Is a Tell-All Book on the Way for Drew Lachey?

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By Valerie Nome



Now that The Package Tour has wrapped, 98 Degrees singer Drew Lachey is settling back into life in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he lives beside brother Nick Lachey, Nick’s wife Vanessa Lachey and one-year-old nephew Camden.
“I teach musical theater three days a week at the school that my wife and I graduated from,” the Dancing With The Stars champ, 37, tells me this week while promoting Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and Toyota’s National Buckle Up For Life Day to educate parents about child passenger safety. “That keeps me busy. I’m trying to be the best father and take care of my kids.”


He adds, “With families, your priorities shift. You’re not going to be like ‘let’s go out on tour year-round.’ I have kids in school. You have to lay things out.”
When asked what’s next for the group, Drew cheekily responds, “Do you have any suggestions? We’re looking for the next opportunity.”
Regardless of what the future holds, Drew won’t be writing a tell-all book anytime soon.
“No way,” he says. “Some secrets are meant to be taken to the grave, and that’s what I plan on doing with all mine. They’re not necessarily my secrets to tell. I’m the gatekeeper of other people’s secrets.”

For Drew, being home is a firm reminder of his roots. He and wife Lea were high school sweethearts before they wed in 2000 and became parents to Isabella, 7, and Hudson, 3.


“We complement each other,” he says. “Every pioneer needs settlers, and every settler needs a pioneer. She has great dreams, and I’m able to execute a lot of those dreams. She pushes me.”
Living next door to Nick is fun, too.


“Family is important to us, and living close to each other has been a dream,” he says. “We look forward to raising our kids together.”
He adds, “We have cookouts, hang by the pool, attend sporting events, movie night, whatever. We enjoy doing things together all the time.”
Drew also appreciates being there for his kids.
“They’re comedians,” he says. “They’re constantly saying one-liners that have us in tears. My son’s playing soccer now, at 3, and that is hilarious. His little legs can hardly keep up with the ball, but he’s out there running around trying to play soccer. It’s adorable.”
He adds, “My daughter’s a performer. My son is like a Tasmanian devil, a little daredevil, which is the way I’ve been told I was at his age. They have great senses of humor, gentle spirits—compassionate and loving, like little snuggle bugs.”


Still, he considers himself to be a strict parent.
“We can have fun, play, be crazy and wild, but I won’t tolerate them being disrespectful to their mother, grandparents or adults. Bad manners. Those standards will help guide them through life.”
What manners are most important?
“Saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ is a good start. So many kids don’t even do that. As long as you are respectful, ‘please’ and ‘thank you,’ ‘do unto others’—the Golden Rule—that will take you a long way.”

Drew Lachey "In The Green Room"

 

Drew Lachey and Rebecca's Dog

Drew Lachey's Performing Arts Camp

Drew Lachey Back From Touring With 98º

Drew Lachey isn't just a busy father of two. He's also an advocate for kids and child safety. Everyone knows him from the group 98º which has been touring this summer.

Drew Lachey on "Dancing with the Stars," 98 Degrees' future

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By Lauren Moraski

 

 Now that "The Package Tour" has wrapped, Drew Lachey and his 98 Degrees bandmates are in the process of mulling their next move -- and from the sound of it, fans will likely get to hear more from the recently reunited boy band.
Lachey told CBSNews.com on Tuesday: "We're back together, making new music and had a great time this summer, so we're seeing what the opportunities are for us and seeing what makes sense for everybody else, because 3 of the 4 of us are parents so we gotta make sure we're doing right by our family and not just by 98 Degrees. People have other commitments and working on other projects, so we're trying to navigate that landscape right now. So yeah, we're definitely going to be doing something soon."
"The Package Tour" -- which also featured Boyz II Men and New Kids on the Block -- marked 98 Degrees' first major outing since going on hiatus in 2002. To coincide with the summer road trip, 98 Degrees unveiled a new album this past spring, featuring songs written by Bruno Mars and Ne-Yo, as well as from 98 Degrees members themselves.
"To be gone for 10-15 years and come back, you don't know what the reaction is going to be like from the fans," admitted Lachey when asked about reuniting with his brother Nick Lachey, Jeff Timmons and Justin Jeffre. "To step foot on that stage and get the reaction we did was amazing...It was like no time had passed at all."
But some things have changed over the past decade -- namely a few kids have been added into the mix. The "boys" of 98 Degrees are now fathers themselves, so "The Package Tour" was a family affair.
"The background, what happened behind stage was very different. Everyone had their families out," said 37-year-old singer. "So lots of kids and people riding scooters in the parking lot. During the day, instead of sleeping in all day, you're taking your kids to museums and amusement parks -- doing things out there with your family."
Family is part of the reason Lachey recently became involved with the Buckle Up For Life program, a national injury prevention initiative developed by Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and Toyota. It aims to encourage families to make sure their children are buckled up properly in the car.
"This program tries to give parents all the knowledge -- and not just parents but caregivers, nannies, babysitters -- give them the knowledge they need to make sure they're being safe and doing it correctly," said Lachey, who noted that safety was big in his house while growing up in Cincinnati.
"My Dad wouldn't even start the car until he heard the click of every seat belt," said Lachey during Child Passenger Safety Week, which takes place from Sept. 15-21.
Now with two children of his own, Lachey is following in his father's footsteps. He says his 7-year-old daughter, Isabella, is anxious to get out of her booster seat, while his 3-year-old son, Hudson, remains in a car seat.
"We don't move the car until you're buckled in. 'Oh Daddy, it's too tight.' [I say] 'No this is the way it needs to be. 'Oh Daddy, I don't want to ride in a booster anymore.'"
Lachey said he and his brother Nick -- who welcomed his first child last year -- will sometimes share parenting tips, but overall, he doesn't love to give too much input.
"I have this blanket thing about giving parenting advice to parents and that's: 'Don't take other people's advice on parenting.' Love your kid as much as you possibly can and do what you need to do for your family because my situation and what I do for my kid may not work for you," said Lachey.
The families get together "all the time," too. Lachey pointed out how Nick and Vanessa Lachey's son, Camden, "just had his first birthday and we had our extended families together. Every chance we get we hang out together."
And with everything going on Lachey didn't have the chance to tune into the season 17 premiere on Monday night, but the season 2 "DWTS" champ read the recaps and caught up on the series by watching a few clips.
"It's a very eclectic cast this season," Lachey said. "Valerie Harper is a very inspiring story so who can't be rooting for her? You can't help but want her to do well. I think Amber Riley and Derek Hough will do a really good job. There's a lot of personality there. And Derek always seems to have people in the finals. I think Cheryl [Burke] and Jack [Osbourne] will do a good job. And Snooki did awesome from what I saw. So I think it's going to be an interesting season like always."
Lachey, who was crowned winner of "Dancing with the Stars" in 2006, said his big win thrust him into the national spotlight.
"For me, it took me from a boy band guy who's also on a reality show to kind of more of a household name and people saw me more for who I actually am and go to know me as an individual," he said. "So I always look back on season 2 with memories and lots of great friendships were made them. And I still keep in touch with a lot of those people."
Lachey revisited the dance floor last year as part of the show's all-star cast, but was eliminated in the third round.
"I guarantee I was more shocked that anybody," he said about the early ousting. "The all-stars season was a little shorter than I was hoping it would be, but it was a lot of fun...The show itself is fun. Doing the dances and learning how to carry yourself and perform that way is a great challenge. I wouldn't trade any of it," he said.
Lachey hopes to soon return to a more familiar spot soon -- performing with 98 Degrees: "Once you step on that stage, to me, that's where I feel most comfortable -- performing live. So that's something would do each and every day of my life if I could."

Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees Takes Sexy to a Whole New Level with ‘Men of the Strip’

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 by Dan Harr



As one quarter of 98 Degrees, one of the most successful boy bands in pop history, Jeff Timmons learned a little something about whipping young girls into a frenzy.
On the recent “The Package Tour,” a high grossing, 49-date summer fling across the U.S. with his group, New Kids on the Block and Boyz II Men, the singer saw firsthand the way otherwise mild mannered wives, moms, nurses, lawyers, etc. went crazy when NKOTB‘s Donnie Wahlberg and Jordan Knight ripped off their shirts like Chippendales dancers.
That’s the kind of widespread, uncontrollable estrogen commotion Timmons is set on stirring up with “Men of the Strip” (www.menofthestrip.com), an explosive and multi-faceted new live male revue entertainment extravaganza whose branding is spot on: Taking Sexy To A Whole New Level!
A full spectrum and contemporary production featuring fresh choreography, sexy numbers, singing and dancing by each of the performers, a wide range of music and dynamic Cirque Du Soleil elements (including acrobatics), “Men of the Strip” is a revolutionary new twist on the male revue concept.
The singer will both perform and play host to the launch of the hot new brand, which he developed in partnership with Glenn Douglas Packard, an Emmy-winning choreographer and producer whose live stage and video productions include work with P!nk, Usher, Missy Elliot, Ricky Martin and Whitney Houston. Packard was also involved in the late Michael Jackson‘s “30^th Anniversary Celebration,” an all-star tribute to the King of Pop.
Even as Timmons and his team continue to develop the full stage show, their branding of “Men of the Strip” has begun with the marketing of a 16-month 2014 calendar with a bonus centerfold poster – which offers an exclusive first look into the cast at their sexiest moments. The calendar retails for $14.95 and is available at www.menofthestrip.com.
Timmons met Packard in 2011 when he was brought on to host and sing 98 Degree hits and some of his solo tunes during the popular nightly Chippendales show at The Rio in Las Vegas—a gig that was supposed to last a few weeks but extended throughout the summer. Packard had revamped and revitalized and the Chippendales concept for its long running stint at the multi-million dollar theater, while also choreographing the show. For Timmons’ performances, which occasionally included him ripping his shirt off, venues took away its customary tables to create a rock concert vibe, allowing the girls to be closer to the action onstage.
During his extended, run there, Timmons also met his business partner and third principle in “Men of the Strip,” Mike Foland, a former UFC fighter and Vegas-based entrepreneur who was ushering and hosting at Chippendales.
“Chippendales had been approaching me to be part of their show for many years, but I had the stereotypical ‘male stripper’ thought in my mind, until my wife, Amanda, convinced me that it would be a good idea,” Timmons says. “I quickly realized how well produced and choreographed it was. Glenn had really done an amazing job.  It was sexy like a boy band on steroids, only these guys didn’t sing. It was a little irreverent but not dirty or nasty. The show had some older guys in it, but I envisioned a potential gold mine in making it younger, hipper, kind of like they later showed in ‘Magic Mike,’ with super sexy 20-something dudes showing their personalities while they dance their asses off.”
Timmons thought with a more youthful approach and some extra production elements—including stronger visuals and musical performances from the dancers—he could take the Chippendales show to the next level. “I proposed all sorts of ideas to update their brand, and suggested ways to mainstream it via calendars in all the retail outlets and extra media exposure,” he says. “But the producers didn’t feel the need for such growth. They were happy with their successful residency in Vegas. That’s when Glenn, Mike and I decided to join forces and launch a new male revue our way.”
Packard embarked on months of scouting across the U.S. and beyond to cast the perfect eight performers for the opening launch of “Men of the Strip”: former college football star Chris Boudreaux (from Las Vegas); group fitness trainer Dwayne Baldwin (from Manhasset, N.Y.); trained radiologist Garo Bechirian (from Cambridge, Mass.); minor league ballplayer turned Latin soap star Joel Sajion (from the Dominican Republic); stage actor Keith Webb (from Philadelphia); veteran Vegas stage performer Kyle Efthemes (originally from Chesapeake, Va.); wrestler in training Nate Estimada (from San Jose); and Jiu-jitsu trainer Charles Dera (also from Philly).
Perfectly in line with their hip, contemporary re-imagining of the male revue, “Men of the Strip” is launching not with a big, splashy party in Vegas but with a powerful, multi-media “buzz” campaign that fuses reality TV, modern social media, and old-school promotional tour dates in a sponsored up tour bus across the U.S. and Canada.
The eight performers have already done one public performance for charity at an event for the breast cancer foundation, Susan G. Komen For The Cure, in Los Angeles.
This fall, while calling on TV and radio personality friends like Ryan Seacrest, Rick Dees and Hollywood Hamilton to help spread the word, Timmons will play “quarterback” and ringleader to his performers as they hop on the bus (the same one Timmons uses when he’s touring) and hit promotional club dates in up to 40 cities.
Designed as a “tease” to introduce the eight “Men of the Strip” to frenzied women of all ages, these dates will be “meet and greets” with one super sexy musical performance to whip up an infectious frenzy, which will in turn generate a groundswell of promotion for social media—Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, you name it—and build buzz for the show. The key will be for each of the “Men of the Strip” performers to create their own individual brands in addition to helping develop the branding of the franchise. In addition to hosting these events, Timmons will be singing his 98 Degrees and solo hits.
In conjunction with these live events, Timmons, Packard and their team are also developing a fascinating, behind the scenes “docu-series” about the creation and development of “Men of the Strip” and the real lives of the eight performers. It will also show these macho men being put through a boot camp like training and rehearsal regimen by Packard. “Glenn is this hard driving dude putting these perfectly built human trucks through hell, and at the end of it, they look great and are very different people,” says Timmons.
“The show is designed to help the viewer learn about each of our guys,” he adds. “What’s fascinating is that these guys are strippers, but they are also total rock stars. Each brings a unique life experience into their work on the show. Some guys put themselves through college, some have wives, some are total party animals. They’re all interesting personalities, and we take an irreverent tone to sharing their lives just as we do in the stage show itself. I think women of all ages will be fascinated by them and enjoy the fantasy element of it all. We’ll show a little of the guys on the promotional tour and some of the crazy fans they make, but for the most part, it’s about who they really are.”
After all of these innovative promotional endeavors, Timmons believes that landing a home at a hotel and casino on the Vegas Strip will be relatively easy. His team also has their eye on an eventual expansion of the reality TV concept to other cities a la Bravo TV’s “Real Housewives” franchise, with male performers that reflect each city’s unique ethnic mix and character.
“After seeing Donnie and Jordan from New Kids rip off their shirts and engage in stage histrionics that drove thousands of women nuts every night, what attracts me to ‘Men of the Strip’ is the reality that we’ve got younger, sexier guys performing and doing the same thing,” says Timmons. “OK, our performers don’t have the 15 and 20-year-old hit records, but they perform with the same amount of passion and give girls a chance to go wild on their night out. Ours is a more sexual presentation, but the key is still creating that excitement and energy for a show where women can lose their inhibitions and get away with it.”
“From the promotional tour to the TV series to the stage show, what we’re showing is the same—talented guys with real lives having a blast performing and getting incredible reactions from women who are just out to have a good time,” he adds. “I’m attracted to the reality of women with normal, mainstream lives going out and getting dirty for a night, hanging out with our guys, who fuel their fantasies while remaining wholesome and normal themselves in their lives offstage.”