Biography
Since bursting on the scene as a teenager, Ashlee Simpson-Ross has proven she is determined, authentic and resilient.
Ashlee became one of the biggest names in pop music in 2004 when she released her debut album Autobiography. It debuted at number one on Billboard's album chart and went on to sell over five million copies worldwide. No matter where you went, you couldn't avoid hearing the album's monster hit "Pieces of Me," which hit the Top 5 and went gold.
Co-writing all of the songs on Autobiography, Ashlee proved she tapped into the hearts and minds of a generation. Whether it was singing about insecurity in the hit single "Shadow" or exhibiting her flirtatious side in "La, La," Ashlee illustrated there were many layers beneath her powerful voice. The album's success brought Ashlee many accolades including the Billboard Music Award for Best New Female Artist of the Year and two Teen Choice Awards.
When Ashlee released her sophomore album I Am Me, in 2005, it also debuted at #1\` and earned multi platinum status. In 2008, her Top 5 album Bittersweet won over critics and fans.
After touring the world to sold-out shows, Ashlee set her sights on theater. In 2006 she took on the role of Roxie Hart in the West End production of Chicago. Her captivating stage presence earned rave reviews. Broadway took notice. Ashlee made her Broadway debut in Chicago reprising the role of Roxie.
Ashlee's success is anything but accidental. As a little girl in Texas, she always had the ambition to be a star. She took her first ballet class when she was 3 years old. Her dedication paid off. At 11 years old she became the youngest person accepted to the School of American Ballet in New York City. Television soon came calling. Ashlee delighted viewers and gained a fan base playing Cecilia Smith in the longrunning family drama 7th Heaven. Chronicling the recording process of the Autobiography album, MTV's reality series The Ashlee Simpson Show became a bona fide hit. In 2009, Ashlee kept audiences on the edge of their seats playing the vindictive Violet Foster in the CW's reboot of Melrose Place.
But for all the hit songs, awards and roles she has played, Ashlee says her biggest achievement is her family. Ashlee has a 9-year old son Bronx. In 2014 she married Evan Ross and a year later they welcomed their daughter Jagger Snow.
The future is bright for Ashlee. She's about to set the music industry on fire once again with new music she's writing and recording with her husband Evan that promises to be soulful, fun and reflective. The couple's creative ventures will also include a unisex clothing line they have conceived and designed. Named after their daughter Jagger Snow, the line that ignores labels will be available at Zadig & Voltaire.
Ashlee once said: "Fear is not something I live by. I'd rather got to the edge and see what happens." For close to two decades, audiences have seen Ashlee touch the stars, navigate life's ups and downs and come through it all filled with love and a song to sing.