Cody Simpson

Early life

Cody Simpson was born on 11 January 1997 in Benowa, a suburb on the Gold Coast, Queensland, to parents Brad Simpson and Angie Simpson. He has two younger siblings, Alli and Tom. Growing up, Simpson attended All Saints Anglican School. In 2009, Simpson began uploading songs to YouTube, performing covers of Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours","Cry Me a River" by Justin Timberlake, "I Want You Back" by The Jackson 5 and Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive".

Career

Music career

2009–2011: Career beginnings, ''4 U'', and ''Coast to Coast''

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. 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 music with Atlantic Records' Shawn Campbell. That same month, Simpson appeared on the Australian morning show 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. Other tours that year included a middle school tour that took place from October - November 2010 and covered nine USA states. An EP, 4 U was released on 21 December 2010. The EP included 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/animated film Hop. In May 2011, Simpson was "egged" during a live performance at Westfield Miranda in Sydney. Simpson told Australian radio show The Kyle & Jackie O Show that he was not in fact hit by the eggs, and that he was upset on behalf of his fans as the remainder of his show was cancelled due to security concerns. He then started the Waiting 4U tour with American singer Greyson Chance on 9 April in Ivins, Utah. The tour ended on 18 May 2011, in Portland, Oregon.

Coast to Coast was released on 20 September 2011 by Atlantic Records. It reached number 12 on the Billboard 200 and sold 24,000 copies. On 23 April 2011, Simpson released the single "On My Mind". On 5 August 2011, he performed on The Today Show. The following day, Simpson started his Coast to Coast Mall Tour in Lake Grove, New York to promote his second EP. He played nine dates around the United States and finished it in Orange, California on 18 September 2011. On 22 September 2011, it was announced that Scooter Braun, Justin Bieber's manager, had become Simpson's manager.

2012–2014: ''Paradise'', ''Surfers Paradise'', and ''Dancing with the Stars''

On 12 June 2012, Simpson released an EP titled Preview to Paradise containing four songs from his upcoming debut studio album, Paradise, which was released on 2 October 2012. In February 2013, Simpson toured Europe, doing his own tour dates as well as supporting Justin Bieber on many of the European Believe Tour dates. Surfers Paradise, which was released on 16 July 2013, was Simpson's first album to debut in the top 10 of the Billboard 200. During the summer of 2013, Simpson headlined the Paradise Tour, featuring opening acts Ryan Beatty and Before You Exit. On 19 November 2013, Simpson released an acoustic album called The Acoustic Sessions, featuring the songs "Pretty Brown Eyes", "All Day", "La Da Dee", "Wish U Were Here", and a cover of "Please Come Home for Christmas".

On 4 March 2014, Simpson was announced as one of the celebrities to participate on the 18th season of Dancing with the Stars during ABC's Good Morning America. He was partnered with professional dancer Witney Carson. He was eliminated on Week 5 of the competition and finished in ninth place.

From 30 June 2014 to 14 July 2014, Simpson did an acoustic tour through Europe with singer Jackson Harris.

In August 2014, Simpson announced he had departed Warner/Atlantic, citing creative differences.

2015–2018: ''Free'', Cody Simpson and the Tide, and ''Wave One''

Simpson's album Free was scheduled to be released on 23 June 2015 then was pushed back to 10 July. Simpson performed the first single, "Flower" on Good Morning America on 6 February 2015. It was his first album as an independent artist since leaving Atlantic Records to create his own label, Coast House. The album was produced by Cisco Adler and includes songwriting collaborations with G. Love and Donavon Frankenreiter. John Mayer served as a sounding board. Simpson performed his single "New Problems" on NBC's Today show on 13 July 2015. On 1 November 2015, it was reported that Simpson was taking a break from his solo career to start a band with his friends.

In 2017, Simpson formed a new band called Cody Simpson and the Tide. The band was composed of Simpson on vocals and guitar, Adrian Cota on drums, and Shareef "Reef" Addo on bass. Cody Simpson and the Tide released their debut EP, entitled Wave One, in the fall of 2017. The music was a blend of pop, rock, blues, and surf-rock genres. In their four-track EP, Simpson sings of love, unity, environmentalism and ocean conservation. The EP's debut single, "Waiting for the Tide", was inspired by a poem Simpson wrote that tackled topics such as rising water levels and ocean conservation. In August 2018, the band released another song, titled "Underwater". In October 2018, Cody Simpson and the Tide went on a short tour of southern California to perform their EP. The band split up in early 2019.

2019–present: Return to solo work

In October 2019, Simpson released the song "Golden Thing", which was inspired by his then-girlfriend, Miley Cyrus. In the same year, he participated on The Masked Singer Australia as the "Robot" and went on to win the show. In April 2022, Simpson released a self-titled album, his first in six years, which he had recorded during a swimming training break in 2020. Simpson also released music videos for singles "Nice To Meet You", and "Let Go" on YouTube and Spotify.

In November 2022, Simpson performed the Australian National Anthem at the Lexus Melbourne Cup and the AFL Women's Grand Final. He performed a rendition of the Nat King Cole song "The Christmas Song" at the 85th annual Carols by Candlelight held in Melbourne in December 2022.

Acting career

In 2014, Simpson made his television debut guest starring as himself in the sitcom Instant Mom. In 2015, he guest starred on the American television sitcom Cougar Town, portraying Pete, a high school student. In the same year, he starred as himself in the Nickelodeon film One Crazy Cruise. In late 2017, Simpson was cast in a supporting role in Bret Easton Ellis' thriller film, Smiley Face Killers, opposite actor Crispin Glover. In October 2018, Simpson made his Broadway musical debut when he was cast as male lead Dmitry in Anastasia, alongside John Bolton and Christy Altomare.

Swimming career (2019–2024)

Junior swimming

Simpson was a talented swimmer from an early age. He trained at the Miami Swimming Club under coach Ken Nixon and won two gold medals at the 2009 Queensland Swimming Championships.

Return to swimming

In 2019, Simpson turned his focus back to competitive swimming, joining the University of Southern California's Trojan Swim Elite team under coach Dave Salo. In October 2019, Simpson, who was competing at his first meet in nearly a decade, finished the 100 yard butterfly in 24th position out of 29 entrants with a time of 51.51. To improve his swimming technique, he trained under different coaches including two-time Olympian Brett Hawke. In December 2020, Simpson shared on social media that he had qualified for the Australian Olympic trials in the 100 metre butterfly, after having raced a time of 54.90.

Simpson starred in swimming documentary Head Above Water, which highlighted his return to swimming and was released 4 June 2021 on Amazon Prime Video.

In February 2023, Simpson alongside Griffith University Swimming Club teammates Mack Horton, Bowen Gough, and Josh Edwards-Smith, competed in the Rottnest Channel Swim finishing first in a time of 3:33:49 and setting a new team record.

2021 Australian Swimming Trials

Simpson continued to show improvement in the lead up to the 2021 Australian Swimming Trials which took place in Adelaide, South Australia in June 2021. At the meet, Simpson swam a personal best time of 50.22 in the 100 metre freestyle, however failed to advance through to the finals. In the 100 metre butterfly, Simpson swam a time of 52.84 in the preliminary heats to qualify sixth and advance through to the final. In the final, Simpson failed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics after finishing in eighth place with a time of 52.94.

Shortly after the trials, Simpson announced he had been training under coach Michael Bohl at Griffith University, having moved back to Australia in the lead up to the trials.

2022 Australian Swimming Championships

Simpson participated in the Australian Swimming Championships which took place in Adelaide, South Australia in May 2022. In the 100 metre butterfly, Simpson advanced through to the finals after qualifying second in the preliminary heats with a time of 51.79. In the final, he swam a 51.96 to place third. Initially, it was thought Simpson had qualified for the 2022 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, as Kyle Chalmers was not going to swim, but Chalmers changed his mind, ultimately pushing Simpson out of the team. In the 50 metre butterfly, Simpson swam a time of 23.79 in the preliminary heats to qualify fifth and advance through to the final, where he finished in fourth place with a time of 23.68. Simpson also swam in the 100 metre freestyle, swimming a time of 49.43, but was disqualified after a false start. The disqualification was overturned on protest, and Simpson advanced into the final, finishing eighth with a time of 49.34.

2022 Commonwealth Games

Simpson was selected for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England on 22 May 2022. In the wake of Isaac Cooper being sent home from the Games, Simpson was selected to swim in the 50 metre butterfly on the first day of competition. He swam a 23.84 in the preliminary heats to qualify in tenth fastest for the semifinal, but failed to advance into the final after finishing in 14th place with a time of 23.87. Simpson was part of the 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay, swimming the second leg in the heats. His 48.86 split time helped Australia into the final, where they earned a gold medal. In the 100 metre butterfly, Simpson advanced through to the semifinals after qualifying fifth in the preliminary heats with a time of 52.47. In the semifinal, he swam a time of 52.16, placing fifth and making it through to the final, where he again placed fifth, swimming a time of 52.06. Simpson was also part of the 4 × 100 metre medley relay, swimming a 51.49 split for the butterfly leg. His efforts helped Australia advance to the finals, where they picked up a silver medal.

2022 Australian Short Course Championships

At the Australian Short Course Swimming Championships held in Sydney, New South Wales in August 2022, Simpson entered five events. In the 50 metre butterfly, he swam a 23.13 in the preliminary heats to qualify third and make it through to the final where he placed fourth with a time of 23.06. In the 100 metre freestyle, Simpson swam a time of 47.89 in the preliminary heats, but failed to advance into the final after placing 12th. Simpson qualified third in the 100 metre butterfly preliminary heats with a time of 51.15, making it through to the final where he finished fourth in a time of 50.46. In the 50 metre freestyle, Simpson qualified eighth in the preliminary heats with a time of 21.88 to advance through to the finals, where he swam a 21.67 to finish in seventh place. Simpson also competed in the 100 metre individual medley, qualifying third in the preliminary heats with a time of 53.56. In the finals, he swam a 52.67 to finish second behind American Grant House. As he was the first Australian to finish, Simpson earned a gold medal.

Other works

In 2012, Simpson was a brand ambassador of Build-A-Bear Workshop. A year later, he became a brand ambassador for Teen Cancer America.

In June 2017, he was named the first United Nations Development Programme advocate for oceans. In August 2017, he was named one of Bonds brand ambassador for Home Grown campaign. He also featured in Stellar.

He signed with IMG Models in 2019. In February 2020, Simpson appeared in Australia's new Bonds "WeGotsYou" campaign. He released a book of poetry titled, Prince Neptune in April 2020. In August 2020, Simpson signed with talent agency ICM Partners. In 2021, he teamed up with Myer for their spring fashion ad campaign, and in May 2022, he was named the face of their High Winter campaign. In July, he signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with the Australian swimwear brand, Speedo.

Simpson founded a sustainable clothing line called Prince Neptune: The Label, which launched online in August 2022. In 2024, he launched an energy nutrition drink line called Dr. Hydrate.

Personal life

Simpson dated Kylie Jenner in 2011. He dated Gigi Hadid from 2013 to May 2015. From October 2019 to August 2020, Simpson was in a relationship with Miley Cyrus. He then dated Belgian-American model, Marloes Stevens from December 2020 to January 2022. In April 2022, Simpson began dating fellow Australian swimmer, Emma McKeon.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theater

Discography

Main article: Cody Simpson discography

;Studio albums

• Paradise (2012)
• Surfers Paradise (2013)
• Free (2015)
• Cody Simpson (2022)

Tours

Headlining

• Welcome to Paradise Tour (2012)
• Paradise Tour (2013 - 2014)
• The Acoustic Sessions Tour (2014)
• Free Tour (2015)

Co-headlining

• Waiting 4U Tour (with Greyson Chance) (2011)

Promotional

• Coast to Coast Mall Tour (2011)

Opening act

• Big Time Summer Tour (for Big Time Rush) (2012)
• Believe Tour (for Justin Bieber) (2012 - 2013)

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. Simpson, Cody R.. (7 April 2020). "Prince Neptune: Poetry and Prose". Andrews McMeel Publishing.
2. Leahey, Andrew. "Cody Simpson". [[AllMusic]].
3. "Atlantic Records – Cody Simpson". atlanticrecords.com.
4. (29 January 2019). "Cody Simpson Extends Run in Broadway's Anastasiaia". [[Playbill]].
5. (22 October 2019). "Cody Simpson won The Masked Singer. So now what?". [[The Sydney Morning Herald]].
6. (May 18, 2022). "Cody Simpson Qualifies for Australia's National Swim Team". The Billboard.
7. (18 June 2024). "'I left nothing to the unknown': Cody Simpson farewells swimming after failing to qualify for Paris Olympics". Wide World of Sports.
8. (22 May 2022). "Cody Simpson". [[Commonwealth Games Australia]].
9. Grant, Dwayne. (19 June 2010). "The Cody Simpson Effect". [[Gold Coast Bulletin]].
10. Price, Amy. (9 September 2016). "Cody Simpson: Gold Coast school gatecrashed by pop star Cody Simpson". [[The Courier-Mail]].
11. (4 November 2009). "Cody Simpson - I'm Yours (Jason Mraz Cover)". [[YouTube]].
12. (16 May 2009). "Cody Simpson - Cry Me a River (Justin Timberlake Cover)". [[YouTube]].
13. (25 July 2009). "Cody Simpson - I Want You Back (Michael Jackson Cover)". [[YouTube]].
14. (31 March 2009). "Cody Simpson - Wanted Dead or Alive (Bon Jovi Cover)". [[YouTube]].
15. Baillie, Rebecca. (17 December 2009). "YouTube launches Gold Coast boy". [[The 7.30 Report]].
16. (20 September 2010). "Cody Simpson - Summertime (Official Video)". YouTube.
17. Dickinson, Alex. (17 May 2010). "Teen singer Cody Simpson hits USA big time". [[The Courier-Mail]].
18. (2 June 2010). "Cody goes global". au.tv.yahoo.com/sunrise.
19. [http://top40-charts.com/news/Pop-Rock/Now-Announcing-The-Camplified-2010-Tour-With-Atlantic-Recording-Artist-Cody-Simpson/57153.html Announcing The Camplifed 2010 Tour with Atlantic Recording Artist Cody Simpson]. Retrieved 11 July 2010
20. (14 October 2010). "Cody Simpson Middle School Tour". codysimpson.com.
21. (4 December 2010). "New Cody Simpson Music - 4 U". codysimpson.com.
22. (31 May 2011). "Cody talks about the egging incident". [[2Day FM]].
23. Kaufman, Gil. (28 September 2011). "Tony Bennett Scores First No. 1 on Billboard 200". [[MTV]].
24. "Cody Simpson Announces 'Coast to Coast' Mall Tour".
25. "Cody Announces the 'Coast to Coast' Tour! Updated Times".
26. "It's Official - Scooter Braun Is Cody Simpson's Manager". The Hot Hits.
27. "Preview to Paradise - EP by Cody Simpson".
28. "Cody Simpson Releasing His "Paradise" Album on October 2, 2012".
29. (4 March 2014). "Dancing With the Stars Cast Revealed! Cody Simpson, Nene Leakes and James Maslow Are Among the Names—See the Full List! | E! Online UK". E!.
30. "'Dancing With the Stars': Cody Simpson Voted Off in Week 5". ABC News.
31. "Tour With Cody Simpson Starts Tonight! - Jackson Harris". jacksonharrismusic.com.
32. "Cody Simpson Leaves Record Label And Becomes Independent Artist!". fanlala.com.
33. Justine Harman. (10 April 2015). "CODY SIMPSON SAYS THE ONE THING WE'RE ALL THINKING ABOUT GIGI HADID".
34. "iTunes - Music - Free by Cody Simpson". iTunes.
35. Brittany Spanos. (4 February 2015). "Hear Cody Simpson Get 'Free' on New Song 'Flower'".
36. Christina Garibaldi. (12 March 2015). "Exclusive: Cody Simpson Takes Us Inside The Studio As He Records His New EP 'Free'". [[MTV]].
37. Gary Graff. (24 March 2015). "Cody Simpson Getting 'Free' on New Self-Released Album". [[Prometheus Global Media]].
38. "Cody Simpson performs 'New Problems' on TODAY".
39. (2 November 2015). "Cody Simpson Music News: Did Australian Singer Just Tease Lyrics For New Musical Project Coast House? [PHOTO, VIDEO]".
40. (25 October 2017). "Cody Simpson & The Tide Make a Wavy Debut With 'Waiting for the Tide' Video: Premiere".
41. "INTERVIEW: Cody Simpson & The Tide Talk 'Wave One' EP & Their Formation".
42. (3 August 2018). "Cody Simpson & The Tide's 'Underwater' Video: Premiere".
43. "Cody Simpson Announces 'Zen' New Band, The Tide".
44. Peters, Mitchell. (12 October 2019). "Cody Simpson Details Romance With Miley Cyrus, Confirms Plans to Release New Song: Report".
45. Lochrie, Conor. (11 March 2022). "Cody Simpson announces first album in six years, 'CODY SIMPSON'".
46. Kearney, Georgie. (2 November 2022). "Cody Simpson's performance of the national anthem at Melbourne Cup leaves internet stunned". 7News.
47. (27 November 2022). "Cody Simpson and Delta Goodrem dazzle in pre-match entertainment ahead of AFLW grand final". 7News.
48. Perry, Kevin. (19 December 2022). "CODY SIMPSON, SAM FISCHER and MORGAN EVANS join star-studded lineup for CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT on Channel 9". TV Blackbox.
49. Garibaldi, Christina. (20 February 2014). "Cody Simpson To Make Cameo On 'Instant Mom'...As Himself". [[MTV News]].
50. Wagmeister, Elizabeth. (23 October 2014). "Cody Simpson Guest Starring On Final Season Of 'Cougar Town'". [[Hollywood Life]].
51. Osmanski, Stepanie. (19 June 2015). "Watch a Clip of Cody Simpson Acting in Nickelodeon's New Movie 'One Crazy Cruise'". m.magazine.com.
52. Moran, Jonathon. (6 August 2017). "Busy much? Cody Simpson has made his first film and is set to release new music". [[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)]].
53. McNary, Dave. (6 October 2017). "Film News Roundup: Crispin Glover, Ronen Rubinstein to Star in Horror Movie 'Smiley Face Killers'". [[Variety (magazine).
54. Aniftos, Rania. (16 October 2018). "Cody Simpson to Make Broadway Debut in 'Anastasia the Musical'".
55. (22 January 2010). "2009 Qld Championships a Huge Success!". Brisbane Swimmning Association.
56. Dew, Jake. (14 December 2009). "Rickard motivated by loss". Goldcoast.com.au.
57. "Cody Simpson Bio". [[SwimSwam]].
58. Dornan, Ben. (17 October 2019). "Music sensation Cody Simpson competes at USC swim meet". [[SwimSwam]].
59. Lohn, John. (8 October 2020). "Aussie Singing Star Cody Simpson Training Under Brett Hawke". [[Swimming World]].
60. McKirdy, Lachlan. (13 December 2020). "Singer Cody Simpson on path to Tokyo after qualifying for Australian Olympic trials". [[Sporting News]].
61. McMurtry, Andrew. (3 June 2021). "'Chucking up in the bin': Gross sign Cody Simpson is the real deal".
62. (26 February 2023). "Dolphins Best in West as Rotto Records Tumble". [[Swimming Australia]].
63. (15 June 2021). "Chalmers wins 100 freestyle final; Cody Simpson misses out". [[Washington Post]].
64. Gates, Zachary. (17 June 2021). "Cody Simpson's Tokyo Games dream dashed in final shot at Australian swimming trials". [[Nine's Wide World of Sports]].
65. Lutton, Phil. (17 June 2021). "Simpson wants more after lapping up life at his first Olympic trials". [[Sydney Morning Herald]].
66. Conrad, Alex. (21 May 2022). "'Cleared the air': Simpson lifts lid on Chalmers conversation after Olympian's shock backflip". [[Fox Sports]].
67. Savage, Nic. (21 May 2022). "Cody Simpson reinstated at Aussie swim champs after disqualification". [[Fox Sports]].
68. Linden, Julian. (23 May 2022). "Video: Moment Cody Simpson's Commonwealth Games dream became a reality". [[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney).
69. (29 July 2022). "Men's 50m Butterfly Semi-Finals Results Summary".
70. (3 August 2022). "Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Heats Results Summary".
71. (2 August 2022). "Men's 100m Butterfly Final Results Summary".
72. (3 August 2022). "Men's 4 x 100m Medley Relay Results Summary".
73. (12 September 2012). "Cody Simpson is New Brand Ambassador For Build-A-Bear Workshop". [[Business Wire]].
74. (25 June 2013). "Cody Simpson New Ambassador for the Who's Teen Cancer America". Samaritan Magazine.
75. (7 June 2017). "Musician Cody Simpson to be named UNDP Ocean Advocate on World Oceans Day". United Nations Development Programme.
76. (26 August 2017). "Baby-face no more: Cody Simpson comes of age". [[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney).
77. "IMG Models - CODY SIMPSON". [[IMG Models]].
78. (11 October 2019). "The untold truth of Cody Simpson". The List.
79. (29 February 2020). "Cody Simpson in new Bonds "WeGotsYou" campaign". [[News.com.au]].
80. (12 January 2020). "Miley Cyrus and Cody Simpson announce first book, reveal cover". Celebrity Nine.
81. Sun, Rebecca. (18 July 2017). "Cody Simpson Signs With ICM Partners".
82. (August 29, 2021). "Cody Simpson joins Elyse Knowles for Myer national ad campaign". Daily telegraph.
83. Scanlan, Rebekah. (May 25, 2022). "Cody Simpson stars in Myer's new winter campaign". [[news.com.au]].
84. (July 26, 2022). "MUSIC STAR CODY SIMPSON JOINS TEAM SPEEDO AS HE SETS HIS SIGHTS ON PARIS OLYMPICS". Swim Swam.
85. Sangster, Ella. (June 29, 2022). "Cody Simpson enters the fashion realm with Prince Neptune: The Label". Harper Bazaar.
86. (November 8, 2024). "Cody Simpson's new hydration drink is all about the taste". Gold Coast Bulletin.
87. Kearney, Georgia. (3 March 2022). "Cody Simpson reflects on secretly dating 15-year-old Kylie Jenner: 'It was nuts'". 7News.
88. Roth, Madeline. (15 July 2015). "Cody Simpson Explains Why He And Gigi Hadid Really Broke Up". [[MTV#Internet.
89. Gibson, Johns. (4 October 2019). "Miley Cyrus spotted kissing Gigi Hadid's ex Cody Simpson: Watch the clip". [[Aol.]].
90. Parker, Lyndsey. (14 August 2020). "New Miley Cyrus song declares 'I don't belong to anyone' just hours after Cody Simpson split". Yahoo! Entertainment.
91. (29 December 2020). "Cody Simpson and Model Marloes Stevens Confirm They're Dating 4 Months After Miley Cyrus Breakup". [[E! News]].
92. Epstein, Jackie. (5 July 2022). "Cody Simpson and Emma McKeon share loving Instagram post while on holiday in Barcelona". [[Herald Sun]].
93. Christmass, Pip. (3 April 2023). "Cody Simpson's major declaration to Emma McKeon after one year together". [[7 News]].
94. (21 October 2019). "The Masked Singer: Cody Simpson revealed as the robot". [[news.com.au]].
95. (25 October 2014). "Cody Simpson to cameo on 'Cougar Town'". MSN.
96. "Get a First Look at Cody Simpson as Anastasia's New Dmitry".