Nicole Scherzinger (/niˈkoʊl ˈʃɜːrzɪŋər/; born Nicole Prascovia Elikolani Valiente; June 29, 1978) is an American singer, dancer, actress and television personality. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, she performed in various singing competitions and musicals before joining American rock band Days of the New as a backing vocalist and later becoming one of the members of the ill-fated girl group Eden's Crush in 2001. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the burlesque troupe turned-recording act, the Pussycat Dolls becoming one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. During their hiatus, Scherzinger planned to embark on her solo career with Her Name is Nicole, but it was later shelved after four singles failed to impact the charts significantly. Following the disbandment of the Pussycat Dolls, Scherzinger became a judge for two seasons of The Sing-Off and in 2010 won the tenth season of Dancing with the Stars.