Jessica Simpson

Nicki Abrahamson

Some people inherit great fortunes, others have the intelligence of their learned ancestors, still others are born into a family of famous athletes. Jessica Simpson, on the other hand, was born with an un-rivaled ability to belt out Christian church hymns and eventually chart topping pop music. Jessica has followed in the footsteps of many entertainers but has paved a path of her own, singing all the way. Now, Jessica is a house hold name and not just a singer. She had instant T. V stardom with her show "Newlyweds", and even bigger hit with her movie debut in "The Dukes of Hazard". She has become a success and still has even more planned. Although she had a rocky start and was paired up against some of pop music's biggest selling artists, her partnership with Sony music/Columbia has kept her determined to become a success, and has obviously paid off.

As a chart topping success, her life has been run by determination and hard work. She was originally found in the small world of contemporary Christian music. As a young teenager she was already singing with the best. Some notable Christian artists such as Kirk Franklin and Ce Ce Winans invited her to sing with them (Sony, 2). Word quickly spread and in the late 90's she was signed with Sony owned Columbia Records. At this time many record companies were signing teen girls left and right. She had her work cut out for her. "It was an amazing time for me," Jessica recalls. "I was 17 and seeing the world, doing what I loved and doing it in a way that felt right"(Sony,4). As she grew, so did her stardom and her future. In October of 2002 Jessica married her longtime boyfriend, former 98 Degrees singer Nick Lachey. Jessica continued to put out records under the Sony/ Columbia name and after a while decided to add another feat to her entertainment resume. During the summer of 2003, Simpson launched a new show in conjunction with Mtv called Newlyweds. The couple thought they had agreed to have a six show documentary filmed about their newlywed status. Due to contractual obligations, the couple were bound into four seasons of the show. Regardless of disputes, the show was an instant success. Simpson accented her ditzy blonde traits frequently, in fact at one point asking if tuna was chicken. With all of these doors suddenly opening in her life, she found herself with quite a bit of money. According to Forbes Online, the Singer turned actress grossed over $8 million in 2005 alone (Forbes, 1). With all of this super stardom, Sony was loving the fact that Jessica was part of their growing family of top notch artists. As if she was not busy enough, she decided to take up acting. She was ecstatic when she was chosen to play the part of Daisy Duke in the remake of the famous television show, The Dukes Of Hazard. It was released in August of 2005 and gained her popularity beyond any ones wildest dreams. At this point Simpson sat securely at the top of her career.

Are she and her husband on the rocks? Is their marriage a reality show sham? Who cares? While tabloids obsess, Simpson makes money: She played a 41-city tour and filled out a pair of Daisy Dukes in the big screen update of The Dukes of Hazard. She also does advertising for ProActiv and Dessert Beauty (Forbes, 2). What does Jessica have planned for the future?