When ashlee simpson was 14, she began to dance professionally, and the Simpson family moved to Los Angeles. Not long after, Ashlee went on the road, dancing as part of her sister's stage show. She supported Jessica's rise to fame from 1999 to 2001, all the while dreaming of acting and even pursuing her own music career.

ashlee simpson joins 7th heaven
In 2001, ashlee simpson made her first solo television appearance in a small role on Malcolm in the Middle , and during this time she appeared alongside her more famous sibling on Saved by the Bell, The Donny & Marie Show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, The View, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno , and a Disney Christmas show and concert special. ashlee simpson also took a part in the Rob Schneider comedy, The Hot Chick (2002).

But it was on TV that ashlee simpson first got the role that would catapult her to greater stardom. In 2002, she was cast as Cecilia Smith, girlfriend of Simon Camden on the popular WB drama 7th Heaven . While playing this recurring role, ashlee simpson took lessons from renowned acting coach Janet Alhanti. All the same, ashlee simpson began to take small steps toward becoming a singer as well, and in between breaks in her shooting schedule she recorded songs such as "Just Let Me Cry" for the Freaky Friday soundtrack.

the ashlee simpson show
In late 2003, ashlee simpson signed a recording contract with Geffen Records to make her first album. At the same time, her father Joe (who produces Jessica Simpson's Newlyweds reality show on MTV) asked ashlee simpson if she too wanted to have a show built around her. ashlee simpson declined at first, but agreed when Joe Simpson suggested it be about the making of ashlee simpson's upcoming album.

The Ashlee Simpson Show premiered on June 16, 2004, on MTV, and the album, Autobiography , will see its release on July 20, after the show finishes its run. The debut single, "Pieces of Me," is already enjoying heavy radio play.

ashlee simpson and jessica simpson
But although ashlee simpson is now entering her sister Jessica's turf, she takes pains to point out the differences between the two singing Simpsons . She says her style is more punk and less pop, and that just as she's broadening her profile, so is her sister. "It's funny 'cause Jess is doing acting for the first time," observes ashlee simpson, "and I'm doing music, so we sort of switched. It's really great."

As for the future, right now ashlee simpson is content to spend her free time having fun, going shopping, and hanging out with her friends.

“I’m a simple girl in a complex world,” sings 19-year-old Ashlee Simpson on a track aptly titled “Autobiography” from her debut Geffen Records album Pieces of Me. But that doesn’t begin to sum up this multi-talented performer’s accomplishments at her tender age.

With a regular role as Cecilia in WB’s hit TV Seventh Heaven , the upcoming ashlee simpson reality series on MTV and debut album bowing in July, ashlee simpson is about to emerge from the shadows.

“I’ve always been obsessed with music,” says ashlee simpson, who adds that her tastes—along with her album—are not at all like older sister Jessica’s. “We’re into totally different bands and artists.”

Produced by John Shanks (Michele Branch, Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge, Alanis Morrissette, Unwritten Law), the new album has elements of rock, punk, and pop, recalling ashlee simpson’s own favorite bands—ranging from Janis Joplin and Steve Nicks to Pat Benatar, the Pretenders and Blondie through Fiona Apple, Hole and Green Day.

ashlee simpson co-wrote every song on the album. “I just wanted to go in and make a record and not worry about what genre it would be,” she says. “I went in to have a good time and did. It’s a rock record, with a cool edge to it. It’s the first time people are getting to hear what I sound like.”

The first single, “Pieces of Me,” is a full-throttle rocker about a best friend who brings comfort at the end of a long, stressful day of work. “It’s like a sigh,” she says. “When I finally see him, all the other dramas fade away.”

“Autobiography” plays around with her public image, daring those who want to know her to walk up and “baby just ask me.” The tongue-in-cheek rave-up “LaLa” is about sexual fantasies, with ashlee simpson role-playing as an alley cat and a French maid, but all in fun. “There’s a lot of sarcasm in that song,” ashlee simpson says. “It’s something every girl thinks about, so I decided to make a joke about it. It’s one of the songs you can dance around to.”

The Waco, TX-born ashlee simpson has been dancing since she was three, and by 11, ashlee simpson was the youngest person ever admitted into the prestigious School of American Ballet. ashlee simpson moved to L.A. with her parents and Jessica when she was 14, pursuing an acting career and dancing in her sister’s stage show, but dreaming of doing music all the while.

ashlee simpson went on to make appearances on Malcolm in the Middle and The View before landing a regular role in Seventh Heaven. Last year, ashlee simpson had the track “Just Let Me Cry” on Disney’s Freaky Friday soundtrack, and then began recording earlier this year on breaks from filming the TV show.

“I’ve been working on the album for five months now, and I’m just so excited for it to come out,” she says. “I feel like it’s very true to who I am. I was there every step of the way. My acting experience really helped me get into the characters of the songs and be in the moment with them. I was able to go back to the events I’m singing about and bring them to life.”

Coinciding with the release of the new album, ashlee simpson is also starring in her own MTV reality series, which will track her through the whole process.

“Jessica said she couldn’t believe I was doing a show also,” she laughs. “Now, when I come over, I bring over my cameras, while there’s always a crew around her house. It’s actually quite funny. Jess taught me it’s cool to be yourself.”

With the album done, ashlee simpson looks back and calls the experience “therapeutic.” “Anything I held on my shoulders, I got to put it out there. It enabled me to find out who I am, to discover my identity in the world.”

The world is set to learn all about the latest multimedia ashlee simpson a star on both disc and TV.