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American singer Jessica Simpson enjoyed dazzling success in her early teens, at the dawn of the 2000s. Born in Abilene, Texas, on July 10, 1980, she began singing in the church choir, where her pastor father served as minister. Her younger sister, Ashlee Simpson, also pursued a career as an actress and singer. After auditioning for The Mickey House Club, she reached the semi-finals alongside Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Justin Bieber, before being noticed by a Christian music label, Proclaim Records, for whom she recorded an album that remained unreleased due to bankruptcy. Nothing was lost, however, as she caught the attention of Tony Mottola, the head of the Columbia label, also known as Mariah Carey's husband. As soon as she was signed, the singer, who offers a different image from the young artists of the moment, wiser and more family-oriented, sent her first song "I Wanna Love You Forever" to 3rd place in the American charts, and saw her success spread worldwide by the end of 1999. Awarded a platinum disc, it paved the way for the subsequent No. 25 album Sweet Kisses, which also included the duet "Where You Are" with fiancé Nick Lachey of 98° and "I Think I'm in Love with You". After a joint world tour in 2000, Jessica Simpson turned her attention to her second album, Irresistible (2001), which marked her transition to adulthood. Released as the first single, the title track peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 (number 11 in the UK), while the album reached number 6 with two million copies sold, half the number of its predecessor. Now married in 2002, the couple appeared for a year and a half as the stars of the series Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, while their third album In This Skin (2003) hit No. 2 in the U.S., featuring the hits "With You " (No. 14) and her cover of "Take My Breath Away" (No. 20). The singer, who appeared at half-time of the Superbowl final in 2004, embarked on an acting career in The Dukes of Hazzard(Sheriff, Scare Me, 2005) and hosted her own TV show, in between several roles in series. After her album of Christmas songs, Rejoyce: The Christmas Album (2004), she released A Public Affair (2006), following her divorce from Nick Lachey. Produced by a team that included the duo Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, this album, which inaugurated a new contract with Epic Records, saw the singer involved in writing most of the tracks, and reached No. 5. Her role in Blonde Ambition (2007) was followed by her sixth album Do You Know (2008), which reached No. 4 despite low sales. The recording, which includes a duet with Dolly Parton on the title track, marks a turn towards country music, before the 2010 release of Happy Christmas and a second marriage to American soccer player Eric Johnson. Since then, the artist has devoted herself to commercial activities, and in 2020 signed her autobiography Open Book.
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