AskMen bio about former Wright State student Nicole Scherzinger

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Nicole Scherzinger Biography

Nicole Elikolani Prescovia Scherzinger was born on June 29, 1978, in Honolulu, Hawaii. She is of Hawaiian, Filipina and Russian descent, and comes from a large family of entertainers — her mother, Rosemary, was a professional hula dancer and her grandmother was a respected Mariachi singer.

When Nicole Scherzinger was just 6 years old, her military stepfather was transferred to Louisville, Kentucky, where she began attending performing arts schools to pursue an arts education. As a teenager, she was the first runner-up at the 1996 Kentucky State Fair’s Coca-Cola Talent Classic contest and she appeared in several plays at Louisville’s Actors Theater.

Nicole Scherzinger joins Days of the New

Attending Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, Nicole Scherzinger majored in theater and minored in dance. After appearing in every play put on by the school’s theater troupe, Nicole decided that she wanted to be a performer. She worked as a model, appearing in several local ad campaigns to support her dream.

It was during her time at Wright State that Nicole Scherzinger was contacted by Travis Meeks, the lead singer of Louisville-based band Days of the New. Meeks wanted her to perform on a few songs with the group, and she agreed — a decision that forced her to drop out of school for a short period. After recording several demos with Meeks, Nicole returned to Wright State, but later recorded an entire album’s worth of material and went on tour.

Nicole Scherzinger in Eden’s Crush

In 2000, she went back home and began working on her own songs and demos. It was around that time that she auditioned for Popstars, a television show on the WB network for aspiring singers competing to become members of a new group. Nicole Scherzinger was chosen and the group, Eden’s Crush, was an instant success. Their 2001 debut hit high on the charts (thanks mostly to the infectious “Get Over Yourself”) and the resulting tour paired the group with acts including Jessica Simpson and ‘N Sync.

Nicole Scherzinger in The Pussycat Dolls

Eden’s Crush stayed together for about a year. During that time Nicole Scherzinger began to focus on her solo career and tried her hand at acting (appearing in the 2003 movies Love Don’t Cost a Thing and Chasing Papi). In 2003, a friend told Nicole about a casting call for a new group called The Pussycat Dolls , and even though she missed the auditions, she was allowed to drop by and perform for the executives in charge. They were so impressed with Nicole Scherzinger’s stage presence and vocals that they invited her to join the group as the lead singer.

After a series of performances on shows such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel Live, Nicole and The Pussycat Dolls began work on their debut album. PCD was released in September 2005 to critical and financial acclaim. A number of singles hit Billboard’s top 5, and the album has since sold more than six million copies worldwide. It was around this time that Nicole began working on her first solo album. Altogether, The Pussycat Dolls have sold over 15 million copies of their albums across the globe, making them one of the biggest girl bands in the world.

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