Us Weekly (Dec. 11th 2000)

Heart to Heart

Music man Moby and No Doubt's Gwen Stefani discuss family secrets and lovers far away

In early 1999, electronica music master Moby (born Richard Melville Hall, he is a descendant of Moby Dick author Herman Melville) invited Gwen Stefani, the lead singer of No Doubt, to perform a duet of his song "South Side." Stefani's contribution ultimately did not make it onto the final recording. But this summer, while his latest album, Play, was riding the Billboard charts, Moby, 35, once again telephoned Stefani, 31, and told her he wanted to release a remix of the tune with her vocals restored. Recently, they chatted during a lunch break on the Los Angeles set of the video for the new version of "South Side," which began airing in October.

Moby: I really don't know you that well. Do you have any brothers and sisters?

Stefani: Yes. My older brother used to be in my band. Now he does animation and stuff. I also have a little sister who has a baby, and they live with me. My niece is 4 1/2. And I have a little brother who is married. What about your family?

Moby: I found out about five years ago that I have a half-brother somewhere. I thought I was an only child my whole life. I was looking at my birth certificate one day and noticed that it read `Number of children born previous: I.' I asked my mother about it and she said, `Oh, yeah, I had a child and gave it up for adoption.' Then I found out a couple years later that my father, who I had been told died when I was 2, had actually killed himself

Stefani: I am almost crying.

Moby: But it didn't make me sad at all. I thought it was fascinating He was only 26.

Stefani: That is crazy.

Moby: When I was growing up, he was this adult figure who had died and now he was like a kid who had died. You know what I mean?

Stefani: Wow.

Moby: It gives you a very different perspective. So there's that, and I have a half-brother floating around somewhere.

Stefani: Have you looked for him?

Moby: I don't really have any interest. I mean, everybody is related, everybody shares the same DNA to some extent. So there is somebody in the world whom I share a little more DNA with. Maybe if I need a blood transfusion or something I should find him.... I am actually a space alien myself.

Stefani: I am Catholic.

Moby: You live in L.A. But if you had to live anywhere else, where would you want to live?

Stefani: I wouldn't live anywhere else. That is one of my big problems. I am supposed to live in London [where her musician boyfriend, Bush's Gavin Rossdale, resides], but I don't really want to. It's only because I love my family so much, and I want to be around them. What is your favorite place in the world?

Moby: Los Angeles is my favorite city. 

Stefani: Really? More than New York?

Moby: Oh, much more than New York

Stefani: But you live in New York.

Moby: If I didn't have my studio in New York, I would move to Los Angeles in a heartbeat.

Stefani: I have only lived here for three years. But it is really fun.

Moby: Do you have a nice house?

Stefani: Yeah, I have a palace. I just got a pool put in. Come over tonight and hop in the Jacuzzi.

Moby: I'd love to.