Gwen Stefani Mourns Beloved Figure From Her No Doubt Days

Gwen Stefani is mourning a member of her No Doubt family — long-time security guard Curtis Garrett. Stefani posted about Garrett’s passing on Instagram on Friday, and many fans remembered the smiling guard. They mourned along with Stefani and the rest of the band.

“Curtis I love you and I’ll see you up there,” Stefani wrote simply in her post. It showed an old sepia-toned photo of Garrett smiling with his hands in his pockets. No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal posted a longer tribute to Garrett, including a photo of him on the job and an old video of him working on behalf of the band as well. He wrote: “He was a gracious and gentle man with a never-ending smile and infectious laugh. Curtis was an essential part of our No Doubt touring family for many years.”

“Everything about Curtis was larger than life and yet at the same time he embodied peace and calm,” Kanal went on. “If you were ever at a No Doubt show when he was running things you may have seen him. He was the one in charge of making sure everyone in the venue was safe. I would sometimes sit in on his daily briefings and watch him instruct that night’s security team on how he wanted the audience treated: with care, kindness and respect.”

“Curtis passed away a few days ago. I hadn’t seen him in years and I regret not staying in touch. My memories of him are indelible. Thank you Curtis for looking after us on all those tours. Thank you for taking care of [Stephen Bradley] and I on our all-nighters and making sure we didn’t get into too much trouble. Hope you are at peace man. You are missed,” Kanal concluded.

Many fans remembered Garrett as well, proving just how big of an impact he had on the band during his years as a bodyguard. One wrote: “No way, RIP Curtis. Old school [No Doubt] fans will forever remember u.” Another added: “I loved him at concerts. He was the best. So sorry for your loss… sending positive vibes and prayers,” and a third wrote: “Thank you for posting this. Curtis loved working with you. He will be missed.”

No Doubt was one of the premier bands of the 1990s, helping usher in the genres of pop-punk and ska. Stefani served as the lead vocalist and co-wrote songs with Kanal. The band never truly broke up but took longer and longer hiatuses as its members pursued solo projects.

Still, No Doubt is technically an active band that could reunite at any moment. Their last release was their sixth album Push and Shove in 2012. Perhaps their tragic loss this week will bring the musicians together again.