Jessica Simpson

It's in Dallas, Texas, that Jessica Ann Simpson was born on July 10, 1980. Growing up in the small town of Richardson, her life was textbook happy. Her father Joe was a psychologist who also served as youth minister in the local Baptist church.

With this background, it was only normal for young Jessica to participate in church activities and so she sang in the choir. Such was her gift that at the age of 12, she auditioned for The Mickey Mouse Club.

When she reached the finals, she froze, choking completely. Unfortunately, she didn't get the job; Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera were luckier. Nevertheless, this experience served as an important life lesson for Jessica.

She returned to Richardson and bit into the Christian music she had been brought up with. Before long, small label Proclaim Records noticed her voice and offered to record an album. She recorded a number of gospel songs but just as they were angling for a release date, the label went bankrupt.

Not about to give up in the face of adversity, Joe (now her manager) took his daughter on the road, where they worked the Christian Youth Concert circuit. Jessica sang and then sold her home-recorded album after performances. This was a winning formula and while she was still in junior high, Jessica was performing with famous gospel acts like Kirk Franklin and Ce Ce Winans.