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Chasing Fame Magazine
Chasing Fame: We are here with a Chasing Fame exclusive with 98*’s Jeff
Timmons. What are you up to?
Jeff: Oh, not much! Just promoting the new album, and touring around a little
bit.
Chasing Fame: Awesome, Jumping right into your music, actually, “Whisper That
Way” is your first single. Is that the song that you planned on releasing
first?
Jeff: You know, when you are creating an album, you don’t really plan on what
your going to release first, you kind of feel it out a little bit, I really got
a lot of good feedback with that song, so I decided to release it first.
Chasing Fame: Cool, your CD, also entitled “Whisper That Way” is obviously
out now, can you tell us what the feel is of the record?
Jeff: Well, if you’re a fan of the old 98*, at least the first two albums,
then you will definitely be a fan of this album. It has a lot of similarities to
98* music, it’s comprised of a lot of harmonies and stuff like that, so it’s
got a lot of all those good things, but it’s a little bit more mature, and a
little more R&B.
Chasing Fame: You wrote the songs on your CD yourself, right?
Jeff: Yeah, I wrote and produced everything with some friends.
Chasing Fame: Incredible, During your writing process, what were some influences
on writing the songs that you did?
Jeff: Well really, most of the time, when you are writing and stuff like that,
you are drawing mainly on past experiences, and things that have happened in
your life. Pretty much everything on the record has been relatable to my life,
and experiences that I have had over the past five or six years.
Chasing Fame: Writing your music, did you try to incorporate your musical
influences into your own music?
Jeff: Well sure, yeah.. weather you are consensus of that or not, it always
winds up being that way. I was influenced a lot by Boys II Men, a lot of harmony
groups, old Motown groups, and that naturally comes through my music.
Chasing Fame: What is your ultimate goal as a recording solo artist?
Jeff: Well I want to get my music out there to as many people as I possibly can.
I don’t have many goals as far as selling millions of records or anything like
that, I just kinda want to get my music out there, and get my feet wet as a
writer and producer.
Chasing Fame: Throughout your entire music career, I mean – it’s been a
pretty long one, so have you had any sacrifices or regrets?
Jeff: I don’t have anything I regret, but I have plenty of sacrifices. Sure,
there are things in my life, and in my career that I wish I would have made
different choices, but if you regret anything, I wouldn’t be where I’m at
right now, as far as the experience of it. The lessons I’ve learned from it.
Sacrifices, sure, yeah… I spend a lot of time away from family and friends,
and that could be very tough, and you kind of emerge yourself into the career,
and it takes up most of your time, so of course that’s tough.
Chasing Fame: Definitely! Your holiday tourdates are up, you’re touring for
the holiday season, right?
Jeff: Yeah, I’ll be touring with an adult contermporary artist – he’s a
very talented guy. Well rounded… it will be fun touring during that Christmas
season!
Chasing Fame: What can your fans expect for that set?
Jeff: It’s a lot of fun, other people are on the tour – wonderful singers
and the electic violin… expect great holiday music as well as the original
material.
Chasing Fame: Now, we’ve known about you for quite a few years with 98*, and
we were just wondering, as much as you are probably asked, are you guys broken
up or, what’s going on with that?
Jeff: Actually, no we haven’t. We all have taken a break from the group, kind
of… pursuing our own careers and goals, we plan on doing something sometime in
the near future.
Chasing Fame: Awesome, I’m sure everyone is looking forward to that. We hear
that you are filming a movie, Newport Heights, can you tell us a bit about your
character?
Jeff: Yeah, it’s a younger guy… who’s trying to come into his own, he’s
trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life, whether he wants to be a
slacker like his friends and skateboard, or if he wants to persue college, and
be an athlete… he’s a guy who’s come to the crosssroads in his life, and
he needs to either get it together or keep living the way he is, like everyone
else.
Chasing Fame: Wow, that’s great. Awesome. What’s a typical day in the life
of Jeff Timmons?
Jeff: Well, I spend a lot of time on the phone contacting radio and retail…
I’m running my own label, I spend a lot of time with my kids, I have two kids.
Of course I’m doing performances with radio stations and stuff like that,
in-stores and other appearances, it’s usually… pretty busy.
Chasing Fame: Do you prefer being busy?
Jeff: Yeah, I like being busy… I’m a hyper person with a lot of energy… so
sitting around doesn’t go over to well with me…
Chasing Fame: Biggest accomplishment so far?
Jeff: Actually, my family is my biggest accomplishment so far… as far as
personal. As far as my career goes, you know, I think of getting a record deal
in general was a big enough accomplishment to mention, but selling lots of
records and the world tours around the world… I don’t really measure my
accomplishments too often, I kind of go with the flow, so I would have to take a
minute to think about it… but I’d say just doing music for a living is good
enough… for me.
Chasing Fame: What was the specific day when you realized that you were actually
famous and people knew who you are?
Jeff: You know, it never really hits me… I’m kind of a goofy guy as it is…
but I don’t think of myself as famous or anything like that, but I would
probably say the first time I heard the songs on the radio, or the time we went
into a market and people were reacting toward us, and asking us for pictures and
autographs, I can’t remember the specific time, but you never quite get used
to it all…
Chasing Fame: I could imagine! Would you like to say anything to your fans and
other people who are reading this interview?
Jeff: Absolutely, I would love to thank all the fans for all of the support they
have given me, both in my solo career and with 98*. I totally appreciate it, you
make it worth it, you make it possible… for me to have a career in music as
opposed to having an office job to go to everyday, and I really appreciate you.
Chasing Fame: Thank you very much!
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