Biography of Jessica Simpson

Jessica Ann Johnson is an American singer, actress, fashion designer, and author. After performing in church choirs as a child, Simpson signed with Columbia Records in 1997, at age 16. Her debut studio album, Sweet Kisses , sold two million copies in the United States and saw the commercial success of the single "I Wanna Love You Forever". Simpson adopted a more mature image for her second studio album Irresistible , and its title track became her second top 20 entry on the Billboard Hot 100, while the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America . In This Skin , Simpson's third studio album, sold three million copies in the United States and saw the success of the single "With You", which topped the Mainstream Top 40 chart. During her earlier career, Simpson became known for her relationship and later marriage to Nick Lachey, with whom she appeared on the MTV reality television series Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica between 2003 and 2005. Following the release of her first Christmas album ReJoyce: The Christmas Album , which was certified gold, Simpson made her film debut as Daisy Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard , for which she recorded a cover of "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" for the film's soundtrack. In 2006, she released her fifth studio album A Public Affair and appeared in the romantic comedy film Employee of the Month. With the release of her sixth studio album Do You Know , Simpson moved into the country music genre. Aside from her musical pursuits, Simpson launched The Jessica Simpson Collection in 2005, a fashion line of clothing and other items. The brand has gone on to earn over $1 billion in revenue. She also starred on the reality television series The Price of Beauty in 2010, was a judge on two seasons of Fashion Star between 2012 and 2013, and published a memoir in 2020, Open Book, which reached number one on The New York Times Best Seller list. Simpson is currently married to Eric Johnson, with whom she shares three children. Simpson was born on July 10, 1980 in Abilene, Texas. She is the first child of Tina Ann Simpson , a homemaker, and Joseph "Joe" Simpson, a psychologist and Baptist youth minister. Simpson's parents married in 1978; they divorced in 2013. Simpson has stated that she grew up in Dallas and Waco, but her parents now live in McGregor, Texas. Simpson has a younger sister, Ashlee Simpson. In her preteens she briefly attended Amelia Middle School when living in the midwest while her father did outreach in Cincinnati, Ohio. After moving back to Texas 20 months later, she attended J. J. Pearce High School in her teenage years, though she had to drop out in 1997 as her career began to take off; a year later she later earned her GED via distance learning through Texas Tech High School. Being a daughter of a minister, Simpson was raised with a strong Christian faith. She was given a purity ring by her father when she was twelve years old. Jessica and her family moved frequently due to her father's job, though they remained in Texas for the most part, they did live in the midwest for a few years. Her father would often take in unwed mothers for periods of time to provide them shelter. She began singing in the church choir as a child. When she was eleven, she realized she hoped to achieve success as a singer while at a church retreat. Simpson auditioned for The Mickey Mouse Club at the age of twelve, auditioning with a performance of "Amazing Grace" and dancing to "Ice Ice Baby" . She advanced through multiple rounds, eventually being a semi-finalist for the show alongside artists such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Justin Timberlake. Simpson claimed that she became nervous about her final audition after seeing Aguilera perform, and she ultimately was not selected for the show. Simpson resumed performing in her church choir, eventually being discovered by the head of a Christian music label. He initially asked her for an audition, and immediately signed her after she performed "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton. She began working on her debut album with Proclaim Records, and began touring to promote the project. Jessica's father later claimed that she had to quit touring as the size of her breasts led to her being deemed too "sexual" for the genre. Her debut album, Jessica, remained unreleased after Proclaim Records went bankrupt; despite this, her grandmother personally funded a limited pressing of the album. Shortly after this, Simpson landed several auditions as Jessica was sent to numerous labels and producers. She ultimately caught the attention of Tommy Mottola, then-husband of Mariah Carey and the head of Columbia Records. He went on to sign her to the label, claiming "She had a great little look and a great attitude, a fresh new face, and something a bit different than Britney and all of them; she could actually sing." Simpson began working on her debut album in Orlando, Florida. Mottola hoped to market Simpson as a contrast to Spears and Aguilera, both of whom had launched successful careers focused on dancing and sexuality. While working on her musical debut, Simpson enlisted her father Joe as her manager; her mother became her stylist. While at a Christmas party in 1998, Simpson met 98 Degrees singer Nick Lachey, and the two began a romantic relationship; Lachey claimed that he left the party and proclaimed to his mother that he would marry Simpson some day.