Nicole Elikolani Prescovia Scherzinger / SINGER

Nicole Elikolani Prescovia Scherzinger

Singer Nicole Scherzinger was born in Hawaii in 1978. She first made a name for herself as a contestant on the WB reality series Popstars, which propelled the young singer to lead vocals for the all-girls band Eden's Crush. In 2003,she stepped as the front-woman for the group the Pussycat Dolls. Since leaving the band in 2009, Scherzinger has enjoyed continued success, in the recording studio and as a judge on The X Factor.

Nicole Scherzinger was born Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente Scherzinger in Honolulu, Hawaii, on June 29, 1978. Scherzinger, whose parents separated when she was an infant, moved with her mother, Rosemary, and her stepfather, George Scherzinger, to Louisville, Kentucky, when she was 6 years old. She would spend the rest of her childhood there.

As she later recalled, Scherzinger's life took a dramatic turn not long after moving, when she was given a cassette tape of Whitney Houston. After listening to the songs, Scherzinger says she knew immediately she wanted to be a singer. "My parents had no money, but they got me this player and Whitney's album," she recalled. "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."

After that, Scherzinger made performance a focus of her life. She eventually attended a performing arts high school and later enrolled at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, where she studied theater and dance.

But eager to jump-start her career, Scherzinger left college early after getting an opportunity to sing back-up for the rock group Days of the New. More recognition came in 2001, when, as a contestant on the WB television series Popstars, she won the role of lead singer for soon-to-be created all-girl band Eden's Crush. To the surprise of some, the group cracked the Billboard charts with their first single, "Get Over Yourself." However, the song proved to be the extent of the group's success, and Eden's Crush soon disbanded.

In 2003, Scherzinger stepped in as the lead singer for the recently recast group the Pussycat Dolls. With their new front-woman, the Dolls soon climbed the charts: The group's first record, PCD, released in 2005, featured hits like "Don't Cha," "Stickwitu" and "Buttons." The album achieved double-platinum status in the United States and sold more than 9 million copies worldwide.

Outside of the group, Scherzinger raised her own profile by performing with a range of other recording artists, including P. Diddy (Sean "Puffy" Combs), Timbaland and 50 Cent.

In 2008, the Pussycat Dolls released a second album, Doll Domination, which featured hits like "When I Grow Up" and "I Hate This Part." While the record failed to match its predecessor's success, it still sold more than 5 million copies.

Not long after the release of the band's second studio album, rumors began to circulate of in-fighting. Those rumors turned out to be true: In 2009, Scherzinger left the Pussycat Dolls. Her career, however, hardly skipped a beat. Her recording of the song, "Jai Ho," for the 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire went No. 1 in 17 countries.

Scherzinger also jumped back onto the small screen in 2010, performing as a contestant and eventual series winner on the ABC program Dancing with the Stars. She later took to the stage and starred in the Neal Patrick Harris production of Rent at the Hollywood Bowl.

In 2011, Scherzinger was named as a permanent replacement for Cheryl Cole as a judge on the American version of The X Factor, along with fellow panelists Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and L.A. Reid.

"I'm the luckiest person to get a front-row ticket to the 'Simon and Paula show,'" gushed Scherzinger after being named to the series. The singer, who released Killer Love (her first solo studio album), that same year, added, "My music is the driving engine, and The X Factor is where I can give back to the contestants—pay it forward, since I got my start on reality shows. I'm ready to take it all on."

Nicole Elikolani Prescovia Scherzinger (Honolulú, Hawái, 29 de junio de 1978), también conocida como Nicole Kea, es una cantante, escritora y bailarina estadounidense, especialmente conocida por su trabajo como líder y vocalista de las Pussycat Dolls.

Nacida en Honolulú, Hawái, pero criada en Louisville, Kentucky. Desde temprana edad, Nicole destacó en la música y la interpretación. En el colegio actuó en el teatro “Actors Theatre of Louisville” y ganó el premio ‘Coca-Cola Classic Talent Contest’. Ya en el 2001 participó en el concurso de televisión “PopStars”, dónde después formó parte del grupo “Eden’s Crush” con otras participantes del concurso. Dicho grupo lanzó el álbum “Get Over Yourself” que llego al número 1 en ventas y entro en el top cinco de Billboard Hot 100. Posteriormente, el sello discográfico Atlantic Records tuvo problemas y decidieron disolver el grupo a beneficio individual de cada cantante. Dos años más tarde, Nicole se incorporó como cantante principal de The Pussycat Dolls, con quien actuó en programas como The Late Show de David Letterman, o junto a Carmen Electra en Big Spencer del musical Sweet Charity. La banda fue ganando popularidad hasta que lanzó el single Sway, que formó parte de la banda sonora de la película “Shall We Dance”, de Richard Gere y Jennifer Lopez, y que supuso el paso definitivo al estrellato.

En 2005 el grupo lanzó su álbum debut, PCD, con el que tuvieron un gran éxito a nivel internacional. En junio de 2005 se lanzó el single Don\'t Cha, con la colaboración de Busta Rhymes. Stickwitu, el segundo sencillo, fue lanzado a finales de año. Mientras que en 2006, en marzo, fue lanzado el single Beep con la colaboración de Will.I.Am, de Black Eyed Peas. Y a finales de octubre lanzaron su cuarto single Buttons, con la colaboración del rapero Snoop Dogg.

Nicole anunció que iba a comenzar su carrera en solitario sin abandonar a las gatitas. El nombre de su álbum debut es Her Name is Nicole... y acompañado de su primer single, \"Whatever U Like\" que fue presentado el 18 de mayo de 2007 como el nuevo tema de la cadena CW. En los créditos del CD aparecen nombres destacados dentro del mundo de la música rap y R&B, que han trabajado con Nicole en la grabación del disco, como Will.I.Am., de The Black Eyed Peas (ya colaboró con ella en el disco PCD, de las Pussycat Dolls), Akon y Sean Garrett, que ha ejercido de productor en algunos temas.

El lanzamiento del disco fue retrasado hasta mediados de noviembre de 2007 en Australia y Canadá.

* Scherzinger ha realizado dos cameos, uno en la película de Nick Cannon Love Don\'t Cost A Thing y otro en Chasing Papi, donde actuó como Miss Puerto Rico.

* Fue una vez relacionada con el líder de la banda estadounidense de rock 311, Nick Hexum. Nicole apareció en el vídeo de su primer single \"Amber\" y Hexum produjo la canción que ella contó para \"50 primeras citas\". Se afirma que decidieron separarse debido a compromisos profesionales de ambos.

* Ha colaborado con otros cantantes, como 50 Cent, Will Smith, P Diddy, Avant o Shaggy.

* En el 2007 realizó un dúo con el cantante puertoriqueño Daddy Yankee titulado \"Papi Lover\". Esta canción está en el CD \"El Cartel III: The Big Boss\".

* Realizó un dúo con la cantante mexicana Belinda en una canción llamada Contigo o sin ti del disco Utopia.

* En noviembre de 2007 se la relacionó con el piloto de Fórmula 1 Lewis Hamilton, ya que ambos coincidieron en los MTV Europe Music Awards entregados en Múnich, Alemania.