The entertainment industry is littered with stories of musicians and actors who did not start out on the street but in a religious community. Their path to fame usually begins in the pews of the church choir. But with the increasing desire to be heard by a wider audience, most drift off into more secular music styles. Jessica Simpson embodies this story perfectly.
Jessica Simpson – Bio
Jessica was born on 10 July 1980 in Abilene, Texas, USA. She has some English, Scottish, German and Swiss-German descent. She is the first child of Tina Ann (née Drew) and Joseph Simpson, who was a Baptist pastor. She has a younger sister, Ashlee Simpson, who is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Both Ashlee and Jessica attended Prairie Creek Elementary and North Junior High, located in Richardson, Texas.
Jessica never really saw education and academics as her way to the top, she attended J. J. Pearce High School but soon dropped out to pursue her dreams in music. Singing began for Jessica in the local church choir when she was eleven years old.
At the age of twelve, she auditioned for the Mickey Mouse Club and sang in a performance of “Amazing Grace. She went through several rounds of the talent show and eventually made it to the semi-finals of the show alongside artists such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Justin Timberlake. Since she did not emerge as the winner, she stayed in the choir and hoped for her luck. After further failures, her husband at the time finally pointed out Mariah Carey – Tommy Mottola, the head of Columbia Records.
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Mottola had said:
She had a great little look and attitude, a fresh new face, and something different than Britney and all the others; she could actually sing.
She released her first album Sweet Kisses in 1999 and her second album Irresistible in 2001 with the hit single “I Wanna Love You Forever”. Sweet Kisses climbed to a new high of twenty-five on the Billboard 200 in August 2000, selling over two million copies in the United States and achieving double platinum certification from the RIAA, selling over four million copies worldwide.
Jessica Simpson’s Parents
Jessica enjoyed a special relationship with her father, who was a psychologist and pastor of the Baptist Church. He also served as Jessica’s first manager, while her mother was her stylist. Joe Simpson also had an enormous influence on Jessica’s personal life. As a pastor, Joe was a champion of chastity and high moral standards. Jessica received a purity ring from her father when she was twelve years old as a sign of her commitment to sexual purity.
Jessica Simpson Husband, Divorce, Kids
In February 2002 Jessica announced her engagement to Nick Lachey. The wedding ceremony took place on October 26th in Austin, Texas. In her single “Sweetest Sin” (2003) Jessica Simpson hinted that she had lost her virginity to Lachey.
MTV launched a reality show Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, which focused on the couple’s wedding and the recording of Jessica’s third studio album. The show immediately became a pop culture phenomenon and a success for MTV and was broadcast for three seasons until 2005.
Unfortunately, the couple filed for divorce on December 16, 2005. Nick and Jessica did not sign a prenuptial agreement, so under California law, Nick was entitled to 50% of Jessica’s then $36 million fortune. In order to avoid litigation, Nick chose an amount far below the 50% mark.
Jessica is currently married to former American football player Eric Johnson. They began their relationship in 2010, two years later, on May 1, 2012, the couple welcomed their first child together, a little girl named Maxwell Drew Johnson. Their second child, a boy named Ace Knute Johnson, was born on June 30, 2013. The couple eventually married in 2014.
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Net Worth
Jessica is more than just a musician, she has ventured into acting and is also a successful fashion designer with her Jessica Simpson collection. The collection includes product categories such as shoes, handbags, denim, eyewear, lingerie, jewelry, outerwear, luggage, ready-to-wear, tween, maternity, and kids. Jessica Simpsons currently has a net worth of $150 million.
Body Measurements
Jessica’s good looks were never in question from a young age. Her height is 36-25-35, she stands at 5 feet 3 inches and weighs 60 kg. She wears a bra size of 32.