Ashlee Nicole Simpson was born October 3, 1984 and is an American pop rock singer–songwriter and an occasional actress. Ashlee Simpson is the younger sister of pop singer Jessica Simpson.


Ashlee Simpson rose to prominence in mid-2004 through the success of her number-one debut album Autobiography and the accompanying reality series The Ashlee Simpson Show. Ashlee Simpson received widespread derision when she used a pre-recorded vocal track for a performance on Saturday Night Live in October 2004. Following a North American concert tour and an unsuccessful film appearance, Ashlee Simpson released a second number-one album, I Am Me, in late-2005.


The Early Days
Ashlee Simpson was born in Texas and raised in the Dallas suburb of Richardson, Texas. Ashlee Simpson is the daughter of Joe Truett Simpson (a former Baptist youth minister who is now her manager) and Tina Ann Drew (a former Sunday School teacher who homeschooled Ashlee). An accomplished dancer, Ashlee Simpson began studying classical ballet at the age of three, and was admitted to the School of American Ballet in New York City at the age of eleven. Around that time, she suffered from an eating disorder; the condition lasted about six months, and she dropped to about 70 pounds (at 5'2"), but her parents then stepped in and got her to eat more.


After her sister Jessica Simpson landed a record deal, the Simpson family decided to move to Los Angeles, California, where Ashlee Simpson began appearing in television commercials. When Jessica Simpson became a star after releasing her first album, Ashlee Simpson became one of her backup dancers. Later, she began appearing in films and television series, including an episode of the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle in 2001, a minor role in the 2002 film The Hot Chick and a recurring role on the family drama series 7th Heaven. In the summer of 2003, Ashlee Simpson briefly worked as an MTV VJ on TRL, and later recorded a song titled "Just Let Me Cry" for the soundtrack of the film Freaky Friday. Eventually, Ashlee Simpson signed a record deal with Geffen Records.



Ashlee Simpson's first album, Autobiography, debuted at number one in the U.S. in July 2004 with first week sales numbering around 398,000 copies. The album was certified triple platinum in September 2004. Ashlee Simpson co-wrote all of the album's tracks and described it as "very true to my emotion" in one interview, but critical reviews were mixed. Rolling Stone magazine's Peter Relic characterised Autobiography as a

"mundane melange of Avril-ish brat pop and Sheryl Crow cod rock"

while E! Online wrote

"Even if it doesn't wow you, Autobiography may surprise you."

The single that preceded the album, "Pieces of Me," was one of the biggest hits of the summer in the U.S. and sold well elsewhere. However, the follow-up singles "Shadow" and "La La" were less successful.

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