Ashley Lyn Cafagna was born in Iowa City, Iowa, the first of three children. She was raised in Escondido, California. At the age of six, she began entering beauty pageants, and won several local pageants from ages six through eight. She was crowned "Little Miss California" at the age of eight. She then started acting in a theater company called Christian Youth Theater. At the age of ten she entered a local talent contest in San Diego, California. After a long process of acting, modeling, and interviews, she took first place out of three hundred contestants. Her win placed her with an acting agent and manager.[1]
While starring on The Bold and the Beautiful, executive-producer Bradley Bell incorporated singing into her character of Kimberly Fairchild. She recorded several original songs and music videos for the show. One of these songs was premiered on KIIS-FM's Valentine Show. In 2007, Ashley Tesoro made her country music debut with a self-titled EP on Tesoro Records. The album was produced by Ron Aniello, mixed by Mike Shipley, and mastered by Joe Gastwirt. Larry Eagle, drummer and percussionist on Bruce Springsteen's We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, played drums on two of the EP's tracks.[1] In 2010, she released her second EP on Tesoro Records titled Oh You Angel. This country gospel album was produced by Ron Aniello, mixed by Clif Norrell, and mastered by Joe Gastwirt. In August 2010, Ashley Tesoro opened for Jackson Browne at a private event in Santa Barbara, California. Supported by the Abiders she performed the song "Heaven Let Me Know" from her EP Oh You Angel. In 2012, she released her third EP on Tesoro Records titled Simply Worship. This A cappella and acousticgospel album was produced by Ron Aniello and mixed and mastered by Alec Dixon.[2]
Personal life
Tesoro graduated "with honors" from the University of Phoenix. She earned degrees in psychology and communication/culture & communication.[2]
Ashley Tesoro grew up singing in church and performing in the theater company Christian Youth Theater. She and her husband Anthony are both Christian ministers, and run the Tesoro Ministry Foundation, a non-profit charity-ministry foundation founded by Anthony in 2000.[3] She is the co-writer of Life Is For Living; a Christian ministry and lifestyle blog, and the co-host of Life Is For Living TV a Christian ministry and lifestyle web series.[4]
Ashley enjoys training in the martial arts and has earned red belts in Combat Karate and American Tang Soo Do from her husband Anthony Tesoro who is a lifelong martial artist and former karate instructor. She has trained in boxing, kickboxing, Karate, Tang Soo Do, and grappling.
Marriage and family
On September 30, 2001, Ashley Cafagna married Anthony Tesoro, a Christian minister. Anthony formerly worked on Wall Street for Paine Webber and then Jones Institutional Trading Services before entering the non-profit sector and founding ministry/charity organization the Tesoro Ministry Foundation, Inc. in 2000.[5] In 2005, Ashley and her husband Anthony founded Tesoro Entertainment, a production company; and in 2007, they launched Tesoro Entertainment's music label division, Tesoro Records; with the Christian music sub-label Sacred Music launching in 2012. Their daughter, Gabriella Lyn, was born on November 18, 2013; and their son Anthony John, was born December 24, 2015.[6]