J, We Hardly Knew Ya

Apparently the love affair is over. Jessica Simpson is no longer on the roster of Columbia Records Nashville. She came to town last year amidst of flurry of promotion by her country label and with promises that she was committed to the format.

She'd found a home in country, she told me. "I did a lot in the pop world and I had a great time doing it, but this just feels so much easier. There's a lot of soul in country and while I was making this album I discovered that. I can't imagine myself anywhere else, to be honest with you.

"I look in the mirror and I know I'm doing the right thing with my career and my life," she added. "It's a great place of comfort."

"What if your first country album isn't a success?" we asked. "I'll make another," she quickly replied.

I even remember one of her label reps smugly assuring me that Simpson was in it for the long haul while fellow reverse crossover artists Jewel and Darius Rucker were short timers. Huh. Really?

Now Simpson's publicist is telling media outlets that Simpson was simply "on loan" to Columbia Nashville "for her country album."

Rucker meanwhile has scored two country No. 1s and worked his butt off to connect with country fans. Jewel is reportedly working on her second country album. 

Short timers, indeed.