Nicole Scherzinger did not want to audition for Popstars. Her mother, Rosemary Elikolani, saw an advertisement for the show and urged her to try anyway. Years before that decision, their family life included Hawaiian music and dance, even after they moved to Kentucky. Nicole has shared these memories in interviews, along with stories about her mother’s work and their close family ties. Rosemary has kept much of her own life private. Her story is best told through the details the family has shared, with no need to guess at the rest.
Rosemary Elikolani: Key Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Rosemary Elikolani |
| Known for | Being Nicole Scherzinger’s mother |
| Heritage | Native Hawaiian and Ukrainian roots |
| Children | Nicole Scherzinger and her younger sister, Keala |
| Later husband | Gary Scherzinger, who adopted Nicole |
| Earlier partner | Alfonso Valiente, Nicole’s biological father |
| Work reported | Hula dancer and clerk |
| Places linked to her life | Hawaii and Louisville, Kentucky |
| Birth date | Not reliably available in public records |
| Current work | Not reliably documented |
Who Is Rosemary Elikolani?
She is the mother of singer and stage performer Nicole Scherzinger. Nicole was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Rosemary and Alfonso Valiente. When Nicole was young, her parents separated. Rosemary later married Gary Scherzinger, who adopted Nicole. The singer took Gary’s surname. Rosemary is also the mother of Nicole’s younger sister, Keala.
Much of what people know about Rosemary comes from Nicole’s memories. She has spoken about family gatherings in Hawaii, her mother’s dancing, their home in Kentucky, and support before a key audition. Rosemary has appeared in family tributes, but she has not told her whole life story in public. Her daughter’s interviews offer a picture of their shared years, with some questions left unanswered.
Her Hawaiian Heritage and Family Roots
Rosemary’s family background includes Native Hawaiian and Ukrainian heritage. Nicole’s Filipino heritage comes from her biological father, Alfonso. Nicole has described the feeling of being a Hawaiian, Ukrainian, and Filipino child in Kentucky. Her interviews also show why those roots mattered at home. She remembered the people, music, and visits that connected her to Hawaii after the family moved away.
In a 2009 interview, Nicole spoke about going back to Oahu for summers and family visits. She remembered time with relatives at the beach and said Hawaii still felt like home. She knew Hawaiian culture through her mother and other relatives, not only through books or performances. Their connection continued across the distance between the islands and the mainland.
Rosemary’s Family with Nicole and Keala
Nicole has said her mother was 18 when she gave birth to her. Her biological father was Alfonso Valiente. After Rosemary’s relationship with him ended, she married Gary Scherzinger, who adopted Nicole. The family also included Nicole’s younger sister, Keala. Accounts differ on some dates from this period, so an exact timeline would suggest more certainty than the public record allows.
Rosemary is often mentioned only in relation to Nicole, yet both daughters are part of her family story. Nicole has included Keala in public family photos and spoken of the importance of her parents and sister. These relationships help readers understand the household. They do not give us a reason to make guesses about Keala’s personal life.
A Move from Hawaii to Kentucky
The family moved from Hawaii to Louisville, Kentucky, when Nicole was a young child. Published accounts give different ages for her at the time, but they agree that much of her childhood was spent in Louisville. She went to school there and later developed her interest in theatre and music. Hawaii remained part of the family’s memories and visits.
Nicole has described looking different from many children around her in Kentucky. She spoke of being shy and unsure of herself. Her family also had little money. Those are Nicole’s childhood memories, rather than a full account of what her mother experienced during the move. Rosemary worked and cared for her daughters while family ties stretched across two places.
Work and Daily Life in Louisville
Accounts of the Louisville years describe Rosemary working as a clerk and Gary as a welder. Nicole has said her mother bought clothes at yard sales and second-hand shops because money was limited. She has also recalled wanting the new clothes other children had. Her memories give a clearer view of family finances than the unsupported wealth figures printed on some biography pages.
What the family could afford shaped some of Nicole’s choices. She found chances to perform through school and local theatre, then studied theatre and dance at Wright State University. Nicole has recalled travelling 45 minutes to a performing arts school because private singing and dance lessons were too expensive. Her mother did not have a public role in each step, but worked while Nicole followed her interests. There is no basis to say Rosemary planned or managed the career that followed.
Hula Dancing Was Part of Family Life
Rosemary danced hula and Tahitian dance. Nicole has said her mother taught her some hula when she was little. In a 2009 interview with MidWeek, she explained that her grandparents had a touring group called Sons and Daughters of Hawaii. Her mother danced with the family group and passed some steps to her daughter. Dance was something Nicole saw among people close to her.
The Hawaiian newspaper Ka Wai Ola reported that the family group performed in Kentucky and Indiana, keeping a link with Hawaii after the move. Nicole said relatives wanted to share their traditions with people who might never visit the islands. Rosemary Elikolani was described as a lead dancer in that group. A full record of her performances is not public, but Nicole’s memories show how dance connected the family across places.
Nicole’s First Steps in Music and Theatre
Nicole’s interest in performing developed well before she joined the Pussycat Dolls. She heard Whitney Houston as a child and wanted to sing. In Louisville, she acted in local theatre and attended a performing arts school. She later studied theatre at Wright State University and worked with the band Days of the New.
Music and dance were present among Nicole’s Hawaiian relatives. Her grandmother sang, while her mother danced. This does not mean Rosemary taught Nicole to sing or chose a career for her. Nicole grew up seeing family members perform and later spoke about those memories as part of her identity. That account shows a family influence without giving any one person credit for all of Nicole’s work.
The Popstars Audition Rosemary Encouraged
Rosemary Elikolani offered direct encouragement when the television show Popstars was looking for singers. Nicole told The Independent that her mother saw an advertisement and urged her to audition. Nicole resisted at first. She was studying theatre and music, had worked with a band, and hoped for a future on Broadway. Her mother kept encouraging her, and Nicole went to the audition.
Nicole was selected for Eden’s Crush, the girl group formed through the show. She later became the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls, after further choices and hard work of her own. At the time, Nicole was also thinking about a solo career and took material she had prepared to the audition. The story is valuable because Nicole herself told it. It shows one choice her mother helped her make without claiming that Rosemary Elikolani knew what would happen next.
How Nicole Speaks About Her Mother Today
Nicole has continued to speak warmly about her family. During a 2016 interview about voicing Sina, the mother in Moana, she connected the character to her own mother and grandmother. She spoke about the care and sacrifices she had seen from women in her family. Rosemary remained part of Nicole’s story even when the interview was about a film or performance.
At the 2025 Tony Awards, Nicole thanked her mother while accepting an award for her leading role in Sunset Blvd. The moment came many years after Rosemary Elikolani had urged her to audition for Popstars. It was a daughter recognising a person who mattered to her. Nicole’s interviews over time support that close connection more clearly than guesses about the family’s private conversations.
A Health Story the Family Shared Publicly
Nicole shared in December 2020 that her mother had undergone a second open-heart operation shortly before Christmas. She expressed relief that the family could be together afterwards. In January 2026, Nicole spoke further about her mother’s heart history while taking part in an American Heart Association event. She said her mother had survived two strokes. These details became public because Nicole chose to speak about them, and they are best handled with the same care she showed for her family.
Her medical history does not need to become a day-by-day account. The public statements explain why a heart-health event had personal meaning for Nicole. They do not establish every detail of Rosemary’s treatment or current condition. Nicole has spoken with gratitude about having her family together after a difficult time. Anything more would be a guess about someone else’s health.
What Is Known About Rosemary’s Private Life
Rosemary has not shared a detailed public account of her childhood, education, birth date, or current occupation. Some websites print exact ages, earnings, and home details without a clear source. Nicole’s interviews and reporting about the family are more useful. They cover Rosemary’s roots, dancing, work in Louisville, children, and encouragement before the Popstars audition. They do not cover every stage of her life.
In 2009, interviews described Rosemary as living on Oahu again, near family. That does not establish where she lives now. The same care applies to claims about her marriage, job, and health today. Rosemary Elikolani may be widely searched because of Nicole’s career, but interest does not make private information public. Readers deserve to know which parts of her story are documented and which remain unknown.
Conclusion
Rosemary Elikolani has a place in Nicole Scherzinger’s story through family, work, Hawaiian dance, and one important piece of advice. Nicole has described a mother who kept ties to Hawaii, worked during their Kentucky years, and urged her to take the Popstars audition. She has also thanked her mother as her own career reached new stages. These details give readers a fuller picture than a name in a celebrity family tree. The parts Rosemary has kept private should be left there, while the memories her daughter has shared tell a clear and meaningful story.
(FAQ’s)
1. Who is Nicole Scherzinger’s mother?
Rosemary Elikolani is her mother. She has been described as a hula dancer and a clerk, and Nicole has often spoken about their family life.
2. What is her family heritage?
Accounts describe her as having Native Hawaiian and Ukrainian roots. Nicole’s Filipino heritage comes from her biological father, Alfonso Valiente.
3. Who did she marry after separating from Nicole’s father?
She married Gary Scherzinger, who adopted Nicole. Nicole later used his surname in her professional career.
4. Did she encourage Nicole to audition for Popstars?
Yes. Nicole has said her mother saw an advertisement for the show and urged her to try out.
5. How old is Rosemary Elikolani?
Her exact birth date is not reliably available in the public sources used for this article, so a precise age would be a guess.
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