Skip to main content

No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani and country star Blake Shelton both have backgrounds in the music industry, but their styles couldn’t be more different. While Stefani is stepping into the country music world in 2024, she made it big with her ska-punk bandmates in the ’90s. Recently, she discussed talking to her youngest son, Apollo Rossdale, about No Doubt. Here’s what she said about Apollo asking about whom she dated in the band.

Gwen Stefani discussed dating a No Doubt band member with her youngest son, Apollo Rossdale

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton make the perfect couple, but they haven’t been together forever. Before the couple met on The Voice and started dating in 2015, they were married to others in the music business. Stefani was married to Gavin Rossdale from 2002 to 2016, and Shelton was married to Miranda Lambert from 2011 to 2015. Before Stefani dated and married Rossdale, she was romantically involved with her bassist bandmate, Tony Kanal.

Kanal and Stefani started dating in their teen years in the ’80s and continued dating while performing together in No Doubt for seven years. Kanal recalled his experience touring their album, “Tragic Kingdom,” during his breakup with Stefani.

“We were on tour for the Tragic Kingdom for 28 months,” he explained, according to Hello!. “We were going through a breakup, and in every interview, we were talking about it, so we were opening this wound on an hourly basis. It was so brutal, but I don’t know how we made it through.”

Despite navigating a breakup, Stefani and Kanal retained a friendship. No Doubt reunited in 2024 to play at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival. Ahead of the festival, Stefani gave more insights into No Doubt and the band’s dynamics to her 10-year-old son, Apollo Rossdale.

“I had to literally lay in bed with Apollo and he’s like, ‘But mom, what is Coachella? Everyone’s saying it. What is this? It sounds like it’s a big deal,'” she recalled to People in January 2024. “So, we had to watch the ‘Don’t Speak’ video, and he’s like, ‘But wait, which one was your boyfriend?’ It was so weird and so funny. I literally had to tell him each band member.”

Gwen Stefani shared recent texts between her and Tony Kanal ahead of the band reuniting

Gwen Stefani singing on stage in front of No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal in 2015
Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal | C Flanigan/WireImage for KAABOO Del Mar via imageSPACE
Related

‘The Voice’ Star Gwen Stefani and Ex Gavin Rossdale Have No ‘Similarities’ in How They Raise Their Kids

Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal remained good friends after they dated and No Doubt disbanded. On Jan. 16, 2024, she posted a clip to Instagram that showed her texting Kanal about a potential No Doubt reunion.

“Hi what are you doing?” she texted Kanal.

“Woah, what’s up!?” he responded.

“Thinking about u guys,” Stefani texted. “U guys want to get on a video chat??”

“Yes, I’ll tell the guys,” Kanal texted.

While on a video call, Stefani told her ex-bandmates, “What are we doing? Why do we not hang out?”

Kanal replied, “We should hang out.”

All of the No Doubt band members then decided that they should do a show, which got fans excited. In April 2024, No Doubt reunited to perform at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival.

Tony Kanal called the No Doubt reunion an ‘amazing experience’

No Doubt reunited in 2024, and Tony Kanal said getting the band back together was an “amazing experience.”

“It was just an amazing experience for all six of us,” he told Us Weekly.

“We haven’t played in almost nine years,” Kanal continued. “We prepped really well for the show; we rehearsed a lot and put a lot of time into the production. So, we were ready to go. When you play a festival, you don’t know what the response is going to be. Festival crowds can be tricky, but it was everything we hoped for. It was pretty spectacular.”

Kanal added that rehearsing for Coachella made him feel “16 again.”

For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, follow Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s Instagram.