98 Degrees Biography
This Ohio, USA-based soul outfit was formed by brothers Drew Lachey (8 August 1976, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA) and Nick Lachey (b. Nicholas Scott Lachey, 9 November 1973, Harlan, Kentucky, USA), Jeff Timmons (b. 30 April 1973, Canton, Ohio, USA), and Justin Jeffre (b. 25 February 1973, Mount Clemens, Michigan, USA). The all-white quartet's attempts to bridge the R&B/pop divide was similar in manner to the Backstreet Boys or stablemates Boyz II Men. They were discovered backstage by manager Paris D'Jon at a Boyz II Men performance, while attempting to hawk their demo tape. Their 1997 debut album featured the US Top 20 hit single "Invisible Man", which achieved gold status. The follow-up collection, 98ø And Rising, was a superior collection of up-tempo dance numbers and soulful R&B ballads, with just enough character to distinguish the quartet in an overcrowded market. Among the producers were Pras of the Fugees and the Trackmasters. Although "Because Of You" and "The Hardest Thing" were both US Top 10 hits, the keynote songs on the album were "True To Your Heart", a collaboration with Stevie Wonder featured in the Walt Disney movie Mulan, and "Fly With Me", which used extensive samples from Abba's "Dancing Queen". A pleasant if unremarkable Christmas album followed in October 1999. The quartet dipped their toes into Latin ("Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)") and rap ("Dizzy") on their fourth album Revelation (2000), but without steering too far away from the crowd-pleasing ballads. The group was then put on an extended hiatus, with Nick Lachey going on to marry pop singer Jessica Simpson and launch a solo career.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.
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