Debuting as an adorable, all-American-looking pop singer with a powerful vocal range and squeaky clean image, Jessica Simpson initially stood in the shadows of her equally young, equally blonde pop predecessors Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera in her early career. Routinely compared to the two divassometimes unfairlySimpson has struggled to be nothing more than herself. Yearning to make her mark, Simpson found her true voice not in music, but on television. As the star of Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica (MTV 2003- ), a reality show co-starring husband Nick Lachey, formerly of the deflated pop band 98 Degrees, Simpson has become a household name. But because of her frequently naive, sometimes needy and often spoiled demeanor and near constant goof-ups on the show (a.k.a. pulling a Jessica), Simpson has propelled beyond mere celebrity into the realm of cultural zeitgeist.

Born on July 10, 1980 in Dallas, Texas, Simpson was raised in a strict Christian home. Her father, Joe Simpson, was a minister at her local parish, as well as being a professional psychologist (and later Simpsons manager). When she turned 12, Simpson received a purity ring as a gift from her dad--a silver band with a cross to be worn until her wedding day. According to Simpson, she indeed retained her virtue until she married Lachey. Simpsons talents as a singer were apparent at an early age when singing gospel at her dads church. At 12, Simpson attempted to break into show business by auditioning for The Mickey Mouse Club (Disney Channel, 1988-1995), but lost the part to the likes of Spears and Aguilera--already, the two future stars were dogging Simpsons career.

The following summer, after her failure with The Mickey Mouse Club, Simpson was discovered by the head of a small label, CCM, while singing at a church camp. Simpson spent the next three years recording her debut album, but the label folded before it could be released. Her grandmother funded a small pressing of the album, but it failed to make any impact in the mainstream. However, Simpson was a hit on the Christian Youth Conference circuit, where she sang with such gospel biggies as Kirk Franklin and Ce Ce Winans. In 1997, she made another push into the mainstream and was signed by Sony after singing an a cappella version of Amazing Grace in then-CEO Tommy Mottolas office. Columbia Records later released her first official album, Sweet Kisses, in 1999. The album would go on to sell close to 2 million copies, and the single, I Wanna Love You Forever, almost went platinum as well. However, her follow-up albums, Irresistible and In This Skin, didnt fair nearly as well.

Despite slumping record sales, Simpson kept her career alive in other mediums: the singer cameoed as herself in the Dana Carvey comedy "Master of Disguise" (2002) and in 2003, she landed a recurring role as Annette, a girlfriend of Kelso (Ashton Kutcher) on That 70s Show (Fox, 1998- ) and also starred in an episode of The Twilight Zone (UPN, 2002-2003) called The Collection. As Miranda Evans, Simpson played a babysitter who looks after a young girl and her dolls, only to discover that she is slated to be next in the collection.

But Simpsons greatest claim to fame emerged with her MTV reality show with hubby Lachey. Though the cable channel didnt have high hopes at first, the show proved to be an instant hit, thanks in large part to Simpsons routine gaffes. In one infamous episode, Simpson confused Chicken of the Sea with actual chicken; in another, she refused to have Buffalo wings because she didnt eat buffalo. Upon learning that the Happy Hour favorite wasnt made of actual buffalo, Simpson added to the confusion: Why name it a Buffalo wing when its not buffalo? But Simpson took the inevitable jibes at her intelligence in stride, even going so far make the dumb blonde routine a conscious part of her celebrity image. And it was Simpson who laughed last, as her show, once anticipated to be a ratings dud, was renewed for a second and third season.

Awards :

Teen Choice Awards (2000)
Breakout Artist - "Where You Are"
Teen Choice Awards (2000)
Love Song of the Year - "Where You Are"