Ashlee Nicolle Simpson (born October 3, 1984) is an American pop rock singer, songwriter, and actress. Simpson was born in Waco, Texas, and raised in Richardson, Texas. When Jessica became a star after releasing her first album, Ashlee became one of her backup dancers. Simpson's first album, Autobiography, debuted at number one in the U.S. in July 2004 with first week sales numbering around 398,000 copies. Simpson appeared as a musical guest on Episode 568 of Saturday Night Live (October 23–24, 2004), and as is customary for the show's format, she was scheduled to perform two songs.