Jessica Simpson flips to Epic Records

LOS ANGELES, March 24 (UPI) -- Singer Jessica Simpson has moved from Columbia to Epic Records, it was reported Friday.

Simpson, who has been with Columbia since 1999, followed Charlie Walk who recently moved from the Columbia Records Group to become Epic's president, Billboard.com noted. Both companies are under the Sony umbrella.

"Charlie Walk was my first hero at Columbia," Simpson told Billboard. "He believed in me before I really even got to meet the rest of the company. I couldn't think of anyone I would trust more than Charlie to present my new music to the world."

Simpson is recording her follow up to 2003's "In This Skin."

A source told Billboard.com an R&B single from the new set is "not far away at all" -- with an eye toward the album being out by year's end.

Among the producers working with Simpson are longtime Janet Jackson collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.