Bio
Jessica Simpson is an American pop singer, entrepreneur and actress who rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of her debut single, I Wanna Love You Forever, which peaked inside the Top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100.
Born and raised outside Dallas, Texas, Simpson began her performing career by sharing the stage with famous gospel acts such as Kirk Franklin, God's Property and CeCe Winans.
With her unmistakable voice and unique pop sound, Simpson caught the eye of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola. After joining a tour in support of the boy band 98 Degrees, she quickly burst onto the music scene in 1999 with her debut release Sweet Kisses.
Her RIAA-certified double platinum debut featured Simpson's massive breakthrough hit, I Wanna Love You Forever, which reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The title track to Irresistible, her 2001 follow-up, was a crossover smash, charting on the Hot 100 (#15), the Rhythmic Top 40 (#12), Top 40 Mainstream (#3) and Top 40 Tracks (#5).
But it was the success of her quadruple-platinum album, In This Skin, which marked Simpson's debut as a songwriter and further refined her ever-evolving voice as an artist. Sweetest Sin, the album's first single to hit the top 40, is a marked change from the teen pop style that launched her career.
Once she made her mark in the music industry, it wasn't long before Hollywood was knocking on Simpson's door. In addition to a recurring role on That '70s Show, Simpson's MTV reality show Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica launched in 2003, making her a household name.
Simpson also had the opportunity to travel the world for her VH1 docu-series, Jessica Simpson: The Price of Beauty, to meet everyday women and pop culture icons and reveal what is truly beautiful in the differing cultures. She also served as an executive producer on the project and wrote and recorded an original song that was used for the theme.
In 2005, Simpson made her feature film debut as Daisy Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard and released a cover of Nancy Sinatra's These Boots Were Made for Walkin' for the film's soundtrack. The song topped the Billboard Hot Digital Tracks charts and was certified platinum.
Simpson has also starred in Employee of the Month for Lions Gate Films and Sony Pictures' Blonde Ambition with Luke Wilson. She also starred in Major Movie Star for Nu Image/Millennium Films.
Simpson continued to have successful solo albums, including A Public Affair, released by Epic Records in August 2006, on which Simpson boasts songwriting credits on 10 of the 14 tracks, as well as Do You Know released in September 2008, on which Simpson returned to her country roots.
The first single from the country album Come On Over broke the record for highest entry into the charts for a newcomer to country and was the #1 most downloaded country single on iTunes.
Simpson's album Happy Christmas, released in November 2010 by Primary Wave Records, was accompanied by a Happy Christmas concert special produced for PBS. As part of the special, she sang duets with Carly Simon, Trey Lorenz and her sister, Ashlee Simpson.
Aside from Simpson's entertainment prowess, she enjoys tremendous success as a designer and businesswoman with her Jessica Simpson Collection.
Launched in 2005, the collection has grown to include 24 product categories, such as footwear, handbags, denim, eyewear, lingerie, jewelry, outerwear, belts, luggage, ready-to-wear and tween.
Simpson's first fragrance, Fancy, launched in August of 2008 followed by Fancy Nights and I Fancy You, with all three fragrances enjoying tremendous success.
An enthusiastic philanthropist, Simpson serves as Operation Smile's international youth ambassador. She also joined the Operation Smile international medical mission in Nakuru, Kenya where she assisted the volunteer team with the medical evaluations of the more than 280 children who visited the remote region with the hopes of receiving life-changing corrective surgery for their facial deformities.
Simpson has been praised by fans and recognized by critics with three Teen Choice Awards for Breakout Artist, Love Song of the Year and Red Carpet Fashion Icon, nominations for two American Music Awards including Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist and Favorite Pop/Rock Album, and two MTV Video Music Awards for Best Female Video and Best Pop Video.
She has graced the covers of many high-profile magazines, such as Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, GQ, Marie Claire, Allure, Elle and New York magazine. She also has been one of People's Most Beautiful People numerous times and was this year's Icon of the Year for Us Weekly Style.
She is also a celebrity mentor on the reality competition series Fashion Star.