Jessica Simpson Biography

Pop singer Jessica Simpson was born and raised in Dallas, beginning her performing career as a member of her church choir. At 12, Jessica Simpson also auditioned unsuccessfully for The Mickey Mouse Club. While attending church camp the following summer, Jessica Simpson was discovered by the head of a tiny CCM label and spent the next three years recording her debut album. The label, however, folded before the record could be released, although a small pressing was eventually funded by her grandmother. Nevertheless, Jessica Simpson became a hit on the Christian Youth Conference circuit, also sharing bills with Kirk Franklin, God's Property, and CeCe Winans. Seeking to expand her popularity in the secular market, Jessica Simpson later signed to Sony and toured in support of boy band sensations 98°. Her 1999 debut Sweet Kisses launched the smash "I Wanna Love You Forever". A second studio effort Irresistible appeared in spring 2001. Despite the MTV coverage of the album's title track, Jessica Simpson's effort didn't fare as well as her first album. The following year, Jessica Simpson married her longtime boyfriend, 98° crooner Nick Lachey. She also went on to appear in several episodes of That '70s Show, but it took Jessica Simpson until summer 2003 to become a celebrity. Jessica Simpson's third album, the much more mature In This Skin, appeared in July. First single "Sweetest Sin" was a moderate chart hit, but thanks to the success of Newlyweds, Jessica Simpson's teetering career got a second chance. A second single, "With You" was a favorite among the MTV crowd, and by spring 2004, In This Skin was re-released. It included reworked versions of Berlin's "Take My Breath Away" and Robbie Williams' "Angels". Soon after, Jessica Simpson got to work on her fourth album and also started shooting the movie Employee of the Month. A Public Affair arrived in summer 2006 and was influenced by everything from '80s new wave to contemporary country. Jessica Simpson received criticism from a Christian group calling itself "The Resistance", for the sexualized image she used in the music video for "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'". In response, Jessica Simpson stated: "It didn't really surprise me because I grew up with a lot of that backlash. That's why I didn't end up going into the Christian music industry. I think that if they're really good Christians the judgment wouldn't be there".