| Ashlee Simpson, an American pop-rock singer, was born on October 3, 1984, in Dallas, Texas. She had a religious upbringing with her father, who now doubles as her manager, being a Baptist youth minister, and her mother being a Sunday School teacher. Homeschooled Ashlee began classical ballet at three years of age and progressed to get into the School of American Ballet in New York at eleven. When her older sister, the accomplished singer, Jessica Simpson, got a recording contract, the family relocated to Los Angeles. Ashlee began appearing in television commercials and also became a backup dancer for Jessica’s performances. After minor appearances in the television series ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ and the film ‘The Hot Chick’ and a short stint as an MTV VJ, Ashlee recorded a song, ‘Just let me cry’, leading to a contract with Geffen Records. Ashlee’s first album, ‘Autobiography’, reached the number one slot in the US in July 2004, and by September 2004, was rendered triple platinum. Towards the end of 2004, Ashlee was offered a supporting role in the independent film, Undiscovered. In October 2005, Simpson’s second album, ‘I Am Me’, was released in the US, from which the single, ‘Boyfriend’ became one of the top twenty entries in the Billboard Hot 100 listing. Unlike her sister’s pop vocalization, Ashlee’s songs have rock and metal undertones, which suit her raspy voice and her punk like image, displaying tattoos and black-painted nails. Ashlee has been romantically linked to a number of fellow celebrities, including Josh Henderson, Ryan Cabrera, Wilmer Valderrama, and band-mate Braxton Olita. In the June 2006 issue of Teen People, she was voted one of the ’25 hottest stars under twenty-five’. |
