Jessica Simpson is a pop star whose singing career was launched when she was discovered by Columbia Records. She has since crossed over into film, starring in several movies and achieving superstardom.
Jessica Simpson was born in Texas on July 10, 1980. She was brought up as a Baptist by her family and her minister father and began touring and singing at Christian conferences after her vocal talent was discovered at a church summer camp. She also tried out for Mickey Mouse Club at age 12, but she didn’t get the part.
Jessica signed a record deal with a Christian music label and dropped out of high school to pursue her dream of becoming a musician, though she later earned her GED. In the late 1990s Jessica Simpson made a crossover from Christian music to pop when she signed on with Columbia Records. Her first album, Sweet Kisses, launched her into the mainstream pop world and was popular enough to go double platinum.
Simpson shed her conservative image for her second album, Irresistible. She gained many new fans but lost many of her fans who looked up to her as a Christian role model. Her new image was largely spurred on by Tommy Mottola of Columbia Records. He felt that her conservative image was holding her back from achieving more popularity.
In 2002, Jessica Simpson married her long-time boyfriend Nick Lachey, a singer in the pop group 98 Degrees. Jessica launched herself into true superstardom when she agreed with Nick to be part of the reality TV show Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica. This show lasted for several seasons and was very successful for both Simpson and MTV.
Jessica Simpson next moved to the film industry by starring as Daisy Duke in the movie Dukes of Hazard. She has since starred in the movie Employee of the Month and has several other movies forthcoming. She was nominated for the People’s Choice award for the song she sang in Dukes of Hazard, and also had several other nominations in the Teen’s Choice awards.
Simpson’s third album, In This Skin, debuted at number 10 on the charts but didn’t start selling well until the Newlywed TV show became popular. The album eventually sold over 3 million copies. Her next album was Christmas-themed, called ReJoyce: The Christmas Album, named in honor of her grandmother, who had supported Simpson in her music career.
While Simpson career was at its height, her personal life suffered. In November of 2005 she separated from Nick Lachey and the two later divorced. The two sold their home and Jessica bought her own house in Beverly Hills for 3 million dollars. After the divorce Jessica has dated several men and most recently dated the musician John Mayer.
Jessica Simpson started her own line of beauty products called Dessert Beauty, which has been successful but has also received at least two lawsuits. The beauty line includes fragrances, lip-glosses, and body creams. Jessica Simpson has also been a spokesperson for the acne management product Proactiv and has appeared in infomercials promoting the product. She continues to speak out about acne and the success she has had in treating her own acne. While she promotes Proactiv she actually cured her acne using the internal prescription acne medication Accutane.
Jessica Simpson has enjoyed success in many different realms. Her singing career and acting career have brought her popularity and stardom and she even won awards along the way. Simpson has also expanded her success to include her own line of beauty products. She continues to both act and sing and will probably find new ways to sustain her popularity. Jessica Simpson will doubtless be in the spotlight for years to come.
Word count: 608