98 Degrees
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98 Degrees
| For The Record... |
| Members include Justin Jeffre (born Justin Paul Jeff re on February 25, 1973 in Mount Clemens, MI), bass vocals; Drew Lachey (born Andrew John Lachey on August 8, 1976 in Cincinnati, OH), baritone vocals; Nick Lachey (born Nicholas Scott Lachey on November 9, 1973 in Harlan, KY), second tenor vocals; Jeff Timmons (born Jeffrey Brandon Timmons on April 30, 1973 in Canton, OH), tenor vocals. Founding member Jeff Timmons formed group while in Los Angeles with Nick Lachey, along with Justin Jeffre and Drew Lachey, mid-1990s; performed on L.A. radio station during Boys II Men broadcast concert and signed with manager Paris D’Jon; secured contract with Motown Records and released first album, 98 Degrees, 1997; contributed songs to Mulan and L.A. Fame soundtracks; 98 Degrees and Rising released, 1998; toured with Irish group B*Witched, 1998; toured with the Nickelodeon “All That” tour, 1999; released Revelation, 2000. Addresses: Record company—Universal Records, 1755 Broadway, New York, NY 10019, website: http://www.universalrecords.com. Website—98 Degrees Official Website: http://www.98degrees.com. Fan club—98 Degrees Worldwide Fan Club, P.O. Box 31379, Cincinnati, OH 45231. |
Pop group
Part of the wave of immensely popular teen-oriented vocal groups, 98 Degrees has worked to make their sound and image distinct from the groups that share their audience, such as ’N Sync and the Backstreet Boys. Emphasizing their smoother vocal harmonies, self-written material, and orientation toward R&B influences, 98 Degrees nevertheless has found the comparisons with other "boy bands" inevitable: each of the groups has used aggressive marketing campaigns, romantic ballads, and appealing—sometimes even innovative—music videos to capture the youth market. Whether they can maintain and expand their fan base—as they have with each release—remains a primary challenge for 98 Degrees, who now face competition from a slew of more hip-hop oriented boy bands like Crazy Town and media-created bands like O-Town.
Each member of 98 Degrees has roots in the Cincinnati, Ohio area, where they grew up. Three of the members, the Lachey brothers and Justin Jeffre, attended Cincinnati’s School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA). SCPA, a nationally renowned magnet school for students in the fourth through twelfth grades, offered the future members of 98 Degrees not only the chance to study music, visual arts, and entertainment
marketing, but also to perform in numerous concerts, plays, and other public performances. The diverse environment of the school—located in downtown Cincinnati, but drawing its students from around the greater metropolitan area—and its high level of academic achievement—with more than 80 percent of its graduates continuing their studies in college—meant that the members of 98 Degrees had already gained much experience in the entertainment field by the time they were young adults.
Following their high school graduations in the early 1990s, Jeffre attended the University of Cincinnati as a history major, while Nick Lachey enrolled at nearby Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, to study sports medicine. His younger brother, Drew, subsequently entered the U.S. Army and later moved to Brooklyn, New York, where he worked as an emergency medical technician. In the meantime, fellow Cincinnati native Jeff Timmons, who had studied psychology at Ohio’s Kent State University, moved to Los Angeles with SCPA alumnus John Lipman in the hope of securing a record deal for their new group. Unfortunately, Timmons and Lipman’s first band fell apart during their initial stay in Los Angeles, California; however, Lip-man’s suggestion that Timmons contact his friend Nick Lachey and form a new band eventually resulted in the permanent lineup of 98 Degrees. Soon, Nick Lachey’s colleague from SCPA, Jeffre, joined the band and with Lipman’s eventual departure, Drew Lachey also moved to Los Angeles to join the band. After going through several name changes, including a stint as "Just Us," the four-man group chose "98 Degrees" as its name.
Signed to Motown Records
Taking a series of jobs including landscaping, working as club security officers, and delivering take-out food, the band continued to refine its harmonies and presentation, looking to groups such as Boys II Men, Take 6, and Jodeci for inspiration. The new group also made the rounds of auditions in Los Angeles and gradually built up its contacts in the music industry. Fortunately, the group’s wait for a manager and a recording contract would not take long, as they seized an opportunity to perform during a radio broadcast of a Boys II Men concert, which they had attended in the hope of passing a demo tape to the band. Paris D’Jon, the manager of hip-hop singer Montell Jordan, heard the group during the broadcast and quickly arranged for 98 Degrees to open for Jordan on his tour. D’Jon also became the band’s manager, and they were signed to Motown Records by the time they finished the tour.
The group’s emergence at a time when teen-oriented acts like the Spice Girls and the Backstreet Boys were just hitting the top of the charts around the world compelled them to differentiate themselves from the mere "boy band" status that they derided. From the start, they emphasized that they wrote much of their own material, which reflected R&B influences more than mainstream pop roots. "There are major differences musically between groups, not to mention the fact that we were signed to Motown, which gives us a little more credibility as far as R&B and soul music goes," commented Drew Lachey in a Chicago Tribune interview. Directly referring to ’N Sync and the Backstreet Boys, he added, "We are singers, songwriters, and producers all in one, not just one of those manufactured pop groups that is put together as a marketing scheme."
With their debut single, "Invisible Man" achieving gold-record status after its June 1997 release, 98 Degrees was off to a promising start. Although critical reaction to the debut of the group was mixed, a Billboard review of their first single noted that their vocal abilities were "several crucial notches above the competition." Sales of their first album, 98 Degrees, were slow, although the Motown re-release of the album six months after its October 1997 debut with the addition of a new track helped to keep the band in the public eye. The group also toured extensively, including concert dates in Asia. In light of the success of the Backstreet Boys, Hanson, and ’N Sync, however, even a popular debut album and a string of sold-out concert dates looked somewhat disappointing for 98 Degrees, if only by comparison to its rivals, who were astounding the music industry with their sales figures.
Success at Home and Abroad
Initially, the group was even more successful in Asia than in the United States, where "Invisible Man" was the only hit single to emerge from their debut. Hoping to increase their sales in its homeland while retaining their international popularity, the group’s second album, 98 Degrees and Rising, was a more calculated affair than their first release. Although the album as a whole retained its R&B orientation on some tracks, the overall package emphasized romantic ballads such as the songs "I Do (Cherish You)," "Because of You," and "The Hardest Thing," each of which entered the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The marketing campaign for the new album also continued to focus on the band’s visual appeal; while Jeffre lacked the workout physique of his band mates, the overall image of 98 Degrees relied on the band members’ good looks. Nick Lachey’s romance with young singer Jessica Simpson—with whom he recorded a duet, "Where You Are," for her album Sweet Kisses—added to the band’s profile as heartthrobs among its teen audience. The band’s decision to participate in a tour with the Irish teen group B*Witched as well as the Nickelodeon "All That" tour also linked it to the "boy band" label.
The band made a departure with its third album, the holiday collection This Christmas .With three hit singles and total sales of more than five million copies for 98 Degrees and Rising, however, expectations for the band’s fourth original release, Revelation, were extremely high. For the band, critical acceptance was a frustrating goal that they hoped to overcome. As Drew Lachey told Billboard’s Larry Flick at the album’s release, "We feel like we’ve proven what we can do with a ballad. Our goal this time was to show more versatility in our music." A record company executive echoed this sentiment, hoping that "They’re being accepted as an act with a distinctive identity. They’re not just another boy band, and they’re more sophisticated than that."
The Latin-influenced "Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)" scored the band its biggest single to date, reaching number two on Billboard’s Hot 100, and the album Revelation secured one of the biggest-ever prerelease orders by record stores. Yet reviews for the album were mixed; although their vocal talents were universally recognized, the emphasis on "formulaic radio fodder," as Entertainment Weekly noted, added up to "clichés from the heart." However, 98 Degrees has increased its sales figures with each successive release, gaining commercial acceptance despite the reviews. Although it may not have yet matched the record-breaking sales feats of the bands to which it is often compared, the group has attained recognition as one of the leading vocal groups of its time.
Selected discography
98 Degrees, Motown, 1997.
98 Degrees and Rising, Motown, 1998.
(Contributor) Mulan: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack, Disney, 1998.
(Contributor) Fame LA.: Original MGM Television Sound-track, Mercury, 1998.
This Christmas, Motown, 1999.
(Contributor) Notting Hill: Music from the Motion Picture, Island, 1999.
Revelation, Universal, 2000.
(Nick Lachey, contributor) "Where You Are," Jessica Simpson, Sweet Kisses, Sony, 1999.
Sources
Books
Degnan, Lisa, and Deborah Law, Ninety Eight Degrees, Metro Books, 2000.
Periodicals
Billboard, June 28, 1997, p. 75; September 19, 1998, p. 12; September 23, 2000, p. 18; October 14, 2000, p. 120.
Chicago Tribune, April 15, 1999.
Entertainment Weekly, September 29, 2000, p. 130.
New York Daily News, October 6, 2000.
People, October 9, 2000, p. 51.
Rolling Stone, September 28, 2000, p. 16.
Top of the Pops Magazine, November 2000, p. 46.
Online
Artist Direct, http://www.artistdirect.com/...yout=a_bio&artistid=24772&p_id=P+++215883 (February 24,2001).
98 Degrees Official Website, http://www.98degrees.com (February 23,2001).
The School for the Creative and Performing Arts Web Site, http://www.scpa.org (February 24,2001).
Universal Records Web Site, http://www.universalrecords.com (February 23,2001).
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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98 Degrees
This article is about the band. For the temperature, see temperature.
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This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (October 2011) |
| 98 Degrees | |
|---|---|
 98 Degrees in September 2005 |
|
| Background information | |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Genres | R&B, soul, urban, adult contemporary, pop |
| Years active | 1996-2002, 2012-present |
| Labels | Motown, Universal |
| Associated acts | True Vibe, Mariah Carey |
| Website | www.98degrees.com |
| Members | |
| Nick Lachey Justin Jeffre Jeff Timmons Drew Lachey |
|
98 Degrees (or 98°) is an American adult contemporary boy band consisting of four vocalists: brothers Nick and Drew Lachey, Justin Jeffre, and Jeff Timmons. The group was formed by Timmons in Los Angeles, California. Despite forming in Los Angeles, all of the members originate from Ohio.
Unlike most boy bands, they formed independently and were later picked up by a record label, as opposed to being assembled by a label or a producer. They have sold over 10 million records worldwide and achieved eight top 40 singles in the US.[1][2]
Rumors of a reunion show for the second half of 2012[3] were denied by frontman Nick Lachey.
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Contents
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Formation
The founding members of 98 Degrees met after Canton, Ohio native Jeff Timmons decided to quit university and pursue a music career. He had been studying psychology at Kent State University in his home state of Ohio, and was planning on a career playing football in the NFL. In 1995 he sang at a college party with three friends, and received a positive reaction from the female audience about his voice. The following day he left college and headed out to Los Angeles, California.[4] "It was a pretty hasty decision, looking back, but I was young and dumb. Sometimes ignorance is bliss," he said in 2004.[5] He met a former student of the School for Creative and Performing Arts who passed his name on to another graduate, Nick Lachey,[6] who at the time was attending Miami University to study sports medicine.[7] Lachey flew to Los Angeles and after hitting it off, decided to form a boyband. Lachey suggested inviting one of his friends, Justin Jeffre, to join them. Jeffre, a history student at University of Cincinnati, had attended SCPA with Lachey and they had performed together before in various outfits such as a barbershop quartet at the amusement park Kings Island[8][9] and a cover band.[4] The final member to join the band was Lachey's younger brother, Drew, who was working in New York City as an emergency medical technician.[10]
After rejecting a series of names (including Just Us, Next Issue, and Verse Four), the group decided on "98 Degrees" after a suggestion from their managers, Paris Djon and Johnny Camisa.
History
Signing to Motown Records
Taking a series of jobs including landscaping, working as club security officers, and delivering take-out food, and as a stripper, the band continued to refine its harmonies and presentation, looking to groups such as Boyz II Men, Take 6, and Jodeci for inspiration. The new group also made the rounds of auditions in Los Angeles and gradually built up its contacts in the music industry. Fortunately, the group's wait for a manager and a recording contract would not take long, as they seized an opportunity to perform during a radio broadcast of a Boys II, which they had attended in the hope of passing a demo tape to the band. Paris D'Jon, the manager of hip-hop singer Montell Jordan, heard the group during the broadcast and quickly arranged for 98 Degrees to open for Jordan on his tour. D'Jon and Camisa also became the band's managers, and they were signed to Motown Records by the time they finished the tour.
The group's emergence at a time when teen-oriented acts like the Spice Girls and the Backstreet Boys were just hitting the top of the charts around the world compelled them to differentiate themselves from the mere "boy band" status that they derided. From the start, they emphasized that they wrote much of their own material, which reflected R&B influences more than mainstream pop roots. "There are major differences musically between groups, not to mention the fact that we were signed to Motown, which gives us a little more credibility as far as R&B and soul music goes.[11]
1997: First album
After sneaking backstage to a Boyz II Men concert, the group did not succeed right away, but a local radio station covering the concert asked them to sing live on the air. Paris DJon, Montell Jordan's manager, was present during the impromptu broadcast and liked what he heard; he took the group under his wing, changed the group's name to 98 Degrees from its original Just Us and gave them the opening act spot on Montell Jordan's National tour. The group was originally signed to the Motown label in the mid-1990s. At the time however, Scott Smith a deep bass Singer from Wisconsin was still with the band. Known as 99 degrees at the time Smith left the band citing "artistic differences". Smith would never publicly sing again due to a non compete clause all the original members signed.
With their debut single, "Invisible Man" which peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, achieving gold-record status after its July 1997 release, 98 Degrees was off to a promising start. Although critical reaction to the debut of the group was mixed, a Billboard review of their first single noted that their vocal abilities were the addition of a new track helped to keep the band in the public eye. The group also toured extensively, including concert dates in Asia. In light of the success of the Backstreet Boys, Hanson, and 'N Sync, however, even a popular debut album and a string of sold-out concert dates looked somewhat disappointing for 98 Degrees, if only by comparison to its rivals, who were astounding the music industry with their sales figures.[citation needed]
1998: Breakthrough
After building popularity with their appearance in the movie Mulan, and singing "True to Your Heart" (a duet with labelmate Stevie Wonder), their album 98 Degrees and Rising went 4× platinum in 1998. Production credit included Atlanta based producer and Babyface co-writing partner Daryl Simmons. Musician credits on the breakthrough album featured Atlanta based session musician and former Earth, Wind & Fire guitarist Dick Smith. After the first album, 98 Degrees left Motown for its parent company, Universal Records. All three albums after their first went platinum.
The band's first major hit was "Because of You" (number three on the U.S. Hot 100 and number five on the Canadian Singles Chart) and went platinum. Then "The Hardest Thing" followed the success by reaching #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold.
1999: Christmas album
In 1999, 98 Degrees released their Christmas album This Christmas, which spawned the top 40 single "This Gift". Within a month after its release the album was certified platinum. The group appeared as featured guests on Amy Grant's 1999 CBS Christmas special, A Christmas to Remember. Nick Lachey was featured on Jessica Simpson's album on the track "Where You Are", which was released as a single and reached the top 40. The group appeared in the album called Jesus: The Epic Mini Series with their song "The Love That You've Been Looking For".
2000-2001: Revelation album and collaboration
The group scored a Billboard Hot 100 #1 hit in the U.S. with the single "Thank God I Found You", a collaboration with Mariah Carey and Joe. The single went gold, selling 700,000 copies. It stayed at #1 on the Hot 100 for one week and the top 200 singles sales chart for 51 weeks.[citation needed] The single went to the top 10 in the UK charts and the group also received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for the same song.
In the summer of 2000, 98 Degrees released the first single of their new album "Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)", the single went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold. In September 2000, the band's album Revelation was released. Revelation peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 and went 2× Platinum. The band's next singles were "My Everything" and "The Way You Want Me To", both reaching the Top 40.
In September 2001 the band appeared at Madison Square Garden alongside Luther Vandross and Usher singing Michael Jackson's hit song "Man in the Mirror". The performance was part of a show to celebrate Michael Jackson's 30 years as a solo artist.
2002: 10 million records sold and The Collection
In 2002, 98 Degrees released a compilation album called The Collection, with the new single "Why (Are We Still Friends)". The single reached the top 40; at that point the group had sold over 10 million records and released 12 singles.[citation needed]
The group decided to take a break to fulfill other ambitions and opportunities. Drew Lachey has stated on their website that 98 Degrees is not broken up, they are just on an extended hiatus.[12] The site has not been updated since late 2004, casting doubt that the group is still together. During the hiatus, Drew and his wife had their first daughter shortly after he won the second season of Dancing with the Stars. Nick Lachey married singer Jessica Simpson and released two solo albums, SoulO and What's Left of Me. Timmons released a solo album, Whisper That Way, and plans to release a second solo album. Jeffre ran for mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, and he currently works with area activists on independent media projects.
The band came together in 2004 to sing on Nick & Jessica's Family Christmas TV special. In September 2005, 98 Degrees performed at Club Purgatory in Over-the-Rhine to support Jeffre in his candidacy for mayor of Cincinnati. To date, it is the band's most recent performance.
2006-present: Rumored fifth member and possible reunion
In October 2006, it was announced that Timmons would participate in the new VH1 reality TV series, Mission Man Band. The news cast doubt over previous reports about 98 Degrees adding a new member and recording a new album. However, in 2011, both Lachey and Timmons confirmed in separate interviews that 98 Degrees is still capable of reuniting. Lachey stated that despite his busy schedule, his current gig on The Sing-Off has been renewing his interest in the band.[13] Timmons stated that the band is always open to reunion discussions, ultimately saying that "if the timing’s right and we have a tour lined up or we do a record, ultimately we could get back together and have a killer time."[14]
Discography
Main article: 98 Degrees discography
Albums
- 1997: 98°
- 1998: 98° and Rising'
- 1999: This Christmas
- 2000: Revelation
- 2002: The Collection
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 |
US AC |
US Hot AC |
Top 40 Mainstream |
Rhythmic Top 40 |
UK Singles Chart[15] | |||
| 1997 | "Invisible Man" | 12 | 26 | - | 10 | 4 | 66 | 98 Degrees |
| 1998 | "Was It Something I Didn't Say" | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| "Because of You" | 3 | - | - | 13 | 19 | 36 | 98 Degrees and Rising | |
| 1999 | "True to Your Heart" (with Stevie Wonder) | - | - | - | 38 | - | 51 | |
| "The Hardest Thing" | 5 | 4 | 16 | 4 | 5 | 29 | ||
| "I Do (Cherish You)" | 13 | 4 | 18 | 5 | - | - | ||
| "This Gift" | 40 | 6 | - | 23 | - | - | This Christmas | |
| 2000 | "Thank God I Found You" (with Mariah Carey and Joe) |
1 | - | - | 28 | 4 | 10 | The Collection |
| "Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)" | 2 | - | 19 | 7 | 9 | 61 | Revelation | |
| "My Everything" | 17 | 13 | - | 10 | 11 | - | ||
| 2001 | "The Way You Want Me To" | - | - | - | 37 | - | - | |
| 2002 | "Why (Are We Still Friends)" | - | - | - | - | - | - | The Collection |
References
- ^ "98 Degrees Discography at Discogs". Discogs.com. http://www.discogs.com/artist/98+Degrees. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
- ^ Name (required). "Turning Up the Heat: 98 Degrees | Celebrity Man Crush". Celebmancrushblog.com. http://celebmancrushblog.com/2011/04/26/turning-up-the-heat-98-degrees/. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
- ^ "Timmons: 98 Degrees planning reunion". ABS-CBN News. 2012-02-23. http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/entertainment/02/23/12/timmons-98-degrees-planning-reunion. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
- ^ a b Brereton, Erin; Fantle, David; Helmes, Amy; Johnson, Thomas; Sahn, Geri (2000). John Delavan. ed. 98° – Revelation. H&S Media. ISBN 978-1-57243-404-2.
- ^ Mauet, Sarah (November 25, 2004). "Former 98 Degrees singer still warming up". Arizona Daily Star (Lee Enterprises).
- ^ Kiesewetter, John (March 19, 2009). "SCPA, looking good". The Cincinnati Enquirer (Gannett Company). http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090319/LIFE/903190344/SCPA-looking-good. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
- ^ Brereton, Erin; Fantle, David; Helmes, Amy; Johnson, Thomas; Sahn, Geri (2000). John Delavan. ed. 98° – Revelation. H&S Media. ISBN 978-1-57243-404-2.
- ^ "Kings Island Central - Kings Island History - Kings Island Shows and Entertainment". Kicentral.com. 1983-07-13. http://www.kicentral.com/history/shows.php. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
- ^ http://www.visitkingsisland.com/public/news/media/story_ideas.cfm
- ^ Huff, Richard (May 28, 2009). "Ex-98 Degrees singer Drew Lachey set to host HGTV $250,000 Challenge". Daily News. http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/05/28/2009-05-28_former_98_degrees_singer_drew_lachey_takes_host_turn_on_.html. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
- ^ Musicianguide.com
- ^ Billboard Bits: 98 Degrees, Kevin Hearn, Napster. Billboard. Retrieved on October 10, 2007.
- ^ Paul (2011-06-08). "Nick Lachey has 'the fire' to reheat 98 Degrees - Pop2it - Zap2it". Blog.zap2it.com. http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/2011/06/nick-lachey-has-the-fire-to-reheat-98-degrees.html. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
- ^ Nome, Valerie (2011-06-28). "Jeff Timmons Contemplates 98 Degrees Reunion". OK! Magazine. http://www.okmagazine.com/ok-exclusive/jeff-timmons-contemplates-98-degrees-reunion. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 395. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
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Copyrights:
Mentioned in
98° [Bonus CD]
(1997 Album by 98°)
98°: Kickin' It - Unauthorized
(1999 Music Film)
Drew Lachey
(singer)
YM Hot Tracks, Vol. 1
(1999 Album by Various Artists)
This Christmas
(1999 Album by 98°)
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