The Pussycat Dolls

The Pussycat Dolls started as a burlesque troupe in 1995 under the guidance of Robin Antin. With multitude of guest vocalists, they performed classical themes from 1950s and 1960s pop music. This troupe was an integral part of the shows at Los Angeles nightclub The Viper Room from 1995 - 2001. The idea to invite celebrities to participate in their shows was a successful move. In those days, The Pussycat Dolls shared the stage with Christina Aguilera, Pamela Anderson, Gwen Stefani and many other famous persons. The troupe became internationally popular and was featured in magazines, television shows and movies. Some of the The Pussycat Dolls appeared in the 2002 film Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, dancing to The Pink Panther Theme. In 2003, the group was re-cast and transformed into a girl pop band with the same name. This involved many changes into the lineup of the band. Nicole Scherzinger became the group's lead singer. The Pussycat Dolls' musical line-up consisted of Nicole Scherzinger, Carmit Bachar, Kimberly Wyatt, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, and Melody Thornton. They broadened their repertoire with Pop/R&B songs, retaining some of the old ones. The first video of The Pussycat Dolls was shot for the song Sway, soundtrack for the movie Shall We Dance?

On September 13, 2005, The Pussycat Dolls released their debut album, PCD, running five on the Billboard 200. Their first single, Don't Cha was a smash and peaked first in multiple countries including the UK, Australia and Canada. The Ralphi Rosario mix version of this song earned them Billboard Music Award as Hot Dance Music/Club Play Single of the Year. Overall, the album included six singles. One of them, Stickwitu, was nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Performance By a Duo or Group. The other four singles, Beep, Buttons, I Don't Need a Man, and Wait a Minute also received a warm welcome worldwide. In 2006, San Francisco-based company Doppelganger (along with Interscope Records) launched the PCD Music Lounge, an interactive website. In late 2006, The Pussycat Dolls were also featured in a commercial for Cingular Wireless along with Ludacris and KoRn. In 2007, a version of Right Now was used as a theme song for the NBA, though the lyrics had been altered.

On March 8, 2008, Carmit Bachar quit the band having announced this on their official website. The Pussycat Dolls did not find it necessary to seek a substitution for her. In the absence of Bachar, her vocal parts are now performed mostly by Jessica Sutta, some of them by Wyatt or Roberts. Having taken a short hiatus, The Pussycat Dolls came back in May 2008 with the new single When I Grow Up to present their second album. The song was released on May 27 2008 and entered the top 40 in many countries. The second studio album from The Pussycat Dolls, Doll Domination, was released in September 2008. One of the tracks from the album was titled In Person, and had a 1960s' vibe, a la Tina Turner. The Pussycat Dolls announced that in March/April 2009 they would embark on a world tour in support of their Doll Domination album. In 2009 the band released three records: Doll Domination 2.0, Doll Domination 3.0 and Doll Domination: The Mini Collection, which developed the ideas of The Pussycat Dolls second studio album.