When was the last time Jessica Simpson performed live? Singer shares clips from her first gig in years

Actress and singer Jessica Simpson returned to the stage after a long hiatus. On March 12, 2025, she performed at the Recording Academy Austin Chapter Block Party held in Austin. This marks her first live performance in more than a decade, following her 2010 appearance at the Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center. Sharing videos of her performance on Instagram, Simpson wrote:

“Last night, was my first performance in 15 years. It was an emotional coming back home to the best part of myself. Thank you for embracing me. You know that I have so much to say, but this lucky voice gets to soar again tonight. I love y’all. More to come.”

She went on to sing Son of a Preacher Man by Dusty Springfield and These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ by Nancy Sinatra. According to Entertainment Weekly, Jessica Simpson shared with the audience that she had to reconnect with her true self and the passion that drove her to sing. Before she began, she told her audience:

“This time I needed to remember who I was and why I wanted to sing in the first place and all the music that inspires me. And I needed to forget who they told me to be.”

She recently dropped two singles, Use My Heart Against Me and Leave, as a preview of her upcoming EP, Nashville Canyon Pt. 1, set to release on March 21, 2025.

Jessica Simpson co-hosted NBC’s reality show Fashion Star alongside Nicole Richie in 2012 and released her memoir Open Book in 2020. She also expanded The Jessica Simpson Collection, her fashion brand for women and children.

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Jessica Simpson reflects on her marriage to Nick Lachey and her thoughts on being an icon

In 2023, Simpson was honored at the Footwear News Achievement Awards. At the ceremony, ExtraTV spoke to her and asked what the word "icon" meant to her. She said:

“When I hear icon, I feel like people are boring to be that and I think anybody can be that. It's really about just being driven and being creative within that drive and doing it your way because you are the only person that's you and, if something, if people you know if you do something say something are something that people celebrate. I mean that's beautiful and it's for being yourself.”

In a 2020 interview with Today about her memoir, Jessica Simpson reflected on her marriage to Nick Lachey. She recalled that her father felt she was too young and had so much ahead of her. Just before she walked down the aisle, he reminded her that she didn’t have to go through with it, but she was determined to move forward.

When asked about the reason for the marriage ending, Jessica Simpson explained that watching past episodes made her realize things she hadn’t noticed before. While some moments were entertaining and well-received, she also saw a lot of eye-rolling, which wasn’t just due to editing—it happened both on and off camera.

She felt that while their success as a couple was celebrated, their individual achievements weren’t always supported. Over time, she sensed resentment and felt that love alone wasn’t enough to sustain the relationship.