Fergie Reunites With Black Eyed Peas for Milestone Birthday Celebration
Fergie and her former group, the Black Eyed Peas, came together again for a notable occasion.
The artist, whose birth name is Stacy Ann Ferguson, shared an update on Instagram on Saturday, December 13, stating that they had “Finally got to share a meal and commemorate our milestone birthdays together.” The post featured pictures of her alongside former bandmates Taboo, Will.i.am, and Apl.de.ap. She added, “It was a very special night with my brothers, filled with abundant love.”
The Black Eyed Peas were founded in 1995, initially featuring Kim Hill as the primary vocalist. Hill discussed her choice to depart from the band in a 2019 interview with the New York Times, explaining she left precisely when their success was starting to build.
“It began to feel awkward and chaotic,” she said in an op-doc released by the Times. “I was asked, 'Do you want to dance suggestively with will.i.am while wearing a bathing suit?' This request came from an executive level, not from the band members themselves.”
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Fergie became part of the group in 2002 and provided vocals for many of their most popular songs, such as “Where Is The Love,” “Let’s Get It Started,” “I Gotta Feeling,” and “Boom Boom Pow.” In 2006, while still performing with the band, she released her solo record, The Dutchess, and later followed it with “Double Dutchess” in 2017.
Fergie gave birth to her son, Axl, in 2013, with former spouse Josh Duhamel, which made balancing her commitments to the band more difficult. She officially departed from the group in 2017.
Speaking to journalists during a TCA panel for her Fox singing contest The Four in January 2018, Fergie, then 42, explained that “Any mother who works hard understands that constant juggling act required to balance conflicting family and professional obligations.” She admitted that “Occasionally, I am simply an exhausted mother.”
Rey J. Soul joined the Black Eyed Peas in 2018.
Speaking to GQ UK in March 2024, Soul described the group members, saying, “They function as both my big brothers and mentors.” She noted, “I grew up in the Philippines, and they have essentially been a group for my entire life. When I first joined, it was quite overwhelming because I am a solo performer, and they already possessed such a cohesive dynamic on stage. They were completely synchronized, and I wondered, 'How will I fit into this?'”
Even after officially leaving the group, Fergie continued to maintain contact with the other members.
Will.i.am, aged 50, mentioned to Billboard in 2020 regarding Fergie, “We attempt to stay connected.” He added, “We contact each other periodically to exchange greetings and well wishes for special occasions like birthdays, Christmas, and Easter.”
He continued by saying, “She understands our location. We are in the studio. We care about her, and she is concentrating on motherhood. It is a demanding role, one she genuinely desired, and we support her completely. She knows how to get in touch with us if she needs a break or a chance to get away. We respect her decision. We value Fergie highly and wish only the best for her.”
Ape.de.ap also told Billboard, “Fergie is like family to us. Despite minimal interactions, she will always be our sister.” He added, “However, our schedule is affected by her desire to dedicate herself to being an excellent mother, which is her focus. We fully stand behind her choice.”
