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Career
1999-2001: Rise to fame
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(March 2007)
1999 saw the arrival of pop princesses Britney Spears and
Christina Aguilera, who each received multi-platinum
certificates. Simpson's label hoped for the same with her. As
1999 came to a close, Simpson released her first single, "I
Wanna Love You Forever," which peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot
100. Soon afterward her album Sweet Kisses was released. Simpson
toured with boy band 98 Degrees to promote her new album. She
was given a role in the music video for 98 Degrees' hit song "My
Everything," playing Nick Lachey's love interest. At that time
she and Lachey began dating. After dating for two years the
couple cooled their relationship, stating that the "break"
allowed them to concentrate on their music careers. Then on
September 11, 2001, Lachey was supposed to be flying out of New
York City with his group 98 Degrees. When Simpson heard of the
attacks on the nation coming from the airport she immediately
phoned Lachey to learn his whereabouts. After this scare the
couple rekindled the relationship.
Meanwhile, Simpson's album Sweet Kisses had gone double platinum
thanks to the success of her follow-up singles "Where You Are",
1999, and "I Think I'm In Love With You, 2001." The latter
became Simpson's biggest radio hit at that point and was her
first release of an uptempo single. But although her debut album
sold 2 million copies, sales fell far short of those achieved by
Spears and Aguilera, and unlike the two pop princesses, Simpson
was not a worldwide household name. Columbia Records officials
reportedly decided Simpson needed a change for her second album.
In 2001, Simpson recorded a follow-up album with what Columbia
considered more radio-friendly, up-tempo tracks; the studio also
encouraged her to lose weight in order to fit in with her
competitors. The result in that was Irresistible, released in
mid-2001 on the heels of the title-track first single. The new
sound and image helped make "Irresistible" one of the biggest
hits of her career; it peaked at # 15 on the Hot 100.
"Irresistible" debuted at # 6 in June 2001 on the Billboard 200
Album Chart, and has sold 825,000 copies to date.
2002: Marriage to Nick Lachey and TV success
During the summer of 2003, the reality show, Newlyweds: Nick and
Jessica, starring Simpson and her new husband Nick Lachey began
airing on MTV. Simpson's third album, In This Skin, was released
in August of 2003 to coincide with the series premiere of
Newlyweds.
The show quickly became a pop culture phenomenon and is credited
with making her a household name, even among those who did not
follow pop music or MTV. “I never knew that just doing the show
would give me that pedestal to step on,” Simpson told Blender
magazine in a March 2004 feature.
On May 30, 2004, Simpson was chosen to sing the National Anthem
at the Indianapolis 500.
Later that summer, Simpson won three Teen Choice Awards: Female
Fashion Icon, Choice Hottie Female, and Female Reality/Variety
TV Star for Newlyweds.
The associated album, In This Skin, debuted at # 10 on The
Billboard 200 album chart, with sales of 64,000 in its first
week. It rebounded after a special collectors' edition was
released in April 2004 and subsequently reached a peak of # 2.
It was eventually certified quadruple platinum. It contained the
hits "With You" (# 14, 2004) and a cover of the Berlin song
"Take My Breath Away" (# 20, 2004), and a lesser hit, a cover of
the Robbie Williams song "Angels", which charted just outside
the Billboard Hot 100.
The couple starred in the television special The Nick and
Jessica Variety Hour, which aired in 2004 and was compared to
the Sonny and Cher show. Simpson released ReJoyce: The Christmas
Album in late 2004, which peaked at # 14 on the album chart and
was later certified gold.
In 2005, Newlyweds won a People's Choice Award for Favorite
Reality Show before wrapping shortly after.
Move to film
In the summer of 2005, at age 25, Simpson made her first
appearance in a motion picture as Daisy Duke in the movie remake
of The Dukes of Hazzard. The film was #1 at the box office its
opening weekend, although it had little or no competition (the
only other new film opening that weekend was a low-budget
independent film), and grossed $30.7 million on 3,785 screens.
It also had an adjusted-dollar rank of #14 all-time for August
releases. The film eventually collected $110.5 million
world-wide, although it was much less financially successful
outside the U.S.
Simpson also appeared on the film's soundtrack, releasing "These
Boots Are Made for Walkin'", a cover of the 1966 Nancy Sinatra
hit. The song peaked at # 14 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 her car in a pink string bikini. In some countries the
video was banned for its overtly sexual content.
Simpson's second film, Employee of the Month, was released
October 6, 2006. Despite poor reviews, the film took in nearly
$12 million in its opening weekend, debuting at #4 just behind
"Open Season." The movie was made on a $12 million budget, and
it finished with a little over $28 million in the United States.
Simpson's third film, Blonde Ambition, is set to be released in
2008. Filming for the movie "The Witness", a spy comedy, had
been scheduled for the same time but has been postponed.
2006-2007: Music and movies
Simpson in August 2006
Simpson in August 2006
November 2005 brought confirmation of rumors that Simpson and
Lachey were breaking up. On June 30, 2006, their divorce was
finalized. Simpson hosted the Teen Choice Awards in August 2006,
and appeared on The View in September 2006 as the first choice
of new co-host Rosie O'Donnell.
Simpson then returned to the recording studio, switching labels
from Columbia to Epic Records. Her fourth album, A Public
Affair, was released on August 29, 2006 via Epic Records. The
album debuted at # 5 on the Billboard 200 with 101,000 copies
sold in its first week. The first single, "A Public Affair" (#
14, 2006), reached the Top 20 of the Hot 100 but quickly fell
off the charts. The music video for "A Public Affair" featured
Eva Longoria, Christina Applegate, Christina Milian, Maria
Menounos, Andy Dick and Ryan Seacrest. A second single, "I
Belong To Me," was also released through her website and is now
included on the CD itself. The single's video appeared on TRL
countdowns, but quickly fell off.
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 George W.
Bush). Afterward, during the final tribute to Parton, Parton's
"biggest fan" Reese Witherspoon and her second cousin Jessica
Savelli gave a tearful Simpson a comforting hug. Though Simpson
was given the chance to redo the song for cameras, ultimately
her portion was edited out of the CBS broadcast.
Luke Wilson co-starred with Simpson in her third film, Blonde
Ambition, due out in 2008.
Simpson recently said she is due back in front of the cameras
filming her next movie role in "The Witness." She also said she
will be publishing a book containing selections from her
personal journal and photographs, titled "Look Up To the Sky."
Simpson has also been confirmed to be in studio recording with
Eddie Galan and Drew Lane.
Jessica's father Joe Simpson stated to People Magazine on
September 11, 2007 that Jessica is considering doing a country
album. Joe told People that Jessica is "talking about doing a
country record and going back to her roots, being from Texas."
Other projects
Following in the footsteps of other female musicians, such as
Cher and Patti LaBelle, Simpson launched a line of hair and
beauty products on the Home Shopping Network. Teaming with
celebrity stylist Ken Pavés and trained by HSN's first-ever home
shopping host Bob Circosta, Simpson sells clip-in hair
extensions over the air. Hairdo-brand Salon Clip-In Hair from
Simpson and Ken Paves
Simpson has had many commercials, mainly with Pizza Hut and
Proactiv Solution. She also has a commercial with Ice Breakers,
along with her sister Ashlee. She has had up to three Pizza Hut
commercials, the first in 2004, advertising the new Buffalo Wing
Pizza (costarring The Muppets). In 2005, she started advertising
Proactiv Solution, an over-the-counter acne medicine. In 2006,
she premiered another Pizza Hut commercial for the Super Bowl
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.
Management
Jessica is managed by her father, Joe Truett Simpson, whose fee
is reported to be between 10 percent and 20 percent of her
income. He has distanced himself from his daughters' finances,
however, and has no access to their bank accounts, which are
under the supervision of their shared and longtime business
manager, David Levin. Mr. Simpson said he wanted his children to
see that "Daddy never touched their stuff. I wanted them to
always look at me with respect."
Controversy
Simpson with a signed copy of her issue of Maxim
Simpson with a signed copy of her issue of Maxim
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 Walking". 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."
Jessica Simpson is the subject of Adam Green's 2003 single
"Jessica". Which includes the lyrics:
“
Jessica Simpson, where has your love gone? It's not in your
music, no. You need a vacation to wake up the cavemen and take
them to Mexico
Jessica, Jessica Simpson, you've got it all wrong.
”Personal life
Simpson in 2001
Simpson attended Richardson, Texas public schools, including
Richardson North Junior High and J.J. Pearce High School.
On October 26, 2002, at age 22, Simpson married Nick Lachey and
confirmed that she had remained a virgin until her wedding
night. Simpson was always vocal since she came into the
spotlight that she was saving her virginity until marriage. In
November 2005, after months of tabloid speculation, Simpson and
Lachey announced they were separating. Simpson filed for divorce
on December 16, 2005, citing "irreconcilable differences." The
couple's divorce was publicized worldwide and was reportedly
finalized on June 30.
Simpson reportedly told Jane magazine in October 2006 that she
knew her marriage to Lachey was over when he refused to join her
on a charity trip to Africa, even though it was on their third
wedding anniversary. Questions remain over whether the trip was
to celebrate the anniversary, or a PR junket guided by her
father/manager, who accompanied her on that day.
The couple reportedly sold their Calabasas, California mansion
in which Newlyweds was filmed to Malcolm in the Middle star
Justin Berfield for $3.75 million.
Simpson received increased publicity following her divorce,
reportedly having romances with her Employee of the Month
co-star Dane Cook and Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine. On February
6, 2007, the Associated Press reported that Simpson said she was
stung when her ex-husband jumped back into dating after their
high-profile breakup. "Oh, it hurt me," the 26-year-old
singer-actress says in an interview in the March issue of Elle.
"Two or three weeks later? Yeah, I'd say it kind of hurt me."
Magazines have also speculated that she was jealous of her
ex-husband's growing stardom and relationship with television
personality Vanessa Minnillo, though she has publicly denied
this.
Simpson dated John Mayer for over nine months. Dating rumors
started in August 2006 with a People magazine article, but
kicked into high gear when Simpson and Mayer spent New Year's
holiday together in New York City, both attending Christina
Aguilera's New Years Eve 2006 party. Reports indicated that the
two were publicly very affectionate. In the March 2007 issue of
Elle, Simpson said that in her private life she is "begging and
pleading for privacy," but the interviewer did notice emails,
videos, and photos of Mayer on Simpson's laptop. The two were
spotted kissing and hugging at a 2007 Grammy Awards after-party,
and posed for photos. Simpson also accompanied Mayer for several
dates of his 2007 winter tour, before the two departed for Rome.
Mayer and Simpson split in May of 2007.
In November 2007, Simpson began dating Dallas Cowboys
quarterback Tony Romo. They celebrated Thanksgiving together at
Simpson's grandparents' home in Waco Texas. She has also been
seen at Cowboys home games.
On August 17, 2007 Jessica announced that she had broken her
nose while on the set of her new film Major Movie Star. She was
running with a gun over her head and tripped and fell.
Philanthropy
Simpson is Operation Smile’s International Youth Ambassador. In
March 2007 Simpson donated a new Chrysler minivan to the Elim
orphanage in Nuevo Laredo. Simpson had won a Chrysler Crossfire
sports car at the 2006 MTV awards, but exchanged the $50,000
luxury car for a minivan so she could help the orphanage. She
had first visited the orphanage as a child as part of her youth
group mission. She has also mentioned that she has plans to
adopt. |
