10 Music Bands Who Had An Extra Member You Never Knew About

6. No Doubt - Eric Stefani (Keyboards, 1986–95)

Eric Stefani is the older brother of Gwen and was the founding member/keyboardist for the punk/ska outfit No Doubt. It was Eric’s imagination and artistry that established their early sound; he was the central songwriter in the band.

Eric formed the band with John Spence as lead singer and Gwen only as backing vocalist. Spence tragically took his own life in 1987, so Gwen took up lead vocal duties as the band recruited bassist Tony Kanal, guitarist Tom Dumont and drummer Adrian Young. They snagged a record deal with Interscope and released their self-titled album to dismal sales, which dejected and disheartened Eric. He retreated from the band afterwards and only contributed a few musical titbits to their follow-up ‘Tragic Kingdom’.

Gwen said regarding Eric’s departure: “Eric was in some ways the dad, the teacher. He taught me everything I know. He wasn’t happy for a long time. It wasn’t a surprise when he left. For me, it was terrible, but it opened a lot of creative space for the rest of us.”

Eric added: “It was like being the father of a kid, and it was time to let go. For the long run it worked out for the best for everyone, including myself.”

As Tragic Kingdom (number 441 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the ‘500 Greatest Albums Of All Time’) catapulted No Doubt to superstardom, Eric went on to work as an animator, even drawing No Doubt in the background of The Simpsons episode ‘Homerpalooza’.