Before she found fame in the Black Eyed Peas, Fergie Duhamel – born Stacy Ann Ferguson and better known as Fergie – began sowing the seeds of musical celebrity with her 1990s R&B-flavored dance-pop trio Wild Orchid. Initially calling themselves New Rhythm Generation (NRG), the all-female group came into being when fellow cast members of Nickelodeon children's show Kids Incorporated decided to form a group inspired by their mutual appreciation for music and poetry. Renee Sandstrom, Stacy Ferguson and Stefanie Ridel conceived the band in 1990 and that same year welcomed (temporary) fourth member Helen Holyoak. After scoring a recording contract with RCA, Wild Orchid released their debut self-titled album in 1997. The album was a success, scooping two Billboard Music Award nominations for album single "Talk to Me" as well as an American Music Award nomination for Favorite R&B/Soul New Artist. Two more albums followed; Oxygen in 1998 and Fire in 2001. Duhamel left Wild Orchid after the release of Fire and the newly formed duo released fourth album Hypnotic in 2003. The group's final album, a compilation called Talk To Me: Hits, Rarities & Gems, dropped in 2006.
