Ashlee Simpson
Ashlee Ross-Næss[1] (née Simpson; born October 3, 1984),[2][3][4][5][6] known professionally as Ashlee Simpson, is an American singer, songwriter, actress and television personality.[7] The younger sister of singer and actress Jessica Simpson, she began her career as a back-up dancer for her sister and appeared in television commercials at the age of 15. She later pursued a career as an actress and had a main role on the family drama 7th Heaven. She appeared on the reality show Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, broadcast on MTV between 2003 and 2005, which focused on Ashlee's older sister Jessica and Jessica's then-husband Nick Lachey. While working on her debut studio album, Simpson became the star of a spin-off reality series, The Ashlee Simpson Show, which was broadcast on MTV between 2004 and 2005. Like her sister before her, Simpson became the center of considerable media attention.
Ashlee Simpson
October 3, 1984
Ashlee Simpson-Wentz
Ashlee Simpson Ross
- Singer
- songwriter
- actress
- television personality
1999–present
3
Jessica Simpson (sister)
Vocals
Her breakout came with her debut single, "Pieces of Me", which was released in 2004, became a top-five hit in the United States and topped the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart based on radio airplay. The success of the single and her reality show helped propel her debut album, Autobiography, also released in 2004, to the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart. The project sold over five million copies worldwide, making it her most successful album to date. Simpson had a leading role in the film Undiscovered (2005), which became a critical and commercial flop. The failure of the film, along with multiple critically panned performances, led to media scrutiny. Despite that, Simpson's second studio album, I Am Me (2005), debuted atop the Billboard 200, becoming her second album to do so. The album went on to receive a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Following her appearance as Roxie Hart in the West End production of Chicago, Simpson announced that she had begun working on her third studio album. The album differed from the pop-rock sound of her previous efforts, featuring a dance-pop and 1980s-themed sound. Bittersweet World was released in 2008 to positive critical reception, but it saw a decline in sales. The effort reached number 4 on the Billboard 200. The following year, Simpson joined the main cast of the Melrose Place revamp, which was met with harsh critical reception. Later that year, she made her Broadway debut reprising her role as Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway.
Simpson announced a fourth studio album that same year. She independently released the single "Bat for a Heart" (2012), though it failed to have success. Simpson eventually scrapped the album and focused on her child. Simpson reprised her role as Roxie Hart for the third time in a 2-dates special production in Hollywood Bowl in July 2013 directed by Brooke Shields. In October 2018, Simpson and her husband Evan Ross released their debut extended play (EP) by Ashlee + Evan through Access Records, which was supported by a tour in select cities across North America, and their TV-reality show.[8]
Life and career[edit]
1984–2002: Early life and career beginnings[edit]
Born as Ashley Nicolle, Simpson's parents are Tina and Joe Simpson. She has one older sister, Jessica Simpson. Both she and Jessica attended Prairie Creek Elementary and North Junior High, located in Richardson, Texas, where the girls were raised.[9][10] When she was three years old, she began studying classical ballet. She enrolled at the School of American Ballet in New York City when she was eleven, becoming the youngest person ever to be admitted into the school.[11][12] Though the age requirement for the school was twelve, Simpson's father admitted to lying about her age.[13] During this time, Simpson suffered from an unnamed eating disorder for about six months, eventually receiving treatment from her parents.[14] The Simpson family relocated to Los Angeles, California, in 1999, as Jessica pursued a singing career.[15] While Jessica launched her career, Ashlee began appearing in television commercials.[15] Her father, Joe, served as her agent.[15]
Following the commercial success of Jessica's debut album Sweet Kisses (1999), Ashlee became one of her back-up dancers on tour.[16] Hoping to pursue a career in acting, Simpson had a minor guest appearance on an episode of Malcolm in the Middle.[17] The following year, Simpson had a small role as Monique in the Rob Schneider comedy film The Hot Chick (2002).[16] She joined the seventh season of the family drama 7th Heaven as Cecilia Smith, a role which she continued to portray in the eighth season. Simpson appeared in a total of forty episodes as Cecilia.[16] That same year, Ashlee recorded a song titled "Christmas Past, Present, and Future" for the holiday album School's Out! Christmas; the song was later re-released on Radio Disney Jingle Jams following Simpson's musical breakthrough.[18] She later recorded the song "Just Let Me Cry" for the soundtrack to the film Freaky Friday (2003).[16] Simpson later began writing and recording demos, in hopes of finding a record label. It was confirmed a month after the release of the Freaky Friday soundtrack that Simpson had signed with Geffen Records to release her debut studio album.[16]
2003–2004: Breakthrough, Autobiography and Saturday Night Live incident[edit]
It was announced that Simpson and then-husband Nick Lachey would star in their own MTV reality series, Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica.[19] The series, which chronicled Simpson and Lachey's life as a married couple, became a pop culture phenomenon and helped draw attention to the Simpson sisters.[19] Ashlee was a VJ on TRL on MTV in the United States during the summer of 2003.[20] Following the success of the series, it was confirmed that Simpson would receive her own series, The Ashlee Simpson Show.[21] Hoping to end comparisons between her and her sister, Ashlee wanted the series to focus on the recording of her debut album.[22] During this time, Simpson also dyed her naturally blonde hair brown, a decision that received media attention.[16] While filming the show, Simpson appeared in the music video for musician Ryan Cabrera's debut single "On the Way Down" (2004), portraying herself as Cabrera's love interest.[16] The couple later began a romantic relationship, with Cabrera inspiring multiple songs for Simpson's album.[16]
Public image[edit]
Simpson has appeared on the covers of numerous magazines, including the USA's Women's Health, Jane, CosmoGirl, Shape, Allure, YM, Marie Claire, Redbook and Seventeen; Germany's Glamour; Japan's Blenda and Elle; and Russia's Elle Girl.[103][104] She has appeared on several international editions of Cosmopolitan, such as Georgia, Serbia, Russia, Italy, Greece, Ukraine, Slovenia, Netherlands, US and Australia. She has appeared in television commercials for Liquid Ice, HP, Zellers and Pizza Hut. She appeared in print ads for Skechers and ThermaSilk.[105][106]
Forbes listed Simpson as one of the "Richest Young Celebrities", it is reported she earned $8.3 million in 2005. Forbes placed Simpson and her then-husband Pete Wentz at No. 20 on their list of "Top 20 Celebrity Cash Couples" with their $9.5 million combined income.[107]
With the release of Autobiography, Simpson instantaneously became marketed as an "anti-Britney", drawing comparisons to artists such as Avril Lavigne and Fefe Dobson.[108][109] The media noted her "punk-rock" image and style as a contrast to her sister Jessica.[110][111] With the success of Jessica's reality television series Newlyweds, the sisters became household names in the media and became the focus of much attention.[112][113][114] She cites her childhood as being the time when she began to sing and admits that she dreamed of being on Broadway and did not expect to break into the pop music scene.[115]
Vocally, Simpson is an alto with a two-octave vocal range.[116][117] She trains with a vocal coach, and studies Etta James and Aretha Franklin albums for vocal inspiration.[118] She has cited Guns N' Roses, Gwen Stefani, No Doubt, Joan Jett, The Runaways, Madonna, Pat Benatar, Green Day, Alanis Morissette, Fiona Apple, Chrissie Hynde, and Debbie Harry from Blondie as her musical influences.[119][120][121]
