17 October 2018 - JESSICA SIMPSON – ACTOR, SINGER & FASHION DESIGNER

JESSICA SIMPSON

 -  ACTOR, SINGER & FASHION DESIGNER -

G'day folks,

Welcome to some interesting facts about a woman who got her first break at sixteen. Jessica Ann Johnson is an American singer, actress, and fashion designer. Simpson signed a recording contract with Columbia Records when she was sixteen, and released her debut studio album Sweet Kisses in 1999. It sold over four million copies worldwide, and spawned the top three song "I Wanna Love You Forever". 

Who Is Jessica Simpson?

Born on July 10, 1980, Jessica Simpson is an American singer, actress and entrepreneur. After signing with Sony, she released the albums Sweet Kisses (1999) and Irresistible (2001). Simpson caught her big break in entertainment in 2003, but not for her singing; she appeared with her former husband, ex-boy band member Nick Lachey, on the MTV reality show Newlyweds, which quickly attracted a large fan base. Acting offers ensued, including a part in the 2006 film Employee of the Month. However, Simpson's biggest success to date has come through her fashion empire of clothing, accessories and shoes. 

Early Years

Jessica Ann Simpson was born on July 10, 1980, in Abilene, Texas. After developing her voice in the local Baptist church choir, she made an unsuccessful bid for The Mickey Mouse Club at the age of 12. Disappointed but undaunted, Simpson continued to sing in the Christian music circuit after being discovered by a small music label while performing at church camp.

  With her father as her manager and her mother as her stylist, Jessica Simpson eventually signed with Sony and toured with popular boy bands during the late 1990s. She released her first album, Sweet Kisses, in 1999 and her second, Irresistible, including the hit single "I Wanna Love You Forever," in 2001. Success for Simpson remained just out of reach, however. Her albums received a somewhat lukewarm response, and were eclipsed by the enormous success of pop contemporaries Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.

Commercial Success

It wasn't until after she married 98 Degrees crooner Nick Lachey and starred on the MTV reality show Newlyweds that Simpson's career took off. The show followed the couple around for their first year of marriage (and then their second), providing the insatiable audience with a peek at their glamorous and mundane world. Boosted by the success of the show, Simpson's third album, In This Skin, was re-released in 2004, becoming a huge hit among MTV viewers. That year, the couple also produced The Nick and Jessica Variety Hour on ABC and enjoyed a successful turn as hosts of Saturday Night Live.

Simpson soon turned to acting with a leading role in Dukes of Hazzard (2005), the big screen remake of the popular television series. By the end of that same year, Simpson and Lachey filed for divorce. Her career also seemed to flounder, appearing opposite comedian Dane Cook in the lackluster comedy Employee of the Month (2006) and receiving little notice for her next album A Public Affair (2006).

Returning to her love of country music, Simpson recorded Do You Know (2008). The album made it into the top five of Billboard's album charts. She co-wrote many of the songs for the album, which featured a duet with Dolly Parton on the title track. In 2010, Simpson appeared on a reality show entitled Jessica Simpson: The Price of Beauty, which explored beauty treatments, fashions and fads. Also in 2010, she released a holiday album, Happy Christmas.

Career in Fashion

In recent years, Simpson's singing career has taken a backseat to her fashion empire. Her namesake line of clothing, accessories and shoes has become a very successful enterprise, generating roughly $750 million in sales in 2010. Simpson returned to reality TV in 2012, starring alongside John Varvatos and Nichole Richie as a mentor on the designer competition show Fashion Star, hosted by Elle Macpherson.

Personal Life

In 2010, Simpson began dating former American football player Eric Johnson. Two years later, on May 1, 2012, the couple welcomed their first child together, daughter Maxwell Drew Johnson. "We are so grateful for all of the love, support and prayers we have received," Simpson posted on her website soon after her daughter's birth. "This has been the greatest experience of our lives." 

  In November 2012, Simpson announced that she was pregnant for the second time. The news led to speculation surrounding a recent deal between Simpson and Weight Watchers; after reportedly losing more than 60 pounds—weight that she attributed to her first pregnancy—in the fall of 2012, Simpson signed on to become a new spokesperson for the international weight-loss company. Referencing Simpson's anticipated weight gain, news outlets questioned whether Simpson's pregnancy is a deal-break for Weight Watchers.

Simpson and Johnson had their second child together, a baby boy named Ace Knute Johnson, on June 30, 2013. A 32-year-old Simpson delivered the baby via a scheduled C-section, according to reports.

Simpson married Johnson on July 5, 2014, in California. In September 2018, Simpson announced that she's pregnant with their third child, a girl.

  

Clancy's comment: Ah ... There ya go. One very attractive, and successful, woman.

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