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By Patrick MacDonald
Seattle Times music critic
Fergie, briefly breaking away from the Peas that made her famous, headlines the "Girls Night Out" tour in Everett this weekend.
Not until the Black Eyed Peas added some hot sauce did they become a worldwide pop phenomenon.
The spice came in the form of Fergie, who, with her sexy curves and suggestive songs, transformed the largely unknown Peas from a serious, socially conscious, multicultural hip-hop posse into a dance-oriented, cartoonlike pop group.
Now it's known for such silly songs as the crude "My Humps," about Fergie's T&A, and dance-floor favorite "Let's Get Retarded" (later changed to "Let's Get It Started" to please sensitive radio programmers).
The Peas' first two CDs sold fewer than a half million combined. Since Fergie joined three years and two albums ago, sales have skyrocketed to nearly 20 million.
Thanks to her, William Adams, the head Pea, whose nom de hip-hop is will.i.am, has become a sought-after songwriter and producer, working for R.E.M., the Rolling Stones, Mary J. Blige, John Legend, Santana, Sting, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes and others. And corporate America loves him. He's done commercials for Best Buy, iPod, Verizon, the NBA, Snickers, iTunes, Adidas, Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos, Honda and more.
(It's no surprise that the first CD on his new will.i.am label is "The Dutchess," Fergie's solo debut, which rose to No. 3 in Billboard when it was released in September, and is No. 12 this week.)
Fast-rising Fergie will also headline her own national tour. It starts next week in Pittsburgh, but first she's in the area for KISS 106.1 FM's "Girls Night Out," playing Sunday at Everett Events Center. The "Girls" also include TV, movie and recording star Hilary Duff, who has her own hit album in the Top 20, "Dignity"; the sensational Lily Allen, the spirited new British reggae/pop star; and "American Idol" veteran Katharine McPhee.
Concert preview "Girls Night Out," with Fergie, Hilary Duff, Lily Allen, Katharine McPhee, 7 p.m. Sunday, Everett Events Center, 2000 Hewitt Ave., Everett; $35-$45 (866-332-8499 or www.everetteventscenter.com).
Like Duff, Fergie, born Stacy Ann Ferguson 32 years ago, has been in show business all her life. Starting at age 8, she acted in commercials for Mc-
Donalds, Hello Kitty, Duncan Hines and others; was the voice of Sally Brown in two animated "Peanuts" specials; co-starred with Jennifer Love Hewitt and Mario Lopez on Nickelodeon's "Kids Incorporated" variety show; and was in a pop trio called Wild Orchid that released three albums on RCA.
Then, like so many child stars, she crashed after abandoning her career and losing all her money to drugs (mostly ecstasy and meth). She moved back home with her parents in an L.A. suburb, signed up for unemployment and nursed herself back to health. Working as a studio backup singer, she crossed paths with Adams, aka will.i.am. He knew a good thing when he saw it.
The rest is pop history. They remain a potent team, with Fergie still a mainstay of the Black Eyed Peas.
Duff starred on the Disney Channel's "Lizzie McGuire" series, starting in 2001; has been in a bunch of hit films, including "Cinderella Story" and "Cheaper by the Dozen"; and has sold more than 13 million albums, thanks to such hits as "So Yesterday," "Come Clean" and "Beat of My Heart."
Allen, the only really adult act on the bill, was a delightful kick at her Seattle debut at the Showbox in March. Leggy, sexy McPhee was one of "Idol's" most interesting and promising losers.
Boo hiss hiss to the last comment! :
Hope after the concert writer retracts his statement.
What's wrong with his comment? Kat's leggy, sexy and one of Idol's most interesting & promising "non-winners".
But that's hardly the first time I've seen her referred to as an "Idol loser". I guess if you didn't win, you lost. Although Idol isn't exactly a baseball game...
I don't get Lily Allen but the critics love her so...
Katharine McPhee fans around the world