Canton show with 98 Degrees, Backstreet Boys members canceled; Timmons to appear at Mbar

Jeff Timmons speaks with an energy belying his more than 20 years in the music and entertainment business.

The 49-year-old Stark County native bounces from topic to topic as nimbly as when he performed choreographed moves as a member of 98 Degrees during the vocal group's heyday in the late '90s and early aughts.

During a telephone interview earlier this week, the 1991 Washington High School graduate's enthusiasm never waned, shifting from talk of the first rock concert he attended  — Guns N' Roses with Skid Row opening — to being excited about a free downtown Canton show that had been scheduled for Saturday.

Unfortunately, the concert was canceled Thursday afternoon due to unforeseen circumstances, said Joel Murphy, program director for Alpha Media Canton, which includes the local radio stations Mix 94.1 and WHBC 1480.

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The show was set to feature AJ McLean of the Backstreet Boys and Trevor Penick of O-Town. Timmons said it would have been his biggest hometown gig ever.

"The other guys in (98 Degrees) are all from Cincinnati," Timmons said. "We've done a million things in Cincinnati. I've never done anything big in Canton or Massillon. I've done stuff on my own where I've raised money for the Lions Lincoln Theatre and some smaller things, but never with marquee artists."

Timmons, however, said he will appear at the Mbar from 10 p.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday in Jackson Township. The martini bar and cocktail lounge is at 5252 Dressler Rd NW in the Belden Village shopping area.

The Mbar adjoins Jerzee's Sports Grille.

Expressing disappointment over the cancellation, Timmons said he will perform a couple of songs with a band while also meeting fans, taking photos and signing autographs, all at no charge.

"It's a bit bittersweet because I was hoping to put on a great performance with some colleagues of mine ... but for me, I'm happy to be back here, and I'll be able to be up and close and personal (at the Mbar on Saturday night)."

McLean had been planning to reroute his tour bus to Canton during a break while touring the country this summer with the Backstreet Boys.

"The promoter of the event didn't end up coming through with some logistics on his side, making it impossible for all of the parties to come in," Timmons said on Thursday.

"We wanted to go on with the full bill as advertised instead of one or two of us," he added. "There are definitely plans (to reschedule the show)."

"Every one of the artists on the bill were 100 percent into doing this, including AJ," Timmons said.

Timmons said he's close friends with McLean, Penick and Chris Kirkpatrick from *NSYNC.

"We're in the same peer group, and people obviously in the past thought that the bands were competitive and didn't like each other, but that wasn't the case with us," Timmons said on Wednesday. "We always had a mutual respect and admiration for all those bands because we shared a similar journey."

Timmons and 98 Degrees experienced Billboard chart success around 20 years ago during a pop music boom. MTV still played music videos in heavy rotation, CD sales were robust and social media was in its relative infancy.

The band's 1998 album, "98 Degrees and Rising," has sold more than 10 million copies. 98 Degrees also scored a No. 1 hit single and Grammy nomination for “Thank God I Found You," a collaboration with Mariah Carey and Joseph “Joe” Thomas.

Timmons also has recorded solo material, including the 2004 album, "Whisper That Way." Last month, he released the up-tempo dance club number, "Lit" featuring Pompey.

98 Degrees will be performing this summer on Aug. 28 and 29 at the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival in Orlando and on Aug. 31 at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort in the Turks and Caicos Islands, southeast of the Bahamas in the Atlantic Ocean.

The pop/R&B singing group recently released a catchy song with country music artist Brett Kissel that has surpassed 5 million listens and views. And Timmons has been busy with online meetings about his various television-related projects, including developing a documentary for a major streaming network. Other plans include a Christmas tour featuring legendary pop music acts with shows in 12 American cities and 10 international performances; more details will be announced later, he said.

In April, Timmons was honored as a member of Washington High School's newest class of Distinguished Citizens.

"All of those things are incredible, but it means nothing without your roots," Timmons said of his success. "You can go out and achieve all this stuff, and you can travel the world and go to exotic places and perform with amazing artists that you dreamed of.

"I mean literally two nights ago on the Fourth of July, I was with Boyz II Men performing at a private party with them and that's surreal to me, but you never want to forget your roots."

Canton-based radio station Mix 94.1 and Jerzee's Cafe were presenting the now-cancelled event. Opening acts were to be Vara Gianna, Carly Underwood and country artist Justin Fabus.

“Superfan” tickets were sold out. The $29 tickets would allow for closer access to the stage and other accommodations. Refunds for those VIP tickets are available at the point of purchase through www.eventbrite.com/, according to event organizers.

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Past performances with McLean and other boy band alums have drawn large crowds, Timmons said.

"Obviously, the nostalgia of all the groups and the curiosity that peaks with us being together brought people out," said Timmons, who attended Malone University in Canton. "It's an entertaining show.

"We do hits and mashups and remixes and sing together and introduce new songs and acts."

Timmons was easygoing, conversational and grateful while covering an array of subjects during the interview earlier this week.

Edited for clarity and brevity, here's the rest of the up-tempo discussion:

Inspiring others back in his hometown and home state

"I think with 98 degrees, we still are experiencing great success and have been blessed and fortunate to have all these tremendous experiences, but what I think really sets us apart and allows us to continue so many years later is the blue-collar mentality, work ethic and the grounding that we have had from our Midwest upbringing.

"There are lots of groups that are more talented, that are better on stage, better singers and what not, better looking, whatever. ... But there's something real and tangible about our personalities that are relatable in this area ... (and) I like to come back and say, hey, you can go try to live a dream, you don't have to do what everybody tells you you're going to have to do.

"You can go out out and make a living doing things beyond your wildest expectations, and ... as much as I like to come back and perform, it's really just to signify that good things can come from the area. You can go out and achieve your goals and dreams and hopefully it inspires people.

"I know that I'm just a singer, but I've gotten to do some really, really unique and cool things and been a part of some really interesting things with fans in regards to their lives, and really the impact transcends the music, and it's been quite an interesting ride and amazing journey for me and my family."

The impact of music

"We're part of a lot of charitable organizations and like to contribute and give back," Timmons said of 98 Degrees. "One of the ones that obviously means a lot to me is the Make-A-Wish Foundation. In one case, we had a Make-A-Wish from a client of theirs ... a young lady who had a terminal disease ... and they didn't expect her to even make it to the event we were supposed to be doing — it was an awards show.

"I just became extremely close with her, and I don't know what it was about it. I just felt that we really inspired her that day. Not only did she make it through that, (but) she lived in Carbondale, Illinois, and I would go visit her. She lived in a hospital, (and) she ended up living several years beyond that.

"... And I would communicate with her like once or twice a month. I would be on the phone with her for hours, and I became very close with her. And I just felt like this connection with her that I really think we just inspired her, and I'm sure that she had great medical care and a great support system, but I really do feel like our friendship kept her hanging on for a long time, and she lived for several years after that.

"Ultimately, she succumbed to the disease and the illness later, but that's something where I was like, 'Yeah, this is way beyond music.' This is something so powerful that I can't put my finger on exactly what it is, but I was as inspired and affected by it as she was."

The power of nostalgia

Fans have gotten married to 98 Degrees songs, Timmons said. Or they've met best friends at the band's concerts. Others have broken up to songs or rekindled family relationships, the singer explained.

"I never thought about that when (starting out) and singing for girls at parties," he said. "The music and impact that you have is a lot greater than you ever give yourself credit."

Nostalgia draws fans to shows, he said. "That era, that late '90s, early 2000s, a lot of people ... they literally call it the golden era of pop, the pop explosion.

"It was pre-streaming ... and (CDS were still selling for popular groups by the millions) ... so literally it was the last era where you could go to the record store and buy this new material — there was an experience attached to it for a lot of younger fans and female fans.

"They attribute music to formidable years of their lives, so it was pre-9/11, so it was an innocent time ... and not as polarized as the world is now," Timmons recalled. "... All of that was a very unique time, and I think people think of that as a very unique time."

Timmons' friendship with Nick Lachey

"I think if anything, we've become closer," Timmons said, recalling the highly competitive days with the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC. "We enjoyed it, but our eyes were always set on the prize (and working hard).

"Nick has been extraordinarily successful." After getting back together as a band, "we said, 'No matter what, we're going to have fun.' We're like brothers. We're having more fun than ever. Nick is the same guy he's always been. ... We're just having a blast."

Passionate for the arts

"I got encouraged early on in the arts. It came naturally to me, although we're in the cradle of football (in Stark County). That was always my dream to play football ... but hte arts and singing and acting and speech and debate, that was always really easy for me, and I wasn't as cool amongst my peers, but adults, teachers, friends and family, and my grandparents and parents always encouraged it, and I shied away from it.

"My life turned out like a dream," Timmons said, noting he wrote out his life goals years ago. "Every single one of them came true and then some. ... I'm living a dream, and it continues to unfold in from of my very eyes."

What advice would he give to his younger self?

After initially resisting the pull of the arts, Timmons said that "ultimately, it went better than I expected and kept getting better, and has been a dream (with) lows and highs."

But "I wouldn't trade it for the world. I would encourage (my younger self) to develop any talent, and I think I would have reconciled that I should have done music and the arts a little sooner and stopped resisting it."

Aging with his fans

"We had moms and daughters the first time around, and now we have moms and daughters again. Those women who were kids in the early 2000s when we were doing Nickelodeon, now have kids of their own.

"They're loud and as boisterous as ever, but now they drink, and they're a little more raucous than before believe it or not. And I'm relishing every second."

Reach Ed at 330-580-8315 and ebalint@gannett.com

On Twitter @ebalintREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: 98 Degrees, Backstreet Boys Canton show now canceled; Jackson gig set