| Send to a friend | Print

Ashlee Simpson, known by many as Jessica Simpson’s younger sister, was born in 1984 in Waco, Texas.  At a young age Simpson showed talent in music and dance.  At the age of 11 she was the youngest student to be accepted to the School of American Ballet in New York.

At the age of 14, she moved to Los Angeles with her family and started performing as a dancer during her sister Jessica’s concerts.  Ashlee was determined to pave her own way in the industry and distanced herself from her sister.  In 2001 she landed a small role on the television show Malcolm in the Middle. Another part was given to the actress in the movie The Hot Chick (2002), which was followed by a role in Seventh Heaven. Although her acting career was gaining speed, Ashlee wanted to pursue her music career.

In 2003, Ashlee released her debut single Just Let Me Cry on the soundtrack for Freaky Friday starring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis. A month later she signed a deal with Geffen Records.

Her first album, Autobiography, was launched in 2004. The single Pieces of Me was a chart-topper.  The album went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and sold 3 million copies. The same year, the young singer started her own reality show on MTV.  The artist’s music career had taken off, however, her success derailed after she appeared on Saturday Night Live and viewers realized she was lip-synching.  Simpson was humiliated and this fiasco affected her career.

Ashlee made a comeback in 2005 with a second disc entitled I Am Me. It was embraced by fans and critics.  It produced the hit singles Boyfriend and L.O.V.E which had smashing success. Simpson went on tour through to the summer of 2006.

In 2006, Ashlee, who was known for changing her look frequently, received plenty of media attention after she got a nose job.  That fall, the star got rave reviews when she played Roxie Hart in the musical production Chicago in London. 

In the fall of 2007, Ashlee delayed the release of her third album.  According to her it needed to be polished.  To appease her fans, Simpson released the first single Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya), produced by Timbaland in December of that year.  The album Bittersweet World, will be launched on April 22, 2008.

Ashlee Simpson’s personal life causes a lot of buzz in the tabloids.  She has been dating Pete Wentz, bassist of the group Fall Out Boy, since the winter of 2007.