User:Sethjohnson95/sandbox

Jessica Simpson
Simpson performing "God Bless America" at the "Joining Forces with the Rockies: Celebrating Military Families" event in Denver, Colorado, on April 13, 2011
Born	Jessica Ann Simpson (1980-07-10) July 10, 1980 Abilene, Texas, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman
Years active	1999–present
Height	1.61 m (5 ft 3+1⁄2 in)
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Nick Lachey ​ ​ (m. 2002; div. 2006)​ Eric Johnson ​ (m. 2014)​
Partner	Tony Romo (2007–09)
Children	2
Relatives	Ashlee Simpson (sister) Evan Ross (brother-in-law)
Musical career
Genres	Pop, dance-pop, electropop, R&B
Instrument	Vocals
Labels	Columbia, Epic, Primary Wave, BMG
Website	jessicasimpson.com

Jessica Ann Johnson (née Simpson; born July 10, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, reality television personality and fashion designer. Simpson rose to fame with the release of her debut studio album, Sweet Kisses (1999), which went on to sell over four million copies worldwide. She followed the release with her sophomore album, Irresistible (2001), though it failed to match the success of its predecessor. Simpson married singer Nick Lachey in October of 2002. The couple starred in the MTV series Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica from 2003 to 2005. The series proved to be a hit for the network, causing Simpson and Lachey to be labeled household names. The pair and their marriage became the center of much media attention, and the couple's success was credited with helping Simpson's sister, Ashlee Simpson, achieve commercial success as well.

Simpson achieved further success with the release of her third studio album, In This Skin (2003), which went on to become her highest selling album to date. The album spawned the hit single "With You" (2003), which reached the top of the Mainstream Top 40 chart in the United States. Simpson's fourth studio album, ReJoyce: The Christmas Album (2004), was composed of covers of Christmas music. Simpson had the starring role of Daisy Duke in the film The Dukes of Hazzard (2005). She recorded a cover of the song "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'", which went on to achieve commercial success in numerous territories. Simpson would later file for divorce in 2005; the divorce was finalized the following June.

Jessica's fifth studio album, A Public Affair (2006), failed to match the success of In This Skin. She later starred alongside Dane Cook in the comedy film Employee of the Month (2006). Simpson drew influence from her upbringing for the release of her sixth studio album, Do You Know (2008), which was her first to be composed of country music. The album saw a notable decline in sales when compared to her prior work, becoming her first to not earn a certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Simpson released her first greatest hits album, titled Playlist: The Very Best of Jessica Simpson (2010) as her final album through Epic Records. She later released her seventh studio album, Happy Christmas (2010), through eleveneleven and Primary Wave Records; the album served as her only release through the labels.

Simpson became engaged to former NFL player Eric Johnson in 2010; the couple wed in 2014. Simpson gave birth to the couple's daughter in 2012, and a son in 2013. Simpson has announced work on her eighth studio album, though a release date has yet to be announced. Since her debut, Simpson has went on to sell over thirty million albums worldwide. She has won numerous awards for music, acting, and her several business ventures since the start of her career. She has achieved success with various clothing and fragrance lines.

Early life

Jessica Ann Simpson was born on July 10, 1980, in Abilene, Texas. She is the first child of Tina Ann (née Drew), a homemaker, and Joseph "Joe" Simpson who worked as a minister and psychologist. Simpson has a younger sister, Ashlee Simpson. She was raised in the Christian faith. Simpson's father gave her a purity ring at the age of 12, and Simpson has often stated that she remained a virgin until marriage. Her parents were married in 1978, and filed for divorce in 2012. Their divorce was finalized in 2013. Simpson has stated that she grew up in Dallas, but her parents now live in McGregor, Texas.

Career

Professional beginnings

Jessica began singing at a local Baptist church, where her father also worked as the congregation's youth minister. At age twelve, she unsuccessfully auditioned for The Mickey Mouse Club. Simpson has stated that they were put in groups and had acting and vocal coaches to help them. According to Jessica, Justin Timberlake was in a group with her. She explained that she had frozen after getting on stage to sing, and later commented that she had felt "intimidated" by the other performers. The following year, Simpson attended a church camp, where she sang Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" and an arrangement of "Amazing Grace." At the camp, she was introduced to the founder of Proclaim Records, a minor Gospel music record label. She recorded an album, titled Jessica. but was dismissed from the label when it went bankrupt, and the album was never officially released beyond a small pressing that Simpson's own grandmother personally funded. When she was sixteen years old, Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola heard Jessica, and her musical talent and skill favorably impressed him. Simpson was immediately signed to the label. Forced to drop out of J. J. Pearce High School as a result, she later earned her GED.

1999–2001: Sweet Kisses and Irresistible

Simpson at the 54th Presidential Inaugural Opening Celebration in January 2001

When Simpson recorded her Columbia Records label debut, Sweet Kisses, she began working with producers such as Louis Biancaniello, Robbie Nevil, Evan Rogers, and Cory Rooney. Biancaniello worked with Simpson on three of the album's eleven selections, including "I Wanna Love You Forever," "Where You Are," and "Heart of Innocence." Rooney produced the selection "I Think I'm in Love with You," which was later released as the album's third single. During this time, Simpson began dating Nick Lachey. Simpson and Lachey recorded a duet version of "Where You Are," which later became the album's second single. She also worked with Destiny's Child.

Simpson also collaborated with Sam Watters for the album. Watters produced the singles "I Wanna Love You Forever" and "Where You Are," as well as "Heart of Innocence." Watters also jointly wrote and composed "I Wanna Love You Forever" in collaboration with Louis Biancaniello. Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers also produced the selections "I've Got My Eyes On You" and "Betcha She Don't Love You" together, though neither selection was released as a single. Mottola, on behalf of the Columbia Records label, made it clear that he wanted Sweet Kisses to be different from both Christina Aguilera's and Britney Spears's debut albums, in that the other two were both sexually risque, especially the lead singles from both albums. For Sweet Kisses, Mottola decided that he wanted Simpson's to be "anti-sex appeal," in which she would sing about love and romance rather than sexual themes. He considered Simpson's "virgin" image a great idea, as he felt that it would draw in listeners by making Jessica a girl to whom they could relate. Simpson also announced in an interview that she would be abstinent until marriage, which helped listeners give her the very appearance for which Mottola, and hence Columbia, was hoping.

Simpson's debut single, "I Wanna Love You Forever," was released on September 28, 1999. The single entered the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number 3. "I Wanna Love You Forever" went on to be certified Platinum by the RIAA less than three months after its release. "I Wanna Love You Forever," once released as a single, was also successful outside the United States, as it reached, and peaked within, the top ten in most European nations(specifically Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Belgium), Canada, and Australia. Its source album, Sweet Kisses, which (as noted above) was also Simpson's Columbia Records label debut, was released on November 23, 1999. The album debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200, selling 65,000 copies in its first week, but the sales were significantly lower than Mottola and Columbia had expected. To boost record sales, the label released her duet with Lachey, "Where You Are," as Simpson's second single, but it failed to match the success of "I Wanna Love You Forever." While Sweet Kisses was kept in the top 60 for several weeks, Mottola decided that Columbia would make one last attempt to match the success of "I Wanna Love You Forever" by launching the third single from the album. In toto, the album stayed on the chart for 62 weeks. "I Think I'm in Love with You" was released in May 2000, peaking at No. 25 in August 2000. In total, the album stayed on the chart for 62 weeks. The album was certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA. The album has sold about 1.9 million copies in the United States, and over 4 million copies worldwide.

Simpson performing on the USO/DoD Celebrity Tour at Eagle Base on 14 November 2001

In 2000, Simpson started recording the follow-up to Sweet Kisses, with what Columbia considered more radio-friendly, up-tempo tracks. The commercial performance of her major-label debut album led Simpson to reevaluate her career and although she was enjoying some success, she felt she could improve on this. Feeling her more "innocent" image would halt her career from further development, Simpson adopted a sexier image and newer sound at the suggestion of the Columbia executives. She moved into the teen-pop genre, as she felt that restyling herself to match the image of Spears and Aguilera would help remake her career. She separated from her boyfriend Nick Lachey in March 2001, feeling the need to concentrate on her career. Her new image was promoted through appearances on many events, where Simpson wore revealing outfits. The development of this image coincided with the production and release of her second major-label effort, Irresistible. Simpson said that she wanted to portray a "sexier, more mature style." "I recorded [Sweet Kisses] when I was 17 years old and I'm 21 [this month] so there is four years of growth involved," Simpson said in an interview with Coventry Newspapers in July 2001. In an interview with Cosmopolitan in June 2001, she explained, "This record is about who I am now. The music is edgier, and I'm all grown up." According to Terri Dougherty, author of People in the News: Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, Simpson hoped her new image would bring more attention to the power of her voice. "It's not just me singing about being in love. I also have heartbreak songs and girls telling off guys songs. It's going to take me a while to recoup [on] this album, because we spent a lot of money on it," Simpson told Entertainment Weekly.

The lead single from the album, also titled "Irresistible," was released on April 12, 2001, as a CD single. Unfortunately, "Irresistible" received generally negative reviews from music critics. They criticized the sexuality of its lyrics and the over-usage of digital sound manipulators, with the Associated Press calling it "unimaginative." Regardless, in 2003, the song won a Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) "Pop Music Award." "Irresistible" became a moderate commercial success, peaking within the top twenty hit in the United States and in eleven countries. The song was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). The accompanying music video was directed by Simon Brand, and it featured Simpson, dressed as a spy, trying to compromise some evidence in a laboratory. Record producer Jermaine Dupri of So So Def Recordings remixed the song within a Hip-Hop—tinged genre style which featured rap artist Lil Bow Wow. Released on May 25, 2001, Irresistible debuted at number 6 in June 2001 on the Billboard 200 chart, with 127,000 copies sold in its first week. It was later certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling or shipments of 500,000 copies or more. To date, the album had sold 3 million copies worldwide. She toured with Destiny's Child, Nelly, and Eve on MTV's first Total Request Live (TRL) Tour, which spanned thirty dates in the United States. Simpson later embarked on her first headlining tour, The DreamChaser Tour. The tour began in August, but due to the September 11, 2001 attacks, it could not complete the planned dates.

2002–05: In this Skin and film career

Following the announcement of her wedding to Nick Lachey, it was confirmed they would star in the reality show Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, which began airing on MTV. The show was originally intended for Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley, but the couple decided not to continue with the project after the start of pre-production. It was shelved until 2002, when Jessica's father and manager, Joe Simpson, contacted MTV about producing a show starring his daughter and her new husband. Newlyweds quickly became a pop culture phenomenon and came to be credited with making her a household name. "I never knew that just doing the show would give me that pedestal to step on," Simpson told Blender magazine.

Simpson and then-husband Nick Lachey at a publicity shoot for the MTV Video Music Awards in 2004

On February 1, 2004, Simpson performed during the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show. On July 22, 2003, Simpson released the lead single from her upcoming third studio album. The single, "Sweetest Sin," dealt with the topic of Simpson losing her virginity to then husband Nick Lachey. The recording process of "Sweetest Sin" was documented in an episode of Simpson's reality series, Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica. Simpson originally recorded "Sweetest Sin" confidentially in a slightly remixed form and announced she was pleased with its progress. However, her superiors at Columbia Records told her that she had made the song too "challenging;" in essence, they felt that potential listeners of the song would be alienated by singing they would not be able to duplicate. Simpson was filmed breaking into tears when she received the news. Later, she re-recorded her vocals with the assistance of Nick Lachey, whom she brought along because she felt he was a good vocal producer. On August 9, 2003, the song debuted at number forty on Billboard Pop Songs, reaching number thirty-seven two weeks later. "Sweetest Sin" failed to make into the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number twenty-four on Bubbling Under Hot 100.

Simpson's third studio album, In This Skin, was released on August 19, 2003 to coincide with the series premiere of Newlyweds. In This Skin debuted at number ten on the Billboard 200, with sales of 64,000 in its first week. But the album quickly fell from the charts and failed to match the success of Simpson's previous efforts. By January 2004, the album had sold no more than 565,000 copies. "With You" was released as the album's second single, largely in hopes that the song would revive In This Skin on the charts. In the United States, the song debuted at number sixty-five on the Billboard Hot 100, on the issue dated December 27, 2003. On March 20, 2004, the single reached its peak position of number fourteen and stayed on the chart for twenty-three weeks. "With You" became Simpson's fourth top-forty single in the United States and her second highest peak on the chart since "I Wanna Love You Forever" in 1999. The song also peaked at number one on Billboard Pop Songs chart and was her first number one on the chart. Due to the strong sales, the single was certified Gold by RIAA for selling 500,000 copies. In 2004, Columbia Records decided to re-release In This Skin with several new selections in order to utilize the success of the singer. With "With You" on the top of the radio charts in February 2004, Simpson released her third single, "Take My Breath Away," originally recorded and released by Berlin featuring Terri Nunn for the Top Gun soundtrack, as the first single from the new re-release. The re-release worked as In This Skin jumped to number two on the Billboard charts, selling over 157,000 copies that week. The album stayed in the top ten for eight non-consecutive weeks and stayed in the Top 100 for sixty-one weeks. The album spent a total of 75 weeks on the Billboard 200. In December 2004, In This Skin was certified 3x Multi Platinum by the RIAA for sales more than 3 million copies only in the United States. The album ranked the No. 14 in Billboard Year End Charts Albums 2004. According to Simpson's biography, the album has sold 4 million copies in the United States, to date.

Simpson in 2005 at the premiere for The Dukes of Hazzard

Simpson and Lachey starred in the television special The Nick and Jessica Variety Hour, which aired in 2004 and was compared to The Sonny & Cher Show. In late 2004, Simpson released her first Christmas album, Rejoyce: The Christmas Album. This included a duet with her sister Ashlee Simpson on the song "Little Drummer Boy". Additionally, it also included a duet with Nick Lachey, Simpson's husband at the time, on "Baby, It's Cold Outside". The cover of Amy Grant's "Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)" is notable, as Simpson has said that Grant is one of her favorite recording artists and her role model. Rejoyce was certified gold by the RIAA in January 2005. Its singles were "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" and "What Christmas Means To Me"(although no accompanying video was produced); the song "O Holy Night had a video. In 2005, Newlyweds won a People's Choice Award for Favorite Reality Show before wrapping shortly after.

In the summer of 2005, Simpson sang the national anthem at the Indy 500 before making her first appearance in a motion picture as Daisy Duke in the movie version of the television series The Dukes of Hazzard. The film was No. 1 at the box office its opening weekend, and grossed $30.7 million on 3,785 screens. It also had an adjusted-dollar rank of No. 14 all-time for August releases. The film eventually collected $110.5 million worldwide, although it was much less financially successful outside the United States. Simpson appeared on The Dukes of Hazzard soundtrack, releasing "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'," a cover of the 1966 Nancy Sinatra smash hit. The song peaked at number fourteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and won a People's Choice Award for Favorite Song from a Movie, in 2006. The song's video featured Simpson as Daisy Duke. It contains scenes of her flirting and singing in a bar and then later washing the General Lee car, wearing a skin-tight, revealing pink bikini. In some countries, the video was banned for its overtly sexual content. 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, 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."

2006–07: A Public Affair and Employee of the Month

Simpson holding a magazine in August 2006

In 2005, MTV reported that Simpson had begun working on her fifth studio album. It was also reported that Simpson had parted ways with Columbia, and would release future albums through Epic Records. The album's lead single, "A Public Affair," was released on June 29, 2006, the day before her divorce from Nick Lachey was finalized. The Yahoo! Music download of the song gained media attention because it was made available in MP3 format, without Digital Rights Management, which is normally used to restrict copying of commercially released singles. However, the price to download the song was US$1.99, higher than the $0.99 norm for most DRM-restricted tracks. The increased price was rationalized not by the DRM-free format, but by offering users the ability to "personalize" the song with a specific name. The single was released in United States, Canada and Australia in 2006. Later the song was released in Europe in February 2007. The single debuted at number thirty-nine on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, Simpson's second highest debut after "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'." It had previously debuted at number twenty on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, which represents the twenty-five singles below the Hot 100's number 100 position that have not yet appeared on the Hot 100. Digital download sales were moderate until the release of the single's music video. In late July, "A Public Affair" joined her sister Ashlee's song "Invisible" in the top ten on the U.S. iTunes Store's list of most popular songs, the first time in iTunes history that two siblings had different songs in the top ten. The song peaked in its fifth week on the Hot 100. In October 2006 the song peaked at number 1 on Hot Dance Club Play. "A Public Affair" was certified Gold in the United States for obtaining more than 500,000 downloads.

On August 29, 2006, Simpson released her fifth major-label studio album, also titled A Public Affair, on the Epic Records label. The album debuted at number 5 on the Billboard 200, selling over 101,000 copies in its first week, the highest first week sales of Simpson's albums. A Public Affair shipped 500,000 units in the United States and was certified Gold by the RIAA. In Canada the album debuted at number 6, marking Simpson's highest position on the albums chart in Canada and was later certified Gold for 50,000 copies sold. A Public Affair also made the Top 40 in Japan, Ireland and Australia, in the latter country peaking lower than In This Skin which reached number 13 and was certified Platinum. Despite the title selection becoming an international hit, the album had sold just 1 million copies to date, and came to be considered, by and large, a commercial failure compared to Simpson's previous work.

Simpson's second film, Employee of the Month, was released October 6, 2006. The film, which received mostly hostile reviews, took in $11.8 million in its opening weekend, debuting at number 4 just behind Open Season. In December 2006, while performing a tribute to Dolly Parton at the Kennedy Center Awards, she botched the lyrics, getting flustered in front of a crowd that included prominent persons such as Steven Spielberg, Shania Twain, and President Bush. Though Simpson was given the chance to redo the song for cameras, her portion was edited out of the CBS broadcast. In December 2007, Simpson co-starred with Luke Wilson in her third film, Blonde Ambition. The film opened in eight theaters in Texas, the home state of both Simpson and Wilson, and earned US $6,422. It was released on DVD in January 2008. Blonde Ambition fared better overseas, where it grossed $253,008 in Ukraine its opening weekend.

2008–09: Move to country music and Do You Know

Simpson on her promo tour in June 2008

In September 2007, Simpson's father and manager, Joe Simpson stated to People magazine that Simpson was considering doing a country album. Joe Simpson told People that she is "talking about doing a country record and going back to her roots, being from Texas." "Come On Over" first leaked onto the internet on May 27, 2008. Shortly after, country radio stations around the country began giving the single radio play. In the United States, "Come on Over" became the most-added song to country radio for the week of June 6, 2008, debuting at number forty-one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It broke a record held by Miranda Lambert ("Me and Charlie Talking") and Brad Cotter ("I Meant To") for highest-debuting first chart entry by a solo artist; both artists debuted at number forty-two on that same chart. The video for the first single, "Come On Over", premiered on Simpson's official website in July 2008. The single peaked at number eighteen on the Billboard Hot Country Songs. Prior to the album release, Simpson performed at select state fairs and visited various country music radio stations in order to promote the album. On July 19, 2008, Simpson performed at the Country Thunder Festival in Wisconsin. But the audience members refused to believe that she was just a Texas girl, and they booed her; worse, she received a poor reception from country music critics. She responded by saying, "I don't know what your perception is of Jessica Simpson or what tabloid you buy, but I just want you to know that I'm just a girl from Texas; I’m just like you. I'm doing what I love and dating a boy."

The country album, titled Do You Know, was released on September 9, 2008. Despite selling only 65,000 copies in its first week, Do You Know debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, but fell rapidly, dropping out of that list in only nine weeks. At the same time, it dropped rapidly out of the top twenty on the Country Albums Chart, where it had held the top spot for only one week. Overall, the album dramatically underperformed, even compared to the weak sales of Simpson's previous album, which was also widely regarded as a commercial failure. As of early 2009, it had sold 173,000 copies in the United States. Sales in Australia and the United Kingdom were far poorer, with the album barely managing to enter the top 100 in Australia, at number 95. In 2009, it was announced that Simpson would be supporting Rascal Flatts on tour that January during the final leg of their "Bob That Head Tour." The tour began on January 17, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri, and ran over 20 shows before ending on March 14, 2009 in Irvine, California. Before joining the tour, Simpson had appeared in yet another movie, titled Major Movie Star upon its initial release and later renamed Private Valentine: Blonde and Dangerous. It was released to DVD on February 3, 2009.

2010–2013: The Price of Beauty, Fashion Star, and other endeavors

Simpson in May 2010

Simpson's VH1 documentary series, The Price of Beauty, began airing in March 2010. The series followed Simpson around the world, introducing viewers to the different perceptions of beauty in different cultures. The premiere episode attracted one million viewers, but Simpson revealed that the series would return in 2011 with a format change. Initially, Simpson planned to release a new studio album that would end her contract with her label, Epic Records. However, a greatest hits compilation, Playlist: The Very Best of Jessica Simpson, was released in late October instead. Simpson's second holiday album Happy Christmas was released under eleveneleven and Primary Wave in November 2010. In June 2011, it was announced that Simpson participated as a mentor in NBC's reality show Fashion Star with Elle Macpherson. In July 2011, she appeared on Fashion Star alongside Nicole Richie.

During her first pregnancy in 2012, Simpson signed a multimillion dollar endorsement deal with Weight Watchers, in which she agreed to use the Weight Watchers diet plan after giving birth to lose the weight she had gained during her pregnancy. Her first TV commercial for the company began airing in September 2012. At the same time, Simpson launched a maternity clothing line. In December 2012, Simpson confirmed reports that she was pregnant again and Weight Watchers announced that she would discontinue following the company's diet plan during her pregnancy.

On March 8, 2013, the second and final season of Fashion Star premiered on NBC and ended on May 10, 2013.

2014–present: Eighth studio album

Once her contract with Primary Wave Music was completed in March 2015, Simpson announced she had started working on her eighth studio album. In August 2015, Simpson was a host on the HSN channel while promoting her products. The sales were a success.

Personal life

In December 1998, Simpson and singer Nick Lachey were introduced by their shared manager at a Christmas event. They began dating after meeting again at a Teen People event in January 1999, but broke up for five months until getting back together following the 9/11 attacks. They became engaged in February 2002, and married on October 26, 2002 in Austin, Texas. She announced she had remained a virgin until her marriage. In November 2005, Simpson and Lachey announced they were separating. Simpson filed for divorce in December 2005, citing "irreconcilable differences." Their divorce was publicized worldwide and was finalized on June 30, 2006.

In November 2007, Simpson began dating Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. The relationship was controversial among some Dallas Cowboys fans, and she was blamed for Romo's poor performances. Some of the Cowboys' fans gave her the nickname "Yoko Romo," a reference to Yoko Ono, whom many Beatles fans blamed for "ruining" John Lennon. Even then-President George W. Bush jokingly endorsed the "Jessica jinx" after the Giants went on to win the Super Bowl in 2008. During the traditional White House reception for the winning team, President Bush was quoted as saying: "We're going to send Jessica Simpson to the Democrat National Convention". Simpson and Romo were reported to have ended their relationship in July 2009.

In November 2010, Simpson became engaged to Eric Johnson, a retired NFL tight end, whom she had been dating since that May. Simpson and Johnson married on July 5, 2014 in Montecito, California. They have two children: daughter Maxwell Drew Johnson (born May 1, 2012) and son Ace Knute Johnson (born June 30, 2013).

Other endeavors

Retail and commercials

Jessica Simpson Dessert by Jessica Simpson was launched in April 2004 after co-founders Randi Shinder and Simpson designed a line of edible perfume, lip gloss and other beauty products under the Dessert Beauty brand. A parallel line named Dessert Treats was launched the following year in February 2005. The new line was marketed at a much younger audience. In 2005, Vince Camuto's Camuto Group purchased the rights to license Simpson's name and image, and by 2014, Camuto and Simpson had developed a handful of product lines worth $1 billion, in an enterprise that also involves Simpson's mother and sister. Simpson and stylist Ken Pavés launched a line of hair and beauty products on the Home Shopping Network in 2006. Simpson also created the Jessica Simpson Collection (JSC) in which she designs and markets a line of handbags and (primarily high-heeled) shoes and boots. She launched an e-commerce beauty site, BeautyMint, with celebrity aesthetician Nerida Joy in 2011. The Jessica Simpson's Intimates began selling in major department stores and online shopping sites in spring 2009. She launched a fragrance line made by Parlux Fragrances, starting with "Fancy" in 2008. The success of Fancy spawned three more fragrances, "Fancy Love", "Fancy Nights" and I "Fancy You". In 2012, Simpson launched a maternity clothing line and a perfume named "Vintage Bloom", inspired by her motherhood. In 2013, she launched a bedroom decor line including bedding and draperies offered in a romantic bohemian style, with floral patterns. In August 2014, a signature fragrance was added.

Simpson has made commercials for Pizza Hut, Proactiv Solution and a commercial for Ice Breakers with her sister Ashlee Simpson. In 2005, she started advertising Proactiv Solution, an over-the-counter acne medicine. In 2006, she premiered in another Pizza Hut commercial for the Super Bowl XL broadcast. She sang "These Bites Are Made For Poppin'," in reference to the song "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'," to advertise the new Cheesy Bites Pizza. In 2007, the Super Bowl featured her third Pizza Hut commercial, which again promoted the Cheesy Bites Pizza. She has also advertised DirecTV in character as Daisy Duke.

Philanthropy

In April 2004, Simpson performed during the VH1's benefit concert Divas Live 2004 alongside Ashanti, Cyndi Lauper, Gladys Knight, Joss Stone and Patti LaBelle, in support of the Save the Music Foundation. In May 2004, Simpson did a benefit concert to help the Skin Care Foundation In March 2007, Simpson donated a new Chrysler minivan to the Elim orphanage in Nuevo Laredo. Simpson won a Chrysler Crossfire sports car at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, but exchanged the $50,000 luxury car for a minivan so she could help the orphanage. Simpson is Soles4Souls's Ambassador where she participed in autographing shoes to donate the money from communities across the United States. Jessica Simpson supports AetherA Foundation and Skin Cancer Foundation. Jessica Simpson works with Make A Wish Foundation to help children's dreams comes true.

Political endorsements

Jessica Simpson is a Republican. She endorsed George W. Bush for president in 2004, but was later said to have "snubbed" him by canceling an appearance at a 2006 Republican fundraiser in Washington, D.C. The singer's father, Joe Simpson, explained that he and Jessica are "big supporters" of the president, who invited them, but they felt it was inappropriate to attend a political fundraiser. Simpson has however praised Michelle Obama stating she wants to be like the first lady. "I really do," Simpson told People magazine in May 2010 before the White House Correspondents' dinner in Washington, D.C. "She's such an incredible woman, and she's with such a powerful man...Everything she does she exudes confidence," "I'm really just here to celebrate her."

Artistry

Voice

Simpson possesses a soprano vocal range that spans 3 octaves, 2 notes and a semitone (from E₃ to G#₆) with her highest exclamation as a D₇. Upon gaining fame in 1999, she was compared to Mariah Carey and Celine Dion. Her first single, "I Wanna Love You Forever", was a power ballad that showcased Simpson's ability to sustain high notes in full voice. When reviewing a 2004 concert that featured Simpson, Gina Vivinetto of the Tampa Bay Times stated that she "packs a strong, powerhouse voice" and that "she effortlessly hits notes in a stratosphere that other pop tarts don't jet near."

Influences

Simpson has listed Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, Sade, and Whitney Houston as influences on her music. She has also stated that Faith Hill, Shania Twain and Martina McBride helped influence her for her debut country album, Do You Know.

Filmography

Film

Year	Film	Role	Notes
2002—2003	That '70s Show	Annette	TV series (3 episodes)
2003	The Twilight Zone	Miranda Evans	TV series (1 episode "The Collection")
2004	Jessica	Jessica Sampson	TV series
2005	The Dukes of Hazzard	Daisy Duke
2006	Employee of the Month	Amy
2007	Blonde Ambition	Katie Gregerstitch
2008	Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous	Private Megan Valentine

Herself

Year	Title	Notes
2002	The Master of Disguise	Cameo appearance
2003—2005	Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica	TV series
2004	The Nick and Jessica Variety Hour	Music/Sketch Comedy Special
2004	Nick and Jessica's Family Christmas	Holiday Music Special
2008	The Love Guru	Cameo
2009	I Get That a Lot	TV series (1 episode)
2010	The Price of Beauty	TV series
2010	Entourage	TV series (1 episode "Bottoms Up")
2012—2013	Fashion Star	TV series

Discography

Main article: Jessica Simpson discography

• Sweet Kisses (1999)
• Irresistible (2001)
• In This Skin (2003)
• Rejoyce: The Christmas Album (2004)
• A Public Affair (2006)
• Do You Know (2008)
• Happy Christmas (2010)

Tours

Headlining

• DreamChaser Tour (2001)
• Reality Tour (2004)

Co-headlining

• Total Request Live Tour (2001)

Opening act

• Heat It Up Tour (98 Degrees) (2000)
• Bob That Head Tour (Rascal Flatts) (2009)

Other Products

• The Jessica Simpson Collection (2005-)

See also

• List of awards and nominations received by Jessica Simpson

Further reading

• Mitchell, Susan K (2008), Jessica Simpson, Gareth Stevens Pub, ISBN 978-0-8368-8201-8
• Simpson, Jessica (2004), I do: achieving your dream wedding, W Press, ISBN 0-9748603-0-1 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |coauthor= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

External links

• Media related to Jessica Simpson at Wikimedia Commons
• Jessica Simpson's Official Website
• Sethjohnson95/sandbox at IMDb
• Jessica Simpson Collection