Born in Redding, California, Ashley spent his early years growing up in the rural back-country of Northern California. Drawn towards performing by the age of 5, he spent his entire childhood performing in musical and theater productions. As a young teenager, after being hired as a voice-actor in several Playstation role playing games, he began taking private acting lessons. One month after signing with a talent manager, he became a breakout star on the hit ABC series"Making The Band." Overnight, Ashley became a teen-heart throb as a member of the multi-platinum group O-Town - signed by legendary music mogul Clive Davis. Ashley was the lead in the MTV series,"There and Back," toured internationally and released his solo album"Soundtrack to Your Life" on Universal Records. His single"Let U Go" achieved the highest debut on Billboard's hot singles chart of any artist in 2006. Desiring to focus on a career in acting, in early 2007, Ashley put his career as a successful recording artist on the back burner and accepted the lead role in"Hairspray" on Broadway. His performance earned him top reviews from both the New York Times and New York Post. Building upon his successful run on Broadway, Ashley set his sights on a career in film and television. He starred in Sony's latest chapter of the"Wild Things" franchise and recently co-starred alongside Frankie Muniz in the family superhero comedy,"Pizza Man" - due out in 2011.