UK)
Category:The X Factor (U.S.)
Category:Wright State University alumni
ar:نيكول شيرزينغر
be:Ніколь Шэрзінгер
be-x-old:Ніколь Шэрзінгер
bg:Никол Шерзингер
ca:Nicole Scherzinger
cs:Nicole Scherzingerová
da:Nicole Scherzinger
de:Nicole Scherzinger
et:Nicole Scherzinger
el:Νικόλ Σέρζινγκερ
es:Nicole Scherzinger
eo:Nicole Scherzinger
fa:نیکول شرزینگر
fr:Nicole Scherzinger
ko:니콜 셰르징거
hi:निकोल शेर्ज़िंगर
hr:Nicole Scherzinger
id:Nicole Scherzinger
it:Nicole Scherzinger
he:ניקול שרזינגר
jv:Nicole Scherzinger
kn:ನಿಕೋಲ್ ಶೆರ್ಜಿಂಜರ್
ka:ნიკოლ შერზინგერი
sw:Nicole Scherzinger
lv:Nikola Šercingere
lt:Nicole Scherzinger
hu:Nicole Scherzinger
mk:Никол Шерзингер
ms:Nicole Scherzinger
nl:Nicole Scherzinger
ja:ニコール・シャージンガー
no:Nicole Scherzinger
pl:Nicole Scherzinger
pt:Nicole Scherzinger
ro:Nicole Scherzinger
ru:Шерзингер, Николь
simple:Nicole Scherzinger
sk:Nicole Scherzingerová
sr:Никол Шерзингер
fi:Nicole Scherzinger
sv:Nicole Scherzinger
tl:Nicole Scherzinger
ta:நிக்கோல் செர்சிங்கர்
th:นิโคล เชอร์ซิงเกอร์
tr:Nicole Scherzinger
uk:Ніколь Шерзінгер
vi:Nicole Scherzinger
zh:妮可·舒辛格