Biography
Formed by Ohio natives Nick Lachey, his brother Drew Lachey, Jeff Timmons, and Justin Jeffre, the quartet 98° blended R&B influences into pop and notched six Top 20 chart entries across their strongest commercial stretch from 1997 to 2000. Timmons, seeking opportunities on the West Coast, contacted former Cincinnati School for the Creative and Performing Arts classmates Jeffre and Nick Lachey to establish the group, after which Drew Lachey completed the lineup. The members took on various temporary work to fund entries in talent competitions. Their attempt to enter the backstage area at a Boyz II Men concert—one of the quartet’s chief influences—drew notice and led to an invitation to perform on a local radio outlet. That performance introduced them to Paris d’Jon, co-manager for Montell Jordan, who oversaw demo recordings and secured a Motown contract.
Their first single, the ballad “Invisible Man,” appeared in June 1997, reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, and earned gold certification. The accompanying self-titled debut album followed one month later and also attained gold status, yet the next release proved still more commercially potent. Issued in 1998, 98° and Rising included the sensitive, heartfelt Top Ten singles “Because of You” and “The Hardest Thing,” propelling the project to quadruple platinum. After the 1999 holiday project This Christmas and a guest spot on Mariah Carey’s chart-topping single “Thank God I Found You,” the third studio album Revelation arrived in 2000 and entered the chart at number two. Its lead track, “Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche),” set a record as the most-added Top 40 single in its opening week. A long hiatus began around the 2002 compilation The Collection.
Throughout the ensuing decade the members explored individual endeavors, with Nick Lachey attracting the widest attention through his marriage to Jessica Simpson, chronicled on the MTV series Newlyweds. Although the marriage ended, he established a television presence via guest roles and by hosting the competition program The Sing-Off. Drew Lachey likewise entered reality television, claiming victory on the second season of Dancing with the Stars in 2004, while Timmons participated in the 2007 MTV series Mission Man Band. Jeffre alone avoided the small screen, mounting an unsuccessful 2005 bid for mayor of Cincinnati. The four reconvened in 2012 and joined Boyz II Men and New Kids on the Block for a 2013 tour that coincided with the release of 98° 2.0. They maintained live activity and completed a second holiday collection, Let It Snow, issued in 2017.
Their first single, the ballad “Invisible Man,” appeared in June 1997, reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, and earned gold certification. The accompanying self-titled debut album followed one month later and also attained gold status, yet the next release proved still more commercially potent. Issued in 1998, 98° and Rising included the sensitive, heartfelt Top Ten singles “Because of You” and “The Hardest Thing,” propelling the project to quadruple platinum. After the 1999 holiday project This Christmas and a guest spot on Mariah Carey’s chart-topping single “Thank God I Found You,” the third studio album Revelation arrived in 2000 and entered the chart at number two. Its lead track, “Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche),” set a record as the most-added Top 40 single in its opening week. A long hiatus began around the 2002 compilation The Collection.
Throughout the ensuing decade the members explored individual endeavors, with Nick Lachey attracting the widest attention through his marriage to Jessica Simpson, chronicled on the MTV series Newlyweds. Although the marriage ended, he established a television presence via guest roles and by hosting the competition program The Sing-Off. Drew Lachey likewise entered reality television, claiming victory on the second season of Dancing with the Stars in 2004, while Timmons participated in the 2007 MTV series Mission Man Band. Jeffre alone avoided the small screen, mounting an unsuccessful 2005 bid for mayor of Cincinnati. The four reconvened in 2012 and joined Boyz II Men and New Kids on the Block for a 2013 tour that coincided with the release of 98° 2.0. They maintained live activity and completed a second holiday collection, Let It Snow, issued in 2017.
Albums
Singles
