The Pussycat Dolls Biography

"Inside every woman is a Pussycat Doll," says Robin Antin,the innovator behind the singing-and-dancing ensemble that hasrisen from underground cool to major label hot. "It's aboutfemale empowerment, about being confident with who you are.It's about singing and dancing in front of a mirror by yourselfand having fun."With their debut album, PCD, set for release by A&M Recordson September 13, 2005 (led by the #1 smash "Don't Cha," a duetwith Busta Rhymes and produced by Cee-Lo), The Pussycat Dolls gobeyond being extraordinarily beautiful. With tremendous voices,and after working with today's top songwriters and producers(including Will.I.Am from the Black Eyed Peas, Timbaland, RichHarrison, Sean Garrett and Ron Fair), The Pussycat Dolls areready to stamp their mark on music and on attitudes."To me, a Pussycat Doll is fearless but also vulnerable,"says lead singer Nicole Scherzinger. "We're strong but we liketo play too. The line in 'Don't Cha'--'don't cha wish yourgirlfriend was hot like me'--is meant to be empowering. ThePussycat Dolls are not about just being hot but also aboutsaying something with real feeling."From triple-threat Scherzinger, to Jessica Sutta, the one-time captain of the Miami Heat dance troupe; from Carmit Bachar,the "La Vida Loca" girl on Ricky Martin's world tour, to AshleyRoberts and Kimberly Wyatt, two of the most talented young


dancers in Hollywood, and Melody Thornton, a young powerhousesinger, these Pussycat Dolls represent the next step for thegroup whose Sunset Strip performances became the hippest ticketin Hollywood.The Pussycat Dolls were born in a tiny dance studio in theL.A. garage of actress Christina Applegate, with whom Antin wasrooming in the early '90s. Antin had appeared in commercials,and did choreography for music videos for the likes of SmashMouth, The Offspring and No Doubt. "But I wanted to dosomething creative and different," she says.So Antin invited over a few girlfriends who were alsotour/music video dancers and they began to play around with herown choreography, a style endowed with the spirit of famedchoreographer Bob Fosse ("Sweet Charity," "Cabaret") but alsomusic from Led Zeppelin to punk rock, Siouxsie and The Bansheesto Bjork, and fashion as well. Meanwhile Applegate suggestedthey perform at the Sunset Strip's renowned Viper Room. OwnerJohnny Depp saw them rehearse and reportedly said, "This is whyI opened a club." The Pussycat Dolls, which have seen manymembers in its evolving lineup since debuting in 1995, becamethe Thursday night opening act for the next six years.A turning point came in 2000 when No Doubt's Gwen Stefanicame to a show and said she'd love to do a guest spot, not justto dance but to sing. So did Christina Aguilera. In 2002 itwas time to take the show to a bigger venue and so The PussycatDolls moved to The Roxy. For two shows a week, for seven weeks,the place was sold out. Other guest performers includedBrittany Murphy, Charlize Theron, Nikka Costa, Paris Hilton andPamela Anderson. All of them appeared without pay, just for thefun of it, including emcee Applegate.That same year, Antin joined forces with Jimmy Iovine,Chairman, Interscope Geffen A&M, who in turn brought in A&M


President Ron Fair to executive produce the project and helptake the concept to a higher level.Their "We Went As Far As We Felt Like Going" was heard in2004's Shark Tale, their cover of the standard "Sway" (helmed byFair, also producer for Aguilera and the Black Eyed Peas, amongothers) was heard in 2004's Shall We Dance? The Pussycat Dollswere also seen in 2003's Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle andPink's "Trouble" video as well as 2005's Be Cool. Scherzingerwas featured with Will Smith on "If U Can't Dance (Slide)" onhis 2005 Lost And Found album.Today, there is a Pussycat Dolls line of makeup from Stilaand The Pussycat Dolls Lounge opened in April 2005 insideCaesar's Palace in Las Vegas, featuring a different roster ofperformers. The future may hold a line of clothing, lingerie,perfume, videogames, TV and movie projects, and other lounges.