All About Gwen Stefani's Parents, Patti and Dennis Stefani
'The Voice' star Gwen Stefaniâs mom and dad influenced her love of music
Before Gwen Stefani wrote and performed hit songs like âMake Me Like You,â she learned a lot about music and love from her parents, Patti and Dennis Stefani.
The No Doubt singerâs mom and dad met at their high school in Anaheim, Calif., and they raised her and her three siblings â Eric, Jill and Todd â in the same city.
As fans of bluegrass and folk music, Patti and Dennis took Gwen to concerts when she was young, which helped spark her interest in music. This fostered a bond between them that wasn't deterred even when Gwen reached stardom, and she decided to keep living with her parents until her late 20s.
Related: Gwen Stefani's 3 Siblings: All About Eric, Todd and Jillian
To this day, The Voice coach shares a close relationship with Patti and Dennis. For Motherâs Day in May 2024, Gwen posted a touching Instagram video montage, featuring photos of Patti posing with various members of their family. In her caption, she wished her âbeautiful Mom + all the beautiful Momâs out thereâ a happy Motherâs Day.
The following month, she shared a sweet Instagram photo dump with throwback shots of her and Dennis to celebrate him on Fatherâs Day. âHappy Fatherâs Day to my incredible Dad đ¤,â Gwen wrote in her caption. âI love u !!â
Hereâs everything to know about Gwen Stefaniâs parents, Patti and Dennis Stefani.
Patti and Dennis met in high school
During a January 2005 interview with Rolling Stone, Gwen shared the story of how her parents first crossed paths.
âMy mom and dad met at Anaheim High School,â she said. âAfter they got married, all they wanted to do was have four children, and they did.â
They married in 1966
Ahead of exchanging wedding vows with fellow Voice coach and country star Blake Shelton in July 2021, Gwen shared moments from her bridal shower with her family on her Instagram Stories.
"The Sweet Escape" vocalist posted a card with a copy of âThe Mass on the Day of Marriageâ of her parents, which showed that their wedding date was June 11, 1966.
The card served as her "something old," and it read, âWishing you all the happiness your heart can hold... today, tomorrow, always. We love you so very much!â
They raised Gwen and her siblings in California
After Patti and Dennis tied the knot, they welcomed four kids: daughters Gwen and Jill, plus sons Eric and Todd.
Gwen had a positive experience growing up in the greater Los Angeles area. While speaking with Clash in April 2016, she recalled that her parents were regular churchgoers and described an overall âhappy home.â She elaborated, âWe were kind of like the most idealistic family that you could imagine.â
The performer lived with Patti and Dennis in Anaheim until she was 26, around the time "Just a Girl" climbed to the top of the charts.
âMy parents were quite strict with me and I was living at home even into my 20s, and I would have to come home and knock on my parentsâ door,â she shared in a March 2017 video about the meaning of the 1995 hit.
She admitted, "I just wanted to write a song to express how I was feeling in that moment and I never in my wildest dreams thought that anyone would hear it."
Patti and Dennis shared their love of music with Gwen
During her January 2005 interview with Rolling Stone, Gwen recalled her parents introducing her and her siblings to bluegrass and folk festivals.
Folk and country-rock artist Emmylou Harris was one of the first shows Gwen ever attended. âShe had just had a baby and she took a break in the middle of the show to go feed the baby," she recounted. "I couldn't believe it.â
Years later, when Gwen started experimenting with her voice and style, she gave her dad a demo tape of a song she wrote titled "End It on This." The artist told Vogue in April 2008 that Dennis would listen to it while going to work and play it for others. He later came back to her with thoughts that immediately stuck with her.
"I remember two things he said to me. One was 'Everybody's saying that your songwriting is really good and you should just keep going,' " she told the outlet. "And the other was 'Don't ever take lessons, because your voice is really unique. There's just something about it.' â
Dennis is a marketing executive
According to his LinkedIn profile, Dennis has been the executive vice president at the marketing and consulting company, Added Value North America, since 1989.
The marketing executiveâs specialties include âbrand and innovation strategyâ as well as ânew product development systemsâ and âintegrating consumer insights to inspire and guide new product identification.â
Dennis earned an MBA from the College of Business and Economics at California State University, Fullerton, and previously worked at DRI International, TBWA Chiat Day and Yamaha Motor Corporation.
Patti was a dental assistant
When Gwen spoke with Rolling Stone in January 2005, she shared that Patti quit her job as a dental assistant to stay home with her and her siblings.
Gwenâs wedding cake was a recreation of Patti and Dennisâ
On Gwen and Blakeâs wedding day in July 2021, they celebrated with a cake made by Dallas-based Fancy Cakes by Lauren. The business shared photos of the cake on Instagram, which featured bells, sugar flowers, white chocolate cherubs and white swan pillars.
âOur bride wanted to make a sentimental statement by recreating her parentâs wedding cake,â the caption read about the dessert's inspiration. âBoth of Gwenâs parents were there to see her honor them with this cake.â
Five years prior, in June 2016, Gwen and her sons celebrated Dennis and Pattiâs 50th wedding anniversary with a party and a three-tier wedding-style cake decorated with white roses and gold leaves. Gwen shared glimpses of the special day on Snapchat, posting a photo of the cake and a photo of her parents sharing a kiss.
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