No Doubt was one of the biggest bands of the 1990s and early 2000s. It not only scored dozens of hits on the Billboard charts, but helped to make Gwen Stefani a household name in the pop world. It may surprise some, however, to learn that her older brother, Eric Stefani, was a founding member.
Eric Stefani co-founded No Doubt in 1986. He was one of two driving forces behind the band early on, alongside original lead singer John Spence. The band rehearsed in the Stefani's family garage, and Gwen was originally brought into the fold as a backup singer at the behest of keyboardist Eric. The band underwent a major shift, however, when Spence died, and Gwen became lead singer.
Eric Stefani left No Doubt in 1995
Eric Stefani played keyboards on the band's first three albums, but he walked away from the band right before their 1995 release, Tragic Kingdom, became a critical and commercial success. There were multiple reasons why Eric decided to quit. For one, the keyboardist was already splitting time between the band and his career as an animator.
The founding member worked for The Simpsons during the early 90s, and felt that his career would be better served if he dropped No Doubt to pursue animation full time. Eric also felt like his input into the band diminished as No Doubt refined its sound and began experimenting with different genres. "I wanted to go back to drawing," Eric later told the Los Angeles Times. "And all the musical juices were sucked out of me at that point."
Time Magazine also reports that Eric Stefani also preferred songwriting to touring, and grew tired of the long and grueling schedules No Doubt had lined up. "That whole passage of my life is unclear," the keyboardist said. "I was messed up inside. I was troubled. I didn’t know what direction to go." He went on to admit that it was "bittersweet" when he finally heard the band break through on the radio.
Stefani performed on his sister's 2020 single
That said, Eric does not regret his decision. He reaped the benefits of contributing to a very popular album in Tragic Kingdom, and even went on to be nominated for a Song of the Year Grammy in 1998 for co-writing "Don't Speak" with his sister. He also told the Los Angeles Times he feels very lucky to have found success in multiple avenues of his life.
"So many people out there are trying to make it, and I’m so lucky to be doing any of this stuff," he said. "I couldn’t ask for more." Eric Stefani never rejoined No Doubt, but he did contribute to the single "Let Me Reintroduce Myself," a 2020 solo release by his sister.