<b>Jessica Simpson </b>was
born in Abilene, Texas.<b>Jessica</b>is the daughter of
Joe Truett Simpson ( a former Baptist youth minister ) and Tina Ann
Drew ( a former Sunday School teacher).<br />

She has a younger sister, Ashlee, who
launched her own music career in mid-2004. <b>Jessica Simpson
</b>started singing at the age of twelve as a part of her
Baptist church choir. At t

he same age, she made an unsuccessful
application for The New Mickey Mouse Club, which starred fellow pop
singers Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake,
among other future stars. <br />

<b>Jessica Simpson </b>attended
J.J. Pearce High School in Richardson, Texas. She was discovered
singing at a church camp by a head of a small contemporary Christian
record label and recorded an album over the next three years;
however, the label folded before the record could be released. <br
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She dropped out in her senior year in
order to tour and promote her demo album, which was funded by her
grandmother, Joyce (thus the reason for the name of her 2004 holiday
album, ReJoyce: The Christmas Album); she later earned her GED. <br
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During this time, <b>Jessica
Simpson </b>toured with the Christian Youth Conference circuit
performing with Kirk Franklin, God's Property and CeCe Winans. She
and her father sold copies of the album after her performances. <br
/>

Tommy Mottola of Columbia Records
obtained a copy of the album and, thinking <b>Jessica Simpson
</b>had potential as a pop singer, signed her as such.
Christian influences can still be found in much of her music. <br
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