alt	Aya
name	Ay
nomenhiero	nTr-i-t:f-i-A2-i-i
nomen	''Itinetjer Ay'' God's father, Ay
prenomenhiero	N5-L1-L1-Z3-D4:Aa11:t
prenomen	''Kheperkheperure–Irimaat''Everlasting are the Manifestations of Re, who does what is right
golden	''Heqamaat sekhepertawy'' The ruler of truth, who creates the two lands
goldenhiero	HqA-q-mAat-s-xpr-r-tA:tA
horus	''Kanakht Tekhenkhau'' The strong bull, the one of glittering crowns
horushiero	E1:D40-S15-xa:Z2
nebty	''Sekhempehti dersetet'' Who is mighty of strength, who subdues the Asiatics
nebtyhiero	sxm-F9:F9-d:r:D40-S22:t*t:N25
reign	1323–1319 BCE or 1327–1323 BCE
predecessor	Tutankhamun
successor	Horemheb
spouse	Tey and Ankhesenamun
children	Nefertiti and Mutnedjmet
dynasty	18th Dynasty
died	1319 or 1323 BCE
burial	WV23
monuments	Amarna Tomb }}

Ay was the penultimate Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt's 18th dynasty. He held the throne of Egypt for a brief four-year period (probably 1323–1319 BCE or 1327–1323 BCE, depending on which chronology is followed), although he was a close advisor to two and perhaps three of the pharaohs who ruled before him and was the power behind the throne during Tutankhamun's reign. Ay's ''prenomen'' or royal name—Kheperkheperure—means "Everlasting are the Manifestations of Ra" while his birth name ''Ay it-netjer'' reads as 'Ay, Father of the God.' Records and monuments that can be clearly attributed to Ay are rare, not only due to his short length, but also because his successor, Horemheb, instigated a campaign of ''damnatio memoriae'' against him and other pharaohs associated with the unpopular Amarna Period.

Origins

Ay is usually believed to be a native Egyptian from Akhmim. During his short reign, he built a rock cut chapel in Akhmim and dedicated it to the local deity there: Min. He may have been the son of Yuya, who served as a member of the priesthood of Min at Akhmin as well as superintendent of herds in this city, and wife Tjuyu. If so, Ay could have been of partial non-Egyptian, perhaps Syrian blood since the name Yuya was uncommon in Egypt and is suggestive of a foreign background. Yuya was an influential nobleman at the royal court of Amenhotep III who was given the rare privilege of having a tomb built for his use in the royal Valley of the Kings presumably because he was the father of Tiye, Amenhotep's chief Queen. There are also noted similarities in the physical likenesses of monuments attributed to Ay and those of the mummy of Yuya, and both held similar names and titles.

Amarna Period

All that is known for certain was that by the time he was permitted to build a tomb for himself (Southern Tomb 25) at Amarna during the reign of Akhenaten, he had achieved the title of "Overseer of All the Horses of His Majesty", the highest rank in the elite charioteering division of the army, which was just below the rank of General. Prior to this promotion he appears to have been first a Troop Commander and then a "regular" Overseer of Horses, titles which were found on a box thought to have been part of the original furnishings for his tomb. Other titles listed in this tomb include ''Fan-bearer on the Right Side of the King'', ''Acting Scribe of the King, beloved by him'', and ''God's Father''. The 'Fan-bearer on the Right Side of the King' was a very important position, and is viewed as showing that the bearer had the 'ear' of the ruler. The final ''God's Father'' title is the one most associated with Ay, and was later incorporated into his royal name when he became pharaoh.

This title could mean that he was the father-in-law of the pharaoh, suggesting that he was the son of Yuya and Tjuyu, thus being a brother or half-brother of Tiye, brother-in-law to Amenhotep III and the maternal uncle of Akhenaten. If Ay was the son of Yuya, who was a senior military officer during the reign of Amenhotep III, then he likely followed in his father's footsteps, finally inheriting his father's military functions upon his death. Alternatively, it could also mean that he may have had a daughter that married the pharaoh Akhenaten, possibly the father of Akhenaten's chief wife Nefertiti. Ultimately there is no evidence to definitively prove either hypothesis. The two theories are not mutually exclusive, but either relationship would explain the exalted status to which Ay rose during Akhenaten's Amarna interlude, when the royal family turned their backs on Egypt's traditional gods and experimented, for a dozen years or so, with monotheism; an experiment that, whether out of conviction or convenience, Ay appears to have followed under the reign of Akhenaten.

The Great Hymn to the Aten is also found in his Amarna tomb which was built during his service under Akhenaten. It is likely that this was required by Akhenaten, though not evidence that Ay agreed with Akhenaten's decision to promote the Aten above all other gods it is strongly suggestive that he did believe in Akhenaten's religious revolution.

His wife Tey was born a commoner but was given the title ''Nurse of the Pharaoh's Great Wife''. If she were the mother of Nefertiti she would be expected to have the royal title ''Mother of the Pharaoh's Great Wife'' instead, so if Ay was the father of Nefertiti, then Tey would have been her stepmother. In several Amarna tomb chapels there is a woman whose name began with "Mut" who had the title ''Sister of the Pharaoh's Great Wife''. This could also be a daughter of Ay's by his wife Tey, and it is known that his successor Horemheb married a woman with the name Mutnodjimet.

Tutankhamun

Ay's reign was preceded by that of King Tutankhamun, who ascended to the throne at the age of eight or nine, at a time of great tension between the new monotheism and the old polytheism. He was assisted in his kingly duties by his predecessor's two closest advisors: Grand Vizier Ay and General of the Armies Horemheb. Tutankhamun's nine-year reign, largely under Ay's direction, saw the gradual return of the old gods – and, with that, the restoration of the power of the Amun priesthood, who had lost their influence over Egypt under Akhenaten.

Egyptologist Bob Brier suggested that Ay murdered Tutankhamun in order to usurp the throne, a claim which was based on X-ray examinations of the body done in 1968. He also alleged that Ankhesenamen and the Hittite Prince she was about to marry were also murdered at his orders. This murder theory was not accepted by all scholars, and more detailed CT-scans of the mummy undertaken by National Geographic (published in late 2005) suggested that Tutankhamun did not die from a blow to his head as Brier had theorized. The National Geographic forensic researchers instead presented a new theory that Tutankhamun died from an infection caused by a badly broken leg since he is often portrayed as walking with a cane due to spina bifida, a hereditary trait in his family on his father's side. The bone fragments found in Tutankhamun's skull were most likely the result of post-mortem damage caused by Howard Carter's initial examination of the boy king "''because they show no evidence of being inundated with the embalming fluid used to preserve the pharaoh for the afterlife''." However, Brier has stated that the bone fragment in the skull is not relevant to the issue of whether Tutankhamun was murdered, acknowledging that it was likely caused by the embalmers. The evidence Brier presents for the murder is a dark spot on the base of the skull, indicating a blow to the head. Dr. Gerald Irwin agrees with Brier on this point. ("The Murder of Tutankhamen" (March, 1999) ISBN 0-425-16689-9)

When the results of the CT-Scan examination had been published, many scientists accepted its findings, but some still believe the mystery of Tutankhamun's death is far from solved and continue to support the older murder theory. There are books that have subsequently been published that adhere to the original murder theory and dispute the conclusions reached by the CT scan team, though also citing other means of murder, such as poisoning. In 2010 a team led by Zahi Hawass reported that he had died from complications caused by malaria and Kohler's disease but another team from the Bernhard Noct Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg believes his death was caused by sickle-cell disease. Tutankhamun could very well have died from this, combined with the infection in his knee. Ay was also buried in the tomb intended for Tutankhamun in the West Valley of the Kings (KV 23), and Tutankhamun in Ay's intended tomb in the East Valley of the Kings (KV 62).

Rule as pharaoh

Tutankhamun's death at the age of 18 or 19, together with his failure to produce an heir, left a power vacuum that his Grand Vizier Ay was quick to fill: Ay is depicted conducting the funerary rites for the deceased monarch and assuming the role of heir. The grounds on which Ay based his successful claim to power are not entirely clear. The Commander of the Army, Horemheb, had actually been designated as the "idnw" or "Deputy of the Lord of the Two Lands" under Tutankhamun and was presumed to be the boy king's heir apparent and successor. It appears that Horemheb was outmaneuvered to the throne by Ay who married Ankhesenamun, the widow of Tutankhamun, in order to legitimise his claim to the throne. Ay was certainly a powerful figure: he was close to the centre of political power at the royal palace for some 25 years under both Tutankhamun and Akhenaten. But this was probably still not enough, however, to legitimize his claims to the throne in the highly hierarchical society of Ancient Egypt, if he was of non-royal birth especially at a time of domestic upheaval without his marriage to Tutankhamun's widow. Since he was already advanced in age upon his accession, Ay ruled Egypt in his own right for only four years. During this period, he consolidated the return to the old religious ways that he had initiated as senior advisor and constructed a mortuary temple at Medinet Habu for his own use. A stela of Nakhtmin (Berlin 2074), a military officer under Tutankhamun and Ay—who was Ay's chosen successor— is dated to Year 4, IV Akhet day 1 of Ay's reign. Manetho's Epitome assigns a reign length of 4 years and 1 month to Horemheb and this was usually assigned to Ay based on this Year 4 dated stela; however, it is now believed that figure should be raised by a decade to [1]4 years and 1 month and attributed to Horemheb instead as Manetho intended. Hence, Ay's precise reign length is unknown and he could have ruled for as long as 7 to 9 years since most of his monuments and his funerary temple at Medinet Habu were either destroyed or usurped by his successor, Horemheb.

Royal succession

Prior to his death, Ay designated Nakhtmin to succeed him as pharaoh. However, Ay's plan for his succession went awry since Horemheb became the last king of Egypt's 18th Dynasty instead of Nakhtmin. The fact that Nakhtmin was Ay's intended heir is strongly implied by an inscription carved on a dyad funerary statue of Nakhtmin and his spouse which was presumably made during Ay's reign. Nakhtmin is clearly given the titles rpat (Crown Prince) and zA nzw (King's Son). The only conclusion which can be drawn here is that Nakhtmin was either a son or an adopted son of Ay and that Ay was grooming Nakhtmin for the royal succession instead of Horemheb. The Egyptologists Aidan Dodson and Dyan Hilton observe that the aforementioned statue:

: "is broken after the signs for 'King's Son of', and there has been considerable debate as to whether it continued to say 'Kush', making Nakhtmin a Viceroy of Nubia, or 'of his body', making him an actual royal son. Since there is no other evidence for Nakhtmin as a Viceroy--with another man [Paser I] attested in office at this period as well--the latter suggestion seems the most likely. As Nakhtmin donated items to the burial of Tutankhamun without such a title, it follows that he only became a King's Son subsequently, presumably under Ay. This theory is supported by the evidence of intentional damage to Nakhtmin's statue, since Ay was amongst the Amarna pharaohs whose memories were execrated under later rulers."

Aftermath

It appears that one of Horemheb's undertakings as Pharaoh was to eliminate all references to the monotheistic experiment, a process that included expunging the name of his immediate predecessors, especially Ay, from the historical record. Horemheb desecrated Ay's burial and had most of Ay's royal cartouches in his WV23 Tomb Wall paintings erased while his sarcophagus was smashed into numerous fragments. However, the sarcophagus lid was discovered in 1972 by Otto Schaden, the US Egyptologist who opened Tomb KV63 in the Valley of the Kings in 2006. It still preserved Ay's cartouche. The sarcophagus had been buried under debris in this king's tomb. Horemheb also usurped Ay's mortuary temple at Medinet Habu for his own use. Uvo Hölscher (1878–1963) who excavated the temple in the early 1930s provides these interesting details concerning the state of Ay-Horemheb's mortuary temple:

: 'Wherever a cartouche has been preserved, the name of Eye [ie: Ay] has been erased and replaced by that of his successor Harmhab. In all but a single instance had it been overlooked and no change made. Thus the temple, which Eye had begun and finished, at least in the rear rooms with their fine paintings, was usurped by his successor and was thenceforth known as the temple of Harmhab. Seals on stoppers of wine jars from the temple magazines read: "Wine from the temple of Harmhab."'

Family

Ay is believed to be the son of Yuya and Thuya, and therefore a brother of Queen Tiye, wife of Amenhotep III, and the Prophet of Amun, Anen. Hence, he would be the uncle of pharoaohs Akhenaten and Smenkhkare. His assumed wife was Iuy, mother of Nakhtmin, chosen successor of Ay. His Great Royal Wife was Tey, Wet Nurse to Queen Nefertiti.

Ay is believed to be the father of Queen Nefertiti, wife of Akhenaten, and Mutbenret or Mutnodjmet depending on how the name is read, Mutnodjmet being the wife of Horemheb. Their mother is plausibly the "Adoratrix of Min, Songstress of Isis" Iuy, who is known to be the mother of Nakhtmin, Ay's chosen successor, and presumed son.

Therefore he is believed to be the grandfather of Queen Meritaten, Meketaten, Queen Ankhesenamun, Neferneferuaten Tasherit, Neferneferure and Setepenre.

In fiction

Ay appears as a major character in P. C. Doherty's trilogy of Ancient Egyptian novels, ''An Evil Spirit Out of the West'', ''The Season of the Hyaena'' and ''The Year of the Cobra''. He is also a character in Mika Waltari's historical novel ''The Egyptian'' and Wolfgang Hohlbein's ''Die Prophezeihung'' (''The Prophecy''). He is also a major character in Michelle Moran's bestselling novel ''Nefertiti''.

See also

Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt Family Tree

References

Further reading

Jürgen von Beckerath, Chronologie des Pharaonischen Ägypten, MÄS 46 (Philip von Zabern, Mainz: 1997), pp. 201

External links

The Tomb of Ay

Category:1320s BC deaths Category:Pharaohs of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt Category:Historical deletion in ancient Egypt Category:Ancient Egyptian viziers Category:Amarna Period Category:Year of birth unknown

ar:خپر خپرو رع آي az:II Eye ca:Ay cs:Aj II. de:Eje II. es:Ay fr:Aÿ hr:Aj id:Ay it:Ay lt:Ajas II hu:Ay nl:Ay (farao) ja:アイ (ファラオ) no:Kheperkheprure Ai pl:Aj pt:Ay (faraó) ro:Ay ru:Эйе sk:Aje II. sr:Ај (фараон) sh:Ay fi:Ay sv:Ay (farao) th:ฟาโรห์ไอย์ tr:Ay (firavun) uk:Ай (фараон) vi:Ay (pharaông) zh:伊特努特-阿伊

Name	Mike Ezuruonye
Birthname	Mike Ezuruonye
Occupation	Actor }}

Mike Ezuruonye is a Nigerian actor. He received two nominations for ''Best Actor in a Supporting Role'' and ''Best Actor in a Leading Role'' at the African Movie Academy Awards in 2008 and 2009.

References

External links

Category:Igbo actors Category:Nigerian actors Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

name	Cody Simpson
background	solo_singer
birth name	Cody Robert Simpson
born	January 11, 1997Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
origin	Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
instrument	Vocals, guitar
genre	Pop, R&B;
occupation	Singer
years active	2009–present
label	Atlantic 2010 – Present
associated acts
website	codysimpson.com }}

Cody Robert Simpson (born 11 January 1997) is an Australian pop singer from Gold Coast, Queensland, who is currently signed to US record label Atlantic Records.

Early life

Simpson was born to Brad and Angie Simpson. He has two younger siblings, Tom and Alli. He is also a talented swimmer, winning two gold medals at the Queensland Swimming Championships. Simpson trained at the Miami Swimming Club under coach Ken Nixon. Simpson's mother Angie works as a volunteer at the club.

Simpson began to record songs in his bedroom during the summer of 2009 on YouTube, performing "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz, "Cry Me a River" and "Señorita" by Justin Timberlake, "I Want You Back" by the Jackson 5, and his own songs, "One" and "Perfect." He was subsequently discovered on YouTube by Shawn Campbell, a Grammy-nominated record producer who has produced for Jay-Z and other artists.

Music career

Simpson's rise to recognition was featured on ''The 7.30 Report'' in December 2009. He released his debut single, "iYiYi" (which features American rapper Flo Rida), on 15 May 2010. It was digitally released on 30 May 2010. The music video for "iYiYi" was released on 30 June 2010. The music video for Simpson's second single, "Summertime", was released on 20 September 2010.

Simpson relocated to Los Angeles in June 2010 with his family to record his songs with Atlantic Records and his producer Shawn Campbell. His manager is Michael 'Blue' Williams. That same month, Simpson appeared on ''Sunrise''. On 22 June 2010, it was announced that Simpson would participate in the ''Camplified 2010 Tour'', along with other artists, touring across the United States. The tour began on 5 July 2010 and ended on 14 August 2010. It was also Simpson's first public tour. While on tour, Simpson performed a song called "Love So Strong". In an interview with ''Popstar Magazine'', Simpson stated that his inspiration for the song was "A girl, back home. That's all I can say."

On 4 December 2010, it was announced on Simpson's official website that an EP entitled ''4 U'' would be released through iTunes on 21 December 2010. The EP includes five tracks in total, four of them being previously unreleased.

Simpson recorded a remake of the song "I Want Candy" by The Strangeloves as the main theme song for the Easter-themed live-action/CGI-animated film ''Hop''.

On 23 April 2011, Simpson released the single "On My Mind" through his website. It was released on iTunes on 23 May 2011 and the music video was released on 17 June 2011.

Simpson is currently working on tracks for an upcoming EP on Atlantic Records. It will be released on 20 September 2011. Simpson's best friend, Campbell Carsley announced the release date on twitter on 18 July 2011. It will be called Coast To Coast, the same name as his current mall tour.

Touring

Simpson has been on tour recently promoting his new EP, making stops at various locations in the United States. Most notably, Simpson participated in the "Camplified 2010" tour in June. Other tours include a middle school tour that took place from October–November 2010 and covered 9 U.S States.

In May 2011, Simpson was “egged” during a live show at ''Miranda Fair'', Sydney. Simpson told Australian radio show ''The Kyle & Jackie O Show'' that he wasn’t in fact hit by the eggs and that he was upset on behalf of his fans because the remainder of his show was cancelled because of security concerns.

Filmography

Television

Notes
2011	''So Random!''	Himself

Discography

Extended plays

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1" |+ List of albums, with selected chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:8em;"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"| Album details ! scope="col" | Peak |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| US Heat |- ! scope="row" |''4 U'' |

Released: 21 December 2010

Label: Atlantic

Format: Digital download

| 4 |- ! scope="row" |''Coast to Coast'' |

Released: 20 September 2011

Label: Atlantic

Format: CD, digital download

| — |}

Singles

— 19 — —

rowspan="2"	Year	Single	Peak chart positions				Album
! width="45"	! width="45"		! width="45"	! width="45"
rowspan="2"	2010		19	83	73	''4 U''
align="left"	—	|	—	—	Non-album single
	align="left"	97	|	79	—	''4 U''
align="left"	—	|	—	—	''Hop (film)	Hop''
align="left"	—	|	83	—

Music videos

!Year	Song	Director(s)
	iYiYi (featuring Flo Rida)	Mark Staubach
"Summertime"
	"All Day"	David Ovenshire
"On My Mind"	Travis Kopach

Tours

Waiting 4U Tour

Awards and nominations

! Year	! Type	! Award	! Result
	Nickelodeon Australian Kids Choice Awards 2010	Fresh Aussie Musos
Breakthrough Of The Year Awards 2010	Breakthrough Internet Sensation
	Iconic Fan Favorite
Icon of Tomorrow
Capricho Awards 2010	International Singer
Hollywood Teen TV Awards	"Teen Pick Music: Male Artist"
		Super Fresh Award
Aussie Musos
Awesome Aussie

References

External links

Category:1997 births Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Australian child singers Category:Australian male singers Category:Australian pop singers Category:Australian rhythm and blues singers Category:Australian singer-songwriters Category:Living people Category:People from the Gold Coast, Queensland

ar:كودي سيمبسون de:Cody Simpson es:Cody Simpson fa:کودی سیمپسون fr:Cody Simpson id:Cody Simpson it:Cody Simpson la:Cody Simpson nl:Cody Simpson ja:コーディー・シンプソン no:Cody Simpson pl:Cody Simpson pt:Cody Simpson fi:Cody Simpson sv:Cody Simpson tr:Cody Simpson

Name	Franco De Vita
Background	solo_singer
Birth date	January 23, 1954
Origin	Caracas, Venezuela
Genre	Latin pop
Years active	1982–present
associated acts	Wisin & Yandel
Website	Official Website }}

Franco De Vita (born January 23, 1954 in Caracas, Venezuela) is a singer-songwriter of Latin music. His first disc as a solo artist garnered three Spanish-language hits in Venezuela. He signed with the Sony label in 1988, and in 1990, his album ''Extranjero'' had a song that reached No. 1 on the U.S. Latin charts and won an MTV Video Music Award. His 2004 album ''Stop'' reached the Top 10 throughout Latin America and on the U.S. Latin charts.

Career

1980s

One of four children born in Venezuela to Italian immigrants, De Vita’s family returned to Italy when he was 3. The family moved back to Venezuela when De Vita was 13. Due to his upbringing in Italy, De Vita learned Italian as his first language and did not learn Spanish until he returned to Venezuela at age 13. He later studied piano at the university level. In 1982, De Vita formed the group Icaro, which released one self-titled album in his homeland. Two years later, he released his first disc as a solo artist, simply titled ''Franco De Vita''. The album spun off three Spanish-language hits: "Somos Tres", "No Hay Cielo", and "Un Buen Perdedor". His 1986 album ''Fantasía'' produced several more hits, including the title song and "Aquí Estás Otra Vez". "Sólo Importas Tú", taken from the album, was used as the theme song to the Spanish-language soap opera ''La Dama De Rosa''. He appeared in the end credits of every episode, performing the song at the piano.

Seeking wider international exposure, De Vita moved to the Sony label for the 1988 album ''Al Norte Del Sur''. The album showed his socially-conscious, adult-oriented pop, particularly through the tunes "Te Amo" and "Louis". The latter song, about a daydreaming cabbie who idolizes The Beatles, was promoted with a music video considered quite advanced for its time. De Vita's 1990 album ''Extranjero'' featured the song "No Basta", which spent four weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. Latin charts and won an MTV Video Music Award.

1990s

Most albums have included the live release ''En Vivo Marzo 16'' (1992); ''Voces a mi Alrededor'' in 1993; the acoustic-flavored ''Fuera de Este Mundo'' (1996); and 1999's world-beat inspired ''Nada Es Igual''. He left Sony for the 2002 album ''Segundas partes también son buenas'', but returned to the label the following year.

2000s

His 2004 album ''Stop'' reached the Top 10 throughout Latin America and on the U.S. Latin charts, spurred by the hits “Tú De Qué Vas” and “Si La Ves,” the latter a collaboration with pop group Sin Bandera. That same year, he toured arenas in the United States on a co-headlining tour with Ricardo Montaner, a fellow Venezuelan songwriter. He also has recorded in Italian and Portuguese. As a songwriter, he has written songs for Ricky Martin and Chayanne.

In 2005, an expanded edition of ''Stop'' was released, titled ''Stop + Algo Más'', that included remixes and live recordings, as well as ''No Sé Lo Que Me Das'', De Vita's first recording in English. The following year saw the release of ''Mil y Una Historias En Vivo,'' a two-disc live album that also featured four studio tracks, including collaborations with Alejandro Fernández and Diego El Cigala. A DVD version was released simultaneously.

In 2007, De Vita collaborated on a single with reggaeton duo Wisin Y Yandel called "Oye Donde Esta El Amor", which borrowed the chorus from his composition "Donde Esta El Amor." They released an updated version of "Un Buen Perdedor" that peaked at No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs chart. In 2008, he re-recorded "Que No Muera La Esperanza" (originally featured on ''Voces A Mi Alrededor'') with Wisin y Yandel, as well as releasing a new studio album, Simplemente La Verdad.

Spanish-language album discography

1984 ''Franco De Vita''

1986 ''Fantasía''

1988 ''Al Norte Del Sur''

1990 '' Extranjero''

1992 ''En Vivo Marzo 16''

1993 ''Voces a mi Alrededor''

1996 ''Fuera de Este Mundo''

1999 ''Nada Es Igual''

2002 ''Segundas partes también son buenas''

2004 ''Stop''

2005 ''Stop + Algo Más''

2006 ''Mil y Una Historias En Vivo''

2008 ''Simplemente La Verdad''

2011 ''Primera Fila''

(excludes compilations)

Album discography (non-Spanish)

1993 ''Straniero'' (Italian)

1993 ''Isto é America'' (Portuguese)

References

External links

Official Franco De Vita Web Site

Franco De Vita Donde Esta el Amor

Category:1954 births Category:Living people Category:People from Caracas Category:Pop pianists Category:Songwriters Category:Spanish-language singers Category:Venezuelan male singers Category:Venezuelan pop singers Category:Venezuelan people of Italian descent

de:Franco de Vita es:Franco De Vita

name	Ashlee Simpson
background	solo_singer
birth name	Ashlee Nicole Simpson
alias	Ashlee Simpson-Wentz
born	October 03, 1984Waco, Texas, United States
origin	Richardson, Texas, United States
genre	Pop, pop rock
occupation	Singer, songwriter, actress
years active	2001–present
label	Geffen
website	www.ashleesimpsonmusic.com }}

Ashlee Nicole Simpson (born October 3, 1984) is an American singer and actress. She rose to prominence in mid-2004 due to the success of her number-one debut album ''Autobiography'' and the reality series, ''The Ashlee Simpson Show''.

In October 2005, following a North American concert tour and a film appearance, Simpson released her second number-one album, ''I Am Me''. Her third album, ''Bittersweet World'', was released almost three years later in April 2008. The following month, she married musician Pete Wentz and announced that they were expecting a child. On November 20, 2008, Simpson gave birth to their son, Bronx Mowgli Wentz. Simpson filed for divorce on February 8, 2011, citing "irreconcilable differences."

Life and career

1984–2002: Early life and career beginnings

Simpson was born in Waco, Texas and raised in Richardson, Texas. She is the daughter of Tina Ann (née Drew), a homemaker, and Joe Truett Simpson, a former Baptist youth minister who is now her manager. She attended Prairie Creek Elementary. She has an older sister, Jessica, who is also a singer. Simpson began studying classical ballet when she was three years old, eventually becoming an accomplished dancer. She was admitted to the School of American Ballet in New York City at the age of 11, a year in advance. During that time, Simpson suffered from an eating disorder; the condition lasted for about six months before her parents stepped in and got her the help she needed to overcome the issue. When Jessica landed a record deal, Tina and Joe Simpson made the decision to relocate to Los Angeles, California, where Ashlee began appearing in television commercials.

Following the success of Jessica's first album, Ashlee became one of her backup dancers. She later began appearing in films and television series, including a 2001 episode of the sitcom ''Malcolm in the Middle'', a minor role in the 2002 film ''The Hot Chick'', and a recurring role on the family drama series ''7th Heaven''. Simpson recorded a song entitled "Christmas Past, Present and Future" in 2002 for the holiday album ''School's Out! Christmas'', which was later re-released on ''Radio Disney Jingle Jams'' in 2004 and 2005. In the summer of 2003, she released a song called "Just Let Me Cry" for the soundtrack to the film ''Freaky Friday''. She occasionally appeared on ''Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica'', a reality show documenting the married life of her sister, Jessica, and her then-husband, Nick Lachey.

2003–04: ''Autobiography'' and ''Saturday Night Live'' incident

After her appearances on the ''School's Out! Christmas'' and ''Freaky Friday'' albums, Simpson signed a record deal with Geffen Records. As an accompaniment to her debut album and in order to create interest in the beginning of her own music career, she filmed and appeared on her own reality television series, ''The Ashlee Simpson Show'', which aired in the time slot following ''Newlyweds''. It ran in the United States for eight weekly episodes over the summer of 2004 (a second season of 10 episodes aired from January to March 2005). The show dealt with the processes of writing, recording and performing Simpson's music, as well as aspects of her personal life.

Her first album, ''Autobiography'', debuted at number one in the United States in July 2004, with first-week sales of around 398,000 copies. The album was certified triple-platinum by the RIAA in September 2004. Simpson co-wrote all of the album's tracks, describing it as "very true to my emotions", however, critical reviews were mixed. ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's Peter Relic characterised the album as a "mundane melange of Avril-ish brat pop and Sheryl Crow cod rock." The single which preceded the album, "Pieces of Me", was one of the biggest hits of the summer in the United States and was certified gold by the RIAA. The follow-up singles, "Shadow" and "La La", were less successful, although the latter became an RIAA-certified gold seller. At the ''Teen Choice Awards'' on August 8, 2004, Simpson received the "Song of the Summer" Teen Choice Award for "Pieces of Me", as well as the "Fresh Face" Award. She also won the Billboard Award for New Female Artist of the Year in December, and in the same month, ''Entertainment Weekly'' named her one of its Breakout Stars of 2004.

Simpson appeared as a musical guest on episode 568 of ''Saturday Night Live'', and was scheduled to perform two songs. Her first song, "Pieces of Me", was performed without problems. However, when she began her second song, "Autobiography", the vocals for the song "Pieces of Me" were heard again before Simpson had the microphone to her mouth. She began to do an impromptu jig when she realized the embarrassing error, and then left the stage. During the closing of the show, Simpson appeared with the guest host, Jude Law, and said, "I'm so sorry. My band started playing the wrong song, and I didn't know what to do, so I thought I'd do a hoedown." On October 25, Simpson called in to the music video show ''Total Request Live'' and explained that due to complications arising from severe acid reflux disease, she had completely lost her voice and been advised not to sing by her doctor. She said that because of the acid reflux, her father wanted her to use a vocal guide track for the performance. During the performance her drummer hit the wrong button, which caused the wrong track to be played. Simpson said of the incident, "I made a complete fool of myself."

2005–06: Touring and ''I Am Me''

On January 4, 2005, Simpson performed "La La" at the halftime show for the 2005 Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. After her performance, many of the 72,000-plus spectators booed. Some viewers noted that Kelly Clarkson had performed in the show earlier to a much more positive reaction, and asserted that Simpson's performance was poor and very off-key. After the Orange Bowl performance, an internet petition was created at PetitionOnline.com, which requested that Simpson stop producing music. It soon became one of the most active of the site's petitions. In regards to the negativity towards her, Simpson said, "That's cool. You don't always have to be a fan of everybody's music", adding that she receives a great amount of support from her fans. Around the time of the petition, ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine chose Simpson to be on the cover of the February 2005 issue, naming her the "Fun Fearless Female of the Year". Simpson's first North American tour ran from mid-February to late April 2005. The tour was described as "stripped down" without pyrotechnics. As well as material from ''Autobiography'', Simpson performed her own unreleased song "Hollywood", The Pretenders' "Brass in Pocket", Blondie's "Call Me" and Madonna's "Burning Up". She had a supporting role as an aspiring actress named Clea in ''Undiscovered'', an independent film which was released in theaters in August 2005. While her performance was met with indifference, the film itself was panned by critics and failed to reach the top 10 in its opening weekend, earning just $676,048 during its theatrical run. Her performance in the film earned her a Razzie nomination for Worst Supporting Actress.

Simpson's second album, ''I Am Me'', was released on October 18, 2005. She wanted to incorporate the feel of music from the 1980s on the album, and unlike with her debut, she wanted to focus less on relationships and more on herself. The album debuted at number-one, selling around 220,000 copies in its first week, but sales fell quickly, and by April 2006, it had sold less than 900,000 copies in the United States and 3 million copies worldwide. Its lead single, "Boyfriend", became a top 20 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 while the next two singles, "L.O.V.E." and "Invisible", reached the top 40. Simpson began a concert tour in late September in Portland, Oregon and appeared on the October 8, 2005 episode of ''SNL'' to promote the album. The first song she performed on the show was "Catch Me When I Fall", a ballad written about her previous ''SNL'' experience, and she thanked the crowd after her second performance. In mid-December, Simpson collapsed after performing in Japan, and was briefly hospitalized, consequently cancelling an appearance at the Radio Music Awards. The collapse and her subsequent hospitalization were attributed to exhaustion as a result of her busy work schedule. In March 2006, Simpson won an MTV celebrity surfing invitational competition, which also featured celebrities such as Meagan Good, Jack Osbourne, Ashley Parker Angel and Tony Hawk. On April 12, 2006, she hosted and performed at the MTV Australia Video Music Awards, where she won "Best Female Artist" and "Best Pop Video" for the single "Boyfriend". She began a summer tour on June 5, 2006, with Ashley Parker Angel as the opening act. Simpson said that after the completion of the tour, she would look at film scripts and continue her acting career.

Simpson had a nose job in April 2006. In the May 2007 issue of ''Harper's Bazaar'', she said that she was not insecure about her appearance and had not been beforehand. She said that plastic surgery was a "personal choice" that one should only decide to do for oneself and not for others. In a September 2007 interview, her father, Joe Simpson said of the surgery: "There was a real problem with her breathing and that was cured". In mid-2006, Simpson gave an interview to ''Marie Claire'' magazine, in which she was said to have "had it with Hollywood's twisted view of feminine beauty" and was photographed painting a pro-female mural with a group of underprivileged girls from Los Angeles' Green Dot Public School. By the time the magazine hit newsstands, Simpson had already had her nose job, and some ''Marie Claire'' readers complained that this was hypocritical. The magazine received over 1,000 letters of complaint and the magazine's new editor expanded the letters section of the September issue of the magazine to give readers a chance to vent their frustrations. She played the role of Roxie Hart in the West End production of ''Chicago'' to rave reviews, from September 25 to October 28, 2006. Her performance in the show was described as "dazzling and near flawless."

2007–10: ''Bittersweet World'', marriage, motherhood and ''Melrose Place''

During 2007, Simpson worked on her third studio album, ''Bittersweet World'' with producers Timbaland, Kenna, and Chad Hugo. She described the album as being influenced by 1980s music—bearing similarities with ''I Am Me''—while still incorporating elements of rock and pop and described her intention to go on tour to support the album. Geffen Records chairman Ron Fair said in December 2006 that working on Simpson's next album would be "very tricky" because of press scrutiny and "prejudices", but that Geffen would work with her to overcome that, "because she deserves to be heard and she deserves a shot." ''Bittersweet World'' was released in the United States on April 22, 2008 to mixed reviews. The album's first single, the Timbaland-produced "Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)", was released as a digital download in December 2007, but failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. The second single, "Little Miss Obsessive", was released in March 2008 and performed marginally better, reaching number ninety-six on the Hot 100. A collection of tops designed by Simpson was launched by the clothing retailer Wet Seal on April 22, in connection with the album's release, and she also began appearing in commercials for Canadian retailer Zellers to promote their independent clothing line, ''Request'', in mid-2008. ''Bittersweet World'' has sold 126,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Simpson announced her engagement to Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz on April 9, 2008. She had previously been wearing what she described as a "promise ring" from Wentz for several months. She chose not to confirm or deny reports that she was pregnant, saying that it was something to "keep personal." On May 17, 2008, Simpson and Wentz married at Simpson's parents' residence in Encino, California, where her father officiated the ceremony. Her surname changed from Simpson to Wentz and she was briefly known professionally as Ashlee Simpson-Wentz. On May 28, 2008, Simpson and Wentz confirmed that they were expecting their first child. Simpson gave birth to their son, Bronx Mowgli Wentz, on November 20, 2008. Simpson appeared alongside her husband in the crime drama series ''CSI: NY'' in 2009.

Simpson returned full-time to television episodes by playing the role of Violet Foster in ''Melrose Place'', the CW's revamp of the '90s series of the same name. She was originally signed to the show as a regular, but producers and CW executives decided to write out her character, and she left the show after 13 episodes. Various rumors circulated as to the reason for her sudden departure, with theories including feuds with other cast members, lack of acting ability and financial issues. Her departure was generally attributed to the show needing a "face lift" because of the decreasing viewing figures. Simpson stated that she had known all along that her character would leave the show once the murder mystery storyline had concluded. After her departure from ''Melrose Place'', Simpson reprised her role in the Broadway musical production of ''Chicago''. She began her Broadway run on November 30, 2009 and performed in New York for six weeks. She played eight shows a week until February 7, 2010. When her run was completed, she stated that she was going to take a break to spend time with her son before beginning to work on her fourth studio album.

2011–present: Fashion line and fourth album

On February 9, 2011, it was announced that Simpson had filed for divorce from Pete Wentz, citing irreconcilable differences. In the filing, she requested joint legal custody with visitation for Wentz, but sole physical custody and spousal support. She also asked that her name be restored to her birth name of Ashlee Nicole Simpson.

Simpson has created a fashion line in collaboration with her sister's successful brand. She is the co-creative director of the line, aimed at girls aged 7–16, which is set to be in stores by the end of 2011. In an interview with Paper magazine, Simpson stated that her new album would have a "folk feel". However, on June 23, 2011, Ryan Seacrest confirmed on ''On Air with Ryan Seacrest'' that Simpson had been having meetings with record executives along with previous collaborator, John Shanks, to figure out the exact direction of her next album.

Music and influences

When Simpson first broke onto the music scene in 2004, she was set apart from her sister, Jessica's already established image due to a different music style, different fashion choices, and a more assertive personality. Simpson's songs have been characterized by rock elements absent from her sister's music, and, particularly during her early career, Simpson would often wear outfits highlighting a rock or punk-influenced sense of style. She cites her childhood as being the time when she began to sing, and admits that she dreamed of being on Broadway and did not expect to break into the pop music scene. She trains with a vocal coach, and studies Etta James and Aretha Franklin albums for vocal inspiration. She has cited Gwen Stefani, No Doubt, Joan Jett, The Runaways, Madonna, Pat Benatar, Chrissie Hynde, and Debbie Harry from Blondie as her musical influences.

Filmography

''Undiscovered''

style="background:#B0C4DE;"	Year	Film	Role	Notes
2002	''The Hot Chick''	Monique
2005	|	Clea	Secondary Role

''7th Heaven'' ''The Ashlee Simpson Show'' ''CSI: NY'' ''Melrose Place (2009 TV series)

style="background:#B0C4DE;"	Year	Title	Role	Notes
2001	''Malcolm in the Middle''	High School Girl
2002—2004	|	Cecilia Smith
2004—2005	|	Herself	Reality television>Reality show
2009	|	Lila Wickfield	Point of No Return (CSI: NY)>Point of No Return" (episode 18, season 5)
2009—2010	Melrose Place'' ||	Violet Foster

Theater

''Chicago (musical)

style="background:#B0C4DE;"	Year	Title	Role	Notes
2006	Chicago (musical)>Chicago''	''Roxie Hart''
2009	Chicago'' ||	''Roxie Hart''	Broadway

Discography

''Autobiography'' (2004)

''I Am Me'' (2005)

''Bittersweet World'' (2008)

Awards and nominations

'' List of awards and nominations received by Ashlee Simpson''

See also

List of Ashlee Simpson concert tours

References

External links

Category:1984 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from Texas Category:American dance musicians Category:American dancers Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American pop singers Category:American pop singer-songwriters Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American television actors Category:Baptists from the United States Category:Musicians from Dallas, Texas Category:Musicians from Texas Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:People from Dallas, Texas

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