Jessica Ann Johnson (née Simpson; born July 10, 1980) is an American singer, actress, and fashion designer. After performing in church choirs as a child, Simpson signed with Columbia Records in 1997, aged seventeen. Her debut studio album, Sweet Kisses (1999), sold two million copies in the United States and was led by the Billboard Hot 100-top three single "I Wanna Love You Forever". Simpson adopted a more mature image for her second studio album, Irresistible (2001), and its title track peaked within the top 20 of the chart. The album received gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Simpson's third studio album, In This Skin (2003), sold three million copies in the United States.
During her earlier career, Simpson became known for her relationship with and later marriage to Nick Lachey, with whom she also appeared on the MTV reality television series Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica (2003–2005). Following the release of her first Christmas album ReJoyce: The Christmas Album (2004), which was certified gold, Simpson made her film debut as Daisy Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard (2005). She also recorded a cover of "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" for the film's soundtrack. In 2006, she released her fifth studio album, A Public Affair and appeared in the romantic comedy film Employee of the Month. With the release of her sixth studio album Do You Know (2008), she moved into the country music genre. A second Christmas album titled Happy Christmas followed in 2010. Simpson has sold over 30 million albums worldwide.
Aside from her musical pursuits, Simpson launched The Jessica Simpson Collection in 2005, a fashion-focused line with 34 product categories which has earned over US$1 billion in revenue. She also starred in the reality television series The Price of Beauty in 2010 and judged clothing designs on two seasons of Fashion Star from 2012 to 2013.
1980–1998: Childhood and career beginnings
Jessica Ann Simpson was born on July 10, 1980, in Abilene, Texas. She is the first child of Tina Ann Simpson (née Drew), a homemaker, and Joseph Simpson, a minister. Simpson's parents married in 1978 and divorced in 2013. Simpson has stated that she grew up in Dallas and Waco, but her parents now live in McGregor, Texas. Simpson has a younger sister, Ashlee. In her preteens she briefly attended Amelia Middle School while her father did outreach in Cincinnati, Ohio. After moving back to Texas 20 months later, she attended J. J. Pearce High School in Richardson during her teenage years, though she had to drop out in 1997 as her career began to take off; a year later she earned her GED via distance learning through Texas Tech High School.
Simpson is a practicing Christian. She was raised in a strict evangelical family, and was given a purity ring by her father, a Southern Baptist pastor, when she was twelve years old. She reflected later that in her home, "it was a sin if I felt anything sexual or did anything sexual". Jessica and her family moved frequently due to her father's job as a minister, though they remained in Texas for the most part; however, they did live in the Midwest for a few years.
As a child, she began singing in the church choir at her local Baptist church. When she was eleven, she dreamed of success as a singer while at a church retreat. Simpson auditioned for The Mickey Mouse Club at the age of twelve, auditioning with a performance of "Amazing Grace" and dancing to "Ice Ice Baby" (1990). She advanced through multiple rounds, eventually being a semi-finalist for the show alongside artists such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Justin Timberlake. Simpson claimed that she became nervous about her final audition after seeing Aguilera perform, and she was ultimately not selected for the show. Simpson resumed performing in her church choir, eventually being discovered by the head of a Christian music label. He asked her for an audition initially and signed her immediately after she performed "I Will Always Love You" (1973) by Dolly Parton. She began working on her debut album with Proclaim Records and touring to promote the project. Simpson's father later claimed that she had to quit touring as the size of her breasts led to her being deemed too "sexual" for the genre.
Her debut album, Jessica, remained unreleased after Proclaim Records went bankrupt; despite this, her grandmother funded a limited pressing of the album personally. Shortly after this, Simpson landed several auditions as Jessica was sent to numerous labels and producers. Ultimately, she caught the attention of Tommy Mottola, then married to Mariah Carey and the head of Columbia Records. He went on to sign her to the label at the behest of Columbia talent scout Teresa LaBarbera Whites, claiming "She had a great little look and a great attitude, a fresh new face, and something a bit different than Britney and all of them; she could actually sing." Simpson began working on her debut album in Orlando, Florida. Mottola hoped to market Simpson as a contrast to Spears and Aguilera, both of whom had launched successful careers focused on dancing and sexuality. While working on her musical debut, Simpson enlisted her father Joe as her manager; her mother became her stylist. While at a Christmas party in 1998, Simpson met 98 Degrees singer Nick Lachey, and the two began dating; Lachey claimed that he left the party and told his mother that he would marry Simpson someday.
1999–2001: Breakthrough with early musical releases
Simpson began working on her debut studio album in 1998. Her debut single, "I Wanna Love You Forever", was released on September 28, 1999. The single became a success, reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. The song earned a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales exceeding one million copies in the country.
Simpson's debut studio album, Sweet Kisses, was released on November 23, 1999. The album sold 65,000 copies in its first week of release, debuting at number sixty-five on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States. The album also saw success in several European countries. The following year, "Where You Are" was released as the second single from the album; Simpson's boyfriend Nick Lachey was featured on the track. Simpson went on to announce her plans to remain abstinent until marriage. "I Think I'm in Love with You" served as the album's third and final single and achieved success in the United States. With the success of the album's third single, Sweet Kisses rose to a new peak of number twenty-five on the Billboard 200 in August 2000. The album sold over two million copies in the United States, earning a double platinum certification from the RIAA. Simpson embarked on the Heat It Up Tour with her boyfriend's band, 98 Degrees, as their opening act to promote Sweet Kisses throughout 2000.
Work on her second album began in 2000; during the recording of the album, Simpson adopted a more mature public image. In a July 2001, Simpson explained "I recorded [Sweet Kisses] when I was seventeen years old and I'm twenty-one [this month] so there is four years of growth involved." While working on the record, Simpson ended her relationship with Lachey to focus on furthering her career; however, the two reconciled romantically that September. Simpson released the record's title track, "Irresistible" as the lead single from the project in April 2001. The single became her second top twenty hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Simpson released her second studio album, Irresistible, on May 25, 2001. The album sold 127,000 copies in the United States during its first week of release, debuting at number six on the Billboard 200 chart. Though the album's first week sales nearly doubled those of her previous effort, Irresistible failed to match the success of her debut album; the record earned a gold certification from the RIAA for sales of 500,000 copies. "A Little Bit", the album's second and final single, failed to achieve significant success. In July, Simpson began performing as a co-headliner on the Total Request Live Tour for the tour's first 14 dates, alongside artists such as Destiny's Child and Nelly. On August 7, Simpson embarked on the DreamChaser Tour, a 15-date tour of North America.