Ashlee Simpson Biography
 From dying her naturally blonde locks dark brown to adopting a more edgy and
free-spirited style, Ashlee Simpson has successfully managed to emerge from the
shadow of her superstar and Barbie-look-a-like sis, Jessica. And while following
closely in the same career path as her famous sibling, the budding starlet has
distinguished herself as a seasoned actress and promising recording artist
within the Simpson clan.
Originally from a small town in Waco, Texas, it wasn’t long until Ashlee Simpson
found her true-calling as a performer. Her natural forte as a dancer became
apparent at the early age of 4, and at 11, Simpson was the youngest student
admitted into the esteemed School of American Ballet. After only a few years of
training, she began dancing professionally and jumped at the opportunity to
dance back-up for her sister while on tour. Traveling the world and living life
on the road left Ashlee with no doubt that performing was in her blood, and
watching her sister’s rise to fame inspired her to make smart decisions about
the start of her own career.
Strategically deciding not to immediately jump into Jessica’s established domain
of music, younger Ashlee Simpson looked to other outlets that would nurture her dreams of
becoming an eminent performer. After moving West to LA with her family, Simpson
found a niche for acting as she landed her first small-screen bit as a
high-school student in the Emmy-award winning series, “Malcolm in the Middle”
(2001). Soon after, the rising star was cast as a regular on the WB family drama
“Seventh Heaven,” playing Cecilia Smith from 2002-2004. While gaining notable
visibility on TV, Simpson soon found herself on the big-screen, as she landed a
small part in the hit comedy “The Hot Chick” (2002) alongside well-known
comedian Rob Schneider. With acting under her belt, Simpson made her move into
music, as she recorded “Just Let Me Cry” for the soundtrack of the Disney
feature, “Freaky Friday” (2003).
In late 2003, while older sister Jessica was enjoying new-found celebrity on her
hit reality-show “Newlyweds” (MTV, 2003 - ), Ashlee had signed her first
recording contract with Geffen Records and was creatively advised by her father
and manager, Joe Simpson, to also have a show based on the making of her
upcoming album, Autobiography (2004). Reluctant at first, young Simpson soon
agreed to the idea, which proved to be a smart move, as “The Ashlee Simpson
Show” (2004) enjoyed a huge following right from the start. With more than a
month before the release of her record debut, Simpson’s first single “Pieces of
Me,” which was written about then-boyfriend Ryan Cabrera who was featured on the
series, was already experiencing heavy radio-play. The popular show not only put
Ashlee in the spotlight, but also helped to differentiate the fiery, tom-boy
rocker from her bubblegum pop, singing-sensations sister. “Autobiography” later
hit stores in July 2004 and reached platinum, something even big sis Jessica had
to date yet to accomplish.
Almost overnight, however, Simpson went from budding pop icon to national punch
line. She made an appearance on “Saturday Night Live” (NBC, 1975- ) where she
began lip-syncing to the wrong guided vocal track. Caught in the act and unsure
what to do next, Simpson did a weird jig-like dance, then walked offstage as her
band continued to play. But instead of owning up to her folly, Simpson blamed
her band members in the press following the embarrassment. When her explanation
failed to convince skeptics, Simpson’s iron-fisted manager-father, Joe, stepped
in and blamed a bout of acid reflux that had damaged her vocal chords, a
seemingly weak excuse that only fanned the flames of outrage (despite the fact
that a "60 Minutes" segment filmed the week of Simpson's appearance showed the
singer tearfully leaving the rehearsal stage when her voice was not performing
up to snuff). Some pundits tried to stand up for her, claiming that many artists
use guided vocal tracks, but most in the media blasted the inexperienced
performer for her lack of professionalism . Things went from bad to worse when
she performed a badly off-key version of “La La” at the Orange Bowl in January
2005. After subjecting 70,000 rabid beer-soaked football fans to her
ear-splitting caterwauls, Simpson was treated to a hearty round of boos. None of
her humiliations, however, affected album sales.
Though mostly laying low during 2005 after her debacles on “Saturday Night Live”
and at the Orange Bowl, Simpson showed up on “American Top 40 Live” (Fox, 2005)
and “The 2005 Teen Choice Awards” (Fox, 2005). Both appearances came and went
without a hitch. She then had her first major role in a feature film with
“Undiscovered” (2005), playing a young singer not unlike herself living in Los
Angeles with a group of other wannabe singers looking to become famous. With all
the negative reviews, “Undiscovered” was poised to become the next “Glitter.”
However, the youngest Simpson sister rebounded somewhat with her return
appearance to "Saturday Night Live" in October 2005 in which she demonstrated
that she could, indeed, sing live and unsweetened when she performed two songs
from her 2005 album I Am Me, "Help Me When I Fall" and "Beautifully Broken,"
both of which she wrote in response to the low period she experienced following
the fiasco of her first "SNL" experience.
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