Scherzinger describes her upbringing as difficult as she grew up "without much money" and supported her parents by being a waitress, taking local modelling jobs, and being part of an entertainment troupe of the local amusement park, Kentucky Kingdom. At age six, they moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where her mother was a clerk, and her step-father was a welder. Rosemary then married German-American Gary Scherzinger, who adopted Nicole, and whose surname she eventually took. Alfonso left the family when Nicole was two years old. Scherzinger was born Nicole Prascovia Elikolani Valiente on June 29, 1978, in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Alfonso Valiente of Filipino descent and Rosemary Elikolani Frederick of Native Hawaiian, Ukrainian and Polish descent. 2.5 2019–present: The Masked Singer, Pussycat Dolls reunion and solo comeback.2.4 2013–2018: Big Fat Lie and television ventures.2.3 2010–2012: The X Factor and Killer Love.Her other ventures include clothing lines and a fragrance, as well as serving as an ambassador for the Special Olympics and as a supporter of UNICEF UK. In 2019, Scherzinger began appearing as a panelist on The Masked Singer, which was a ratings success, and she reunited with the Pussycat Dolls for an upcoming tour.ĭuring her career to date, Scherzinger has sold over 16 million records as a solo artist and has received Grammy and Laurence Olivier Award nominations.
Other work during this period includes her West End debut in the 2014 revival of the musical Cats, as well as roles in the Disney animated film Moana (2016), the television film Dirty Dancing (2017), and the television special Annie Live! (2021). Scherzinger also ventured into television, winning Dancing with the Stars in 2010, and serving as a judge on several other television talent shows, including The Sing-Off (2009–2010), The X Factor US (2011), four seasons of The X Factor UK (2012–2013, 2016–2017), and Australia's Got Talent (2019). ( Killer Love includes the hit singles " Poison", " Right There", and " Don't Hold Your Breath".)
She shelved her first attempt with her debut EP, Her Name is Nicole, and went on to release two studio albums ( Killer Love in 2011 and Big Fat Lie in 2014) that were moderately successful. Despite mainstream recognition, Scherzinger has struggled to carve out a successful singing career outside the group.
The prominence of her role in the group was a point of contention within it, and eventually contributed to its dissolution in 2009.
Aspiring to pursue a career in music, Scherzinger dropped out of college and toured with the American rock band Days of the New before finding modest success with Eden's Crush, a girl group created through The WB's Popstars.Īfter taking on some minor acting roles, Scherzinger rose to fame as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls, one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. Born in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, she began acting at the age of 14 and studied musical theatre at Wright State University. Nicole Scherzinger ( / ˈ ʃ ɜːr z ɪ ŋ ər/ born Nicole Prascovia Elikolani Valiente June 29, 1978) is an American singer, actress, and television personality.