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Although Bush's gravelly voiced frontman Gavin Rossdale received as much attention for his poster-boy looks as his vocal similarities to Nirvana's Kurt Cobain, he nevertheless helped propel his band to the forefront of modern rock radio during the mid-'90s. Rossdale was born in London, England, on October 30, 1967; hurt by the divorce of his parents, Rossdale refused to speak to them as a child, only opening up to his sister. As a teen, Rossdale shoplifted and hung out in gay clubs, becoming friends with such celebrities as Boy George and Marilyn. He met King's Blank guitarist Nigel Pulsford at a bar in 1992, and after realizing their musical tastes were similar, the two began recording demos with bassist Dave Parsons and drummer Robin Goodridge. Naming themselves after the Shepherd's Bush area of London, Bush emerged with a grunge-influenced sound that was greeted with indifference in England. However, after Bush's demo was sent to Los Angeles alternative radio station KROQ in 1994, the track "Everything Zen" roused the request lines.

The band was quickly signed to a U.S. major label, and Bush's debut effort, Sixteen Stone, earned multi-platinum sales in America, regardless of the bandmates' unknown status back home. Some critics scoffed at Bush, dismissing the band's music as derivative or completely indebted to Rossdale's good looks. Faced with accusations of being a Nirvana wannabe, Rossdale tried to express his alternative credibility by wearing a Sex Pistols T-shirt on MTV and hiring outspoken indie producer Steve Albini for Bush's second album, Razorblade Suitcase. On New Year's Eve 2001, Rossdale and longtime girlfriend Gwen Stefani of No Doubt became engaged. Bush took an indefinite hiatus soon after. While his wife's career rose to meteoric heights during the 2000s, Rossdale busied himself with film roles and small musical projects, eventually partnering with Interscope Records (which had previously issued Bush's albums) for the release of his first solo effort, 2008's Wanderlust.