Jessica Simpson

Jessica Simpson- The Early Years

Born in Abilene, Texas on July 10, 1980, Jessica was the first daughter for Joe and Tina Simpson. She began honing her talent as a singer in the church choir. Her father, Joe, was the youth minister for their Baptist church and encouraged his daughter’s efforts. Apparent that she was very talented, Jessica’s parents took her to audition for the Disney Channel’s “The New Mickey Mouse Club”. She was only twelve years old at the time, competing against two other future divas, Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears. Although she made it through preliminary rounds, Jessica was not accepted into The Mickey Mouse Club.

While singing at a church camp, Jessica was discovered at 13 by a small, Christian recording label. Originally a Christian music singer, Jessica’s first record deal ultimately fell through. A subsequent demo album, paid for by Jessica’s grandmother, supported her efforts as she toured with the Christian Youth Council. Jessica would open for bigger acts, such as gospel singer Kirk Franklin. However, she would move away from that genre and become a pop star. According to her manager/father, Joe, Jessica was too sexy for the Christian music scene and was hard to package.

Jessica Simpson Becomes a Pop Star

Simpson’s first non-Christian album, Sweet Kisses, was released in 1999. Now with Columbia Records, her music was given much more coverage and reached number 25 on the Billboard charts. Jessica Simpson would be making a name for herself as a pop diva at the same time as her former Mickey Mouse rivals, Spears and Aguilera. However, Simpson was packaged as a much more innocent singer. She publicly acknowledged her Christian roots and caused a media stir by announcing she was waiting for marriage to have sex. Simpson’s second album, Irresistible, sold considerably less than her first and she was generally thought to have been a flash in the pan. However, clever marketing and a high-profile marriage would change things.

TV Star

In 2002, Simpson married her longtime boyfriend, Nick Lachey of the boy band 98 Degrees. As promised, Simpson claims to have waited until her wedding night with Lachey to lose her virginity. After the wedding, MTV began filming Nick and Jessica’s life together for a reality series, “Newlyweds”. This show propelled both singers’ fame and made them a household name. Jessica, however garnered the most attention by the often daft things she would say. Jessica used her “dumb blonde” image to further her career and the clever marketing is often credited to her micromanaging father, Joe. The television show’s success and Simpson’s relationship with MTV helped her third album, 2003’s In This Skin, to be a smash hit.

Tabloid Fodder & Movie Star

Jessica enjoyed a seemingly happy marriage to Nick Lachey on the MTV series “Newlyweds”. However, tabloid rumors began as their celebrity grew. Although the two made variety specials and public appearances together, rumors of marital strife continued to persist. Jessica began acting, appearing in a guest spot on TV’s “That 70’s Show”, opposite Ashton Kutcher. Nick Lachey was not enjoying the same success, however. His first solo album tanked as Jessica’s celebrity grew. In 2005, Jessica made her big screen debut as Daisy Duke in the film adaptation of The Dukes of Hazzard. Months later, Lachey and Simpson filed for divorce, citing “irreconcilable differences”. Simpson remains hotter than ever, career wise, and is enjoying a revamped, sexier image. She has also moved away from her conservative Christian roots, stating in interviews that show business has opened her eyes to new philosophies.