Bassist Christa Hillhouse and guitarist Shaunna Hall had been roommates and met drummer Wanda Day when they joined a band she was playing in. When the three left that band they started playing as a three piece but after seeing Linda Perry sing at a solo performance Hillhouse and Hall asked her to join as vocalist. According to Perry, she and Hall were at Nightbreak, a San Francisco club, and when it was mentioned the threesome were looking for a vocalist Perry announced she was a singer to which Hall replied "I know". Their first rehearsal was supposed to be at 6 PM on October 17, 1989, but shortly after 5 PM the Loma Prieta earthquake hit the San Francisco area.

The band picked the name, 4 Non Blondes, after an incident in a San Francisco park where the band members were having pizza. Apparently, a family was walking by, and their little boy wanted to grab some left over pizza to feed the birds. He was told by his parents, "No, don't touch that, that's dirty from all the birds and people around here," and they proceeded to give the band members a dirty look. The family was supposedly" very blonde ", so they decided to call themselves 4 Non Blondes.

The band was signed to Interscope in July of 1991 following a performance at the Gavin Convention where the band opened for Primus on Valentine's Day of the same year. As they began pre-production for their debut album, according to Hillhouse, Wanda Day was fired from 4 Non Blondes because of drug problems and was replaced by Dawn Richardson. Shaunna Hall left the band in 1992 while recording Bigger Better Faster, More! over musical differences, particularly with the producer David Tickle. She was replaced by Roger Rocha, who would stay with the band until 1995. After 4 Non Blondes, Day went on to join Malibu Barbi. Day died July 10, 1997.Lead vocalist Perry went solo in 1995. The group had disbanded in late 1994 during the recording of their second album, which was never completed. Perry has since released solo work, and produced songs on hit albums by Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys, Pink, and Kelly Clarkson.

In 1994, 4 Non Blondes contributed the song "Bless The Beasts And Children" for The Carpenters tribute album 'If I Were a Carpenter'.

In 1995, 4 Non Blondes contributed the song "Misty Mountain Hop" to the 'Encomium' tribute album to Led Zeppelin.

In 2007, Kitty Rose and Christa Hillhouse started working with Carolyn Gage on a five-woman rock musical called 'How to Write a Country-Western Song'. In the summer of 2008 Christa Hillhouse began playing live shows with singer-songwriter-pianist Bob Malone, who she continues to tour with several times per year.

Guitarist Roger Rocha recorded an unreleased record with the hard rocking Dolorosa in 1995 and then in 1997, joined psychedelic pop group, Mockingbirds on Guitar. Rocha then recorded two CDs with El Destroyo, 'the Latest Drag' 1999 and 'Power of my Mind' released in 2002. The latter was produced and featured the bass guitar of founding member of the Violent Femmes, Brian Ritchie. Rocha recorded 'Roger Rocha has..." the Blues!"' in 2006. Roger is currently living, singing, writing and performing in the San Francisco Bay Area with the group Roger Rocha & The Goldenhearts.

Founding guitarist Shaunna Hall became an official member of George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic in 2007, making her the first female band member in the band's 35 + year history. Shaunna has been touring with P-Funk since 2002. Shaunna Hall released a producer project CD/DVD set in 2006 entitled 'Electrofunkadelica: e3+FUNKnth = music for the body, mind & soul', which features members of Parliament Funkadelic, Sativa Diva, Christa Hillhouse, Eric Mc Fadden, Lisa Cash and many others. Shaunna has been a touring member of George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic since 2002. She has also recorded and performed with The Alcohol of Fame (1993-1995); The Eric Mc Fadden Experience (1995-2002) 'Our Revels Now are Ended' (1998 NMX Records); Tribe 8 (producer & guest guitarist) 'Role Models For Amerika' (1998 Alternative Tentacles Records); Storm, Inc. (1999-2001) 'The Calm Years' (2000 Taylor Made Records/ Gender Nectar); 420 Funk Mob 'Alive in Spain' (2004 We FUNK ad2k Records).