Ashlee Simpson: a Faux Pas Didn’t Diminish Her Star Quality
Constant exposure to the public eye can result in a few guffaws and Ashlee Simpson was no exception. In October 2004, she appeared on Saturday Night Live and was supposed to sing two songs. The first one, “Pieces of Me” went without a hitch, but even before she could raise the mike to begin the second song – “Autobiography” – “Pieces of Me” played again. To camouflage her embarrassment, she started dancing, but at the end of the number she left the set in tears. She explained to the audience that the band had played the wrong song, although critics said that it was her way of compensating for the fact that she was lip synching.
Ashlee Simpson and her family moved to California so Ashlee and her sister, Jessica, could pursue their Hollywood careers. Jessica had just signed into a record deal and Ashlee was starting to appear in television commercials. She starred in an episode of Malcolm in the Middle in 2001. The following year, she had a minor part in The Hot Chick and occasional appearances in the drama series, “7th Heaven.” After singing “Just Let Me Cry” for the soundtrack of the film, Freaky Friday, Simpson signed a recording contract with Geffen Records.
Ashlee Simpson was born in Waco, Texas, studied classical ballet at age 3 and at 11, was admitted to New York’s School of American Ballet. It was around this time that she suffered from weight problems, dropping to 70 pounds for her 5 feet 2 inches frame. Her parents had to intervene and forced her to eat more.
Ashlee’s first album, “Autobigraphy” made it to the top US top charts in 2004 and it was certified platinum three times that same year. Describing it as an album that mirrors her emotions, it did not exactly fetch high marks from critics, although opinion is clearly divided. One of the songs in that album “Pieces of Me” was a huge success in the US, but the other selections – “Shadow” and “La La” were so-so.
Ashlee Simpson occasionally played roles on the reality show, “Newlyweds” but eventually created her own MTV show called The Ashlee Simpson Show which was broadcast after “Newlyweds.” It ran for about 20 episodes from 2004 to 2005.