Shining Star...

Scherzinger was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. She is of Hawaiian, Filipina and Russian descent. Her mother Rosemary was eighteen at the time of Scherzinger's birth and lived in an inner city neighborhood. Nicole's parents separated when she was still a baby. Her maternal family moved to Louisville, Kentucky when she was six years old, with her sister Ke'ala and her German-American stepfather Gary Scherzinger.
In an interview with The Daily Mail Scherzinger explained that she had been brought up with a strict religious upbringing in Hawaii. She first attended Meyzeek Middle School as an adolescent. Growing up, Nicole states that she didn't have a lot of money and the singer thanks her mom for all the support she gave her to become what she is today. Scherzinger began performing in Louisville, attending the Youth Performing Arts School at duPont Manual High School and performing with Actors Theatre of Louisville.
As a teenager, Scherzinger was the first runner-up at the 1996 Kentucky State Fair's Coca-Cola Talent Classic contest. Scherzinger majored in acting and musical theatre at Wright State University, where she played Velma in Chicago and Julie La Verne in Show Boat,but put her studies on hold in 1999 to sing backing vocals for the rock band Days of the New.

Nicole Scherzinger