Interview with Jeff Timmons

Jeff Timmons is a founding member of the platinum selling singing group 98 Degrees. He along with members Nick Lachey, Drew Lachey and Justin Jeffre have sold over 15 million albums worldwide and are responsible for such hits as “The Hardest Thing” and “I Do (Cherish You).” After the group went their separate ways, Timmons focused on a solo career and appeared on the VH1 reality show Mission ManBand where former pop group singers (*NSYNC’s Chris Kirkpatrick, LFO’s Rich Cronin, and Color Me Badd’s Bryan Abrams) joined forces and worked on creating music together. Timmons is currently using new technology and social media to get connected to and share his music with his fans. He is also getting ready to join the men of Chippendales at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas as the show’s emcee and special musical guest from May 12 through June 5 (Thursday through Sunday nights). TheCelebrityCafe.com’s Michelle Vaccaro spoke with the talented singer about his former band, new music, and his upcoming stint at the Rio.


TheCelebrityCafe.com: The New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys, and even O-Town have gotten back together and created more music. Is there any chance that 98 Degrees will do the same?

Jeff Timmons: You know what? We threw out the idea for a while. Earlier in the year we got together and…I’m friends with some of those guys in the different groups you spoke about. I know they’re having a tremendous amount of success so far traveling and touring. We talked about it as a group…got together, discussed it, threw it around..but I just don’t think right now it’s going to happen. Everybody’s got their own things going on. So…maybe in the future.

TheCelebrityCafe.com: So you still talk to everyone else from the group?
Jeff Timmons: Yeah, I mean we’ve remained friends. It’s not like our group’s one of those groups that had a falling out or kind of broke up, on bad blood or anything like that. We were all friends. We kind of just had our run and kind of wanted to be with family and friends and do our own thing in the industry and so that‘s why we kind of just split up for a little while so…But yeah, I talk to them all the time.

TheCelebrityCafe.com: You were on Mission ManBand. Would you ever consider doing another reality show?
Jeff Timmons: I would if the situation was right. I was pretty reluctant to do Mission ManBand. VH1 had been asking me for years and years and years to do it. I kind of had a feeling that they would kind if skew the show to make us not look so good and it’s what they did ultimately, but...the four of us actually had a bond and had a great time together outside of the show. I mean if they would’ve filmed some of the stuff outside of the show, they probably would’ve had a pretty crazy show, but they had their own plan and sort of a script for what they wanted to happen. I think that if the premise of the show was right and it was well written and sort of had a cool message or reached the right amount of people in the right way, I would definitely do it again.

TheCelebrityCafe.com: Do you have any good stories from that then since you said it was a crazy time?
Jeff Timmons: Oh yeah, we had more fun…they had turned the cameras off at 11/12 o’clock at night. We had more fun after that…crazy times, people coming over, parties, and us screwing around and actually doing music. The show didn’t really revolve around us doing music, but we actually did music and nothing in particular, I mean the whole thing was great. I could give you stories, but you’d probably have to write another story.

TheCelebrityCafe.com: Is that why the group never release any music…because of the show?
Jeff Timmons: Well, no, I think that…none of us were really taking it seriously. I think we all kind of did it because we all had things we wanted to promote. When we got into it, they were talking about one thing, regarding the seriousness of the group and us seriously doing music and we were putting a record out and stuff like that. I think all of us were into it just because it’s an interesting, kind of weird thing. But when we got there and started filming the show, the show wasn’t about that at all. The show was about putting us in situations that tried to make us look uncomfortable, feel uncomfortable, and more vulnerable. It wasn’t about the music so we just said, ‘screw it, we’ll go back and do our own thing, we’ll make friends…’ The premise of the show of the whole show put a monkey wrench into the whole process of putting music out.

TheCelebrityCafe.com: Being in what many consider a “boyband,” do you think you have some training as to what the audience is going to be like at Chippendales?
Jeff Timmons: You know, I think the audience is just going to be an extension of what my old audience, the group’s old audience is. It’s going to be females. I mean the majority of our audience in 98 Degrees were females anywhere from 10-years-old to 42-years-old pretty much. I just think over the course of the past few years, I’ve always stuck with music so I still have a fan base. I gave away a record last year online in exchange for people’s email addresses and the album had over a million [and] two downloads. So I know that there’s still a fan base out there. I just think that they’re a little bit older now. Instead of being 12-years-old, they’re in their early twenties up until the late forties. I think it’s going to be the same kind of thing. I’m just ready to have fun with it. Anybody that knows me knows I’m not too serious of a guy so I think that it’ll be a good time. I’m looking forward to it.

TheCelebrityCafe.com: You’re going to be singing and emceeing. Are you just going to be doing any dancing as well?
Jeff Timmons: If you’re talking about striptease dancing…absolutely not. You don’t want the Chippendales to start losing their fan base and people start going in different directions… No, I think I’ll get up there and stick with what I know best and that’s just pretty much entertaining and having fun..

TheCelebrityCafe.com: You have a new album coming out. Can you tell me a little bit about it?
Jeff Timmons: Yeah, I had produced all my music myself. I do it with some of my friends. I have been doing production since the group. A lot of our notoriety didn’t come from producing, arranging, engineering records, but we all did that stuff. This record is kind of a little bit different than 98 Degrees. It’s got a lot of high energy, high tempo songs. Of course you’re going to have the ballads like we had with 98 Degrees, but we have a lot of up tempo dance stuff. I’m going to be releasing the music in a very unique way. I’m going to be releasing songs exclusively through different popular social websites and entertainment websites…a site like yourself. I’d like do a song with you guys and release it exclusively through you guys and through some very, very unique technologies as well. It makes it a little bit more fun and interactive. Every song will have a music video attached to it…and a high level one, an MTV ready one. So I think that’s going to be quite unique with this project.

TheCelebrityCafe.com: That’s really cool. Now, you like to stay connected to your fans through the social media stuff. You also use VMS. Can you tell me a little bit about that?
Jeff Timmons: Yeah, you really did your research. VMS is a new technology that’s very interesting. It hasn’t really caught on here in the States surprisingly. Some of the founders of VMS, they’re a Swedish group that I got connected to through an old producer of 98 Degrees… They met with me and said, “Will you promote this VMS for us?” Basically, it’s just video messaging. The fans can go to VMS, sign up for my channel. They download an app called VMS by Ironroad Technologies. They sign up and I can send them a video message and it’ll go right to their phone. And if they sign up, they can send me one back. I can go into my inbox and see…It’s sort of like a Twitter on steroids. Instead of instant microblogs, it’s instant video messages. I can pick and choose who I want to reply back in a video fashion. It’s pretty, pretty amazing.

TheCelebrityCafe.com: So are you going to release some of your music through that too?
Jeff Timmons: I don’t think that they’re capable of that…I can send a three minute video like that, but I want to make it so that the other technologies that I have…make it so…if I want to put…let’s say that you’re magazine was a real, physical magazine, not part of the virtual world. I could put a code in your magazine, people could snap a picture of it with their phone…I could do it on your website too…It could go right into the phone, but then they have the option to take it out of their phone and then stick into the computer and interact with it, with VMS it would just strictly be stuck into the phone. I think they’re working on the technology where they can take the videos out of your phone and into your computer, your iPod, your Zune, whatever.

TheCelebrityCafe.com: Do you have any other upcoming projects…well, you’re doing a lot actually… Chippendale’s, the CD coming out...are you going on tour?
Jeff Timmons: You know I probably would do a few dates after the Chips. But right now I’m just really focused on getting the music out there. I want everybody to come to the Rio, check me out. We’ll have a good time. As you know… I’m very interactive with the fans and hands on. I just want everybody to check the music out and if they get a chance, I released the first single for free at sharefuze.com/JeffTimmons-itfactor and all you got to do is share it. If you share it once on one of your social networks, you can download it for free. A lot of the music will be free too this time.

TheCelebrityCafe.com: Your whole CD is going to be free?
Jeff Timmons: Everything’s free. The whole thing’s free.

For more information on Jeff Timmons and his music, check out his official site, Facebook page or follow him on Twitter.


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Will 98 Degrees Reunite For Nick Lachey & Vanessa Minnillo's Wedding?

Nick Lachey says the countdown has begun to his wedding with Vanessa Minnillo, but his former band mate Jeff Timmons says he hasn't received an invite.
"I would love to be there when the time comes," Timmons, who performed with Lachey in the boy band, 98 Degrees, tells RumorFix exclusively.

Timmons, who just accepted a gig to perform at Chippendales in Las Vegas, says, "I've known Nick and Vanessa for a long time ... I got to see their synergy and what their relationship was like last summer and fall/I just think they're incredible and I think they're going to make a great couple."
The 30-year-old is "just a beauty and a wonderful person to be around," he says.

When Nick and Jessica Simpson wed on October 26, 2002, 98 Degrees performed, but will the group reunite to perform this time around?
"I think it would be cool," Timmons says, "but I think sometimes you want to separate business from personal and I could see how he maybe would not want that to happen."

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Exclusive: 98 Degrees Band Reunion Thwarted

RumorFix has learned exclusively that the band members of 98 Degrees were in serious talks to come back with a reunion tour, but the plan fell apart.

Jeff Timmons tells us when News Kids On The Block started their tour he, Nick and Drew Lachey and Justin Jeffre discussed getting back together.
"I think that now would have been a great opportunity for us to get back together," Jeff says of the boy band group from the late 90s famous for such hits as "Because of You," "The Hardest Thing" and "Invisible Man."
Jeff, who is 37 now and about to embark on a four week gig with Chippendales, says there's no bad blood between the band members, in fact he says, "We were like brothers ... we were very close as a group."
Jeff says the timing wasn't right for the group, Drew just signed on to return to the Price Is Right at the Bally's in Las Vegas April 19-30 and of course, Nick, is about to get married to Vanessa Minnillo.
But the singer still holds out hope, "Look if the opportunities not now, hopefully it will be later."

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Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees Talks Chippendales, Gay Fans and Post Boy Band Stardom!

Media outlets everywhere have been reporting that 98 Degrees founder and member Jeff Timmons has joined the Vegas show Chippendales as a stripper at the Rio Hotel and Casino from May 12th to June 5th . Celebuzz had the great pleasure of chatting with Timmons to set the record straight.


Sit tight Degreers. Jeff revealed he will NOT be stripping down to his boxers. We know. Sad face. But on a brighter note, he WILL be lending his beautiful vocal stylings to the show’s already extravagant and provocative line up. His role will be as a guest performer and M.C..

Jeff chatted with us about everything, including his gay following and what that means to him. He even revealed that talks about a 98 Degrees reunion have taken place (hooray!). Read the entire interview and get the entire story straight from Jeff himself after the jump — and check out a chance to WIN four VIP tickets to the show!

For the latest on Jeff Timmons become a fan on Facebook, follow him on Twitter @jefftimmons_98, visit his website JeffTimmons.com, and don’t forget to download his latest single for free HERE!

When did you first decide to team up with the Chippendales?
My old manager, Mike Caprio, is the PR guy for the Chippendales and he actually approached me about a year ago about doing it and I thought Chippendales? What do they want me to do? They want me to become a male stripper! He said that’s the old school Chippendales — you gotta come check out the show. A lot of celebrities are going and doing these shows in Vegas now. It’s becoming a miniature Broadway. Vegas has always been known as a haven for entertainment. I went and checked out the show and was pretty blown away. It’s a multi million-dollar performance in a $10 million performance facility and it’s a real deal show. Did the guys in the show take off their shirts? Yeah, that’s what they do. Do they strip naked and do girls shove dollar bills in their pants? No, it doesn’t happen like that anymore. They do musical numbers. It’s an entertaining show and it also hits my fan base, which is the female fan base. So, I was asked to come in and, not dance with the guys cause I cant hold a candle to those guys as professional dancers, but to come in and MC the show basically. I sing a couple older numbers and some of my new stuff, and get some new fans acclimated with my new music. It sounds like a fun thing to do.

Is there anything that you’re most nervous about in regards to performing with the Chippendales?
Well, those guys are extremely well-built studs. I’m just the guy next door from Ohio. It’s intimidating to get up there with them. I don’t know if I’ll be performing with them or exactly what they have in mind as far as the musical numbers that I’m going to be doing with them. But it’s an intimidating thing to get up there with a bunch of guys that look like the Incredible Hulk. Just little old me from Ohio hanging out with them. Although, I am really comfortable I my own skin, I think the biggest part of the whole thing that bothers me is that I hope people don’t get the misconception that I’m becoming a stripper. None of those guys in that show are strippers. It’s a very professional show like I said before. At the end of the day I’m excited to get up there and perform and introduce new stuff and get out there again. So, I’m not really nervous about any of it to be honest with you.

What has life been like post 98 Degrees stardom?
Well, I’ve been married before and I have two kids from a previous marriage, so I’ve been spending a lot of time just being a Dad. That was great — but I’ve never gotten out of music. I released my solo record on my own that was a very small project but made some noise on the adult contemporary charts and overseas it did pretty well. I’ve always been producing new artists, up and coming artists, and just been in the studio working on some of my new stuff. I’ve always hung around music and stayed with the music.

You also released an album that you put up as a free download on your website.
Yeah I did. I think at first people didn’t know what to do. I just wanted to experiment and see if it worked. What I wanted to do was put it up and everybody that submitted their email address would get a chance to download the record. I collected over 1.5 million email addresses in a matter of months. It worked out. I was nervous at first. People were asking why I was giving it for free, they didn’t understand. Here people are downloading music and movies for free on the Internet anyway. So, I figured if you cant beat them, you might a well join them. So, I gave the record away, had millions of downloads of it and got the music back out there. Now, with this new album I’ve been working on, I’m going to be doing a similar kind of thing. Starting today actually, I’m releasing the first song. I’m sending someone an email, blasting all million and a half emails. I’ll be sending a link. They can take this link and download the new song. The catch is, they have to share the link with at least one other person on their social network. So you can blast the link on your Twitter or your Facebook before you have access to the song. All that’s doing is helping me get my music to more possible fans.

The next release and subsequent releases on the album all will have music videos attached to them. Real music videos. So, every song on the album will be released over the Internet for free, virally, and with music videos attached. It’s pretty cool.

You talked about your female fan base, but you also have a huge gay following. How do you feel about that?
I’m flattered to have a following at all. The way I was raised, we didn’t discriminate against anybody. Sexual orientation has never been something that intimidated me whatsoever. Having a gay following, straight following, female following, alien following! I’m just happy to have people liking music. If I have a huge gay following I’m totally cool with that. 98 Degrees had a big gay following. We would go overseas to places like Germany and go to a club that was an exclusively gay club. It’s all about getting in front of your fan base and performing. In fact, my first solo show was for a Chicago Gay Pride festival. I’ve never had a problem with it. I’ve embraced it. I’m pretty sure everyone has good intentions, regardless of what they look like or what they prefer sexually.
I grew up in a small town. Not everyone has an open mind about things like that. I was raised a certain way, and if I behaved any differently my parents would kick my butt.

Are there any plans for a 98 Degrees reunion?
You know, we had talked about it for the first time in a long time a few months back, but we just couldn’t get it together. Everybody had different things that they wanted to do still. It’s still out there but I don’t think it’s going to happen any time soon. I think we have seen what New Kids and Backstreet Boys are doing, and they’ve had a fantastic run tour wise. It looks like it could be a great opportunity but we just couldn’t pull it together this time. But it’s not off the table. Just not right now.

Want to meet Jeff in person and catch the rest of the Chippendales action? Tell us in the comments section what makes you the ultimate Jeff Timmons or Chippendales fan and you will be entered to win the Chippendales Ultimate Giveaway package. Including 4 VIP tickets (front row), a round of drinks, Chipps gift package (calendar, t-shirt, coffee mug, poster, playing cards), and a meet and greet with Jeff and the Men of Chippendales with a picture of you, Jeff and the boys! Remember, you must comment to win!

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FOX5: Chippendales Just Got Hotter...98 Degrees Hotter

98 Degrees Star -- No Stripping At Chippendales!!

Hold on to your singles ladies ... and gentlemen ... because ex-98 Degrees star Jeff Timmons says he WILL NOT be stripping down to his banana hammock during his upcoming Chippendales gig.

Watch it on  TMZ


http://www.tmz.com/2011/04/14/98-degrees-jeff-timmons-chippendales-video-stripping-las-vegas-show/?mediaKey=4f2b4f76-8112-4d18-ad19-eb03dbee8e93&isShareURL=true

Click on the above link

MORE Local. Las Vegas Covers Jeff Timmons at Chippendales

98 Degrees Jeff Timmons Reveals Whether He'll Show Skin In Chippendales Show - News - Rumor Fix

Former boy band member Jeff Timmons tells RumorFix exclusively that he's joining Chippendales, "but they'll be no taking my clothes off in this production." Sorry ladies.

Still, the hunky 98 Degrees alum admits, "You never know maybe I’ll get a little crazy in one of the shows and show a little skin here and there."

At first, the 37-year-old was skeptical about joining the men's dance group. "You know the Chippendales have sort of a stripper kind of connotation to it, but after seeing the show it's a multi-million dollar production and a multi-million dollar facility. It's sort of like a Broadway show."
Jeff says he will act as emcee and sing some songs -- including some of his new music -- with the cast.
So what do his former bandmates, Nick Lachey and company, think about his new gig? "I haven’t heard anything from the guys in 98 degrees yet. I’m sure I will. I’m sure we’ll have a few laughs about it."
Jeff will be appearing with the dance troupe at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas beginning May 12, Thursday through Sunday for four weeks.



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98 Degrees’ Jeff Timmons Becomes A Male Stripper

We know what you’re thinking. The crazy news isn’t that 98 Degrees’ Jeff Timmons joined Chippendales as a male stripper; the crazy news is that it took him this long. While other alums of the boy band like Nick Lachey have gone onto become engaged to Vanesssa Minnillo, Timmons has quietly continued his music career. Timmons’ new album will drop in 2011, hopefully at the exact same time Jeff will be dropping it like it’s hot in the club.

The former boy band member will slip into the collar and cuffs, and out of everything else, for a four-week stint at the exotic dancing company’s Las Vegas location from May 12 to June 5. Dancing and flexing his abs for a bunch of screaming women shouldn’t be such a new experience for Timmons. Hopefully the chronic pole burn will be.

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