Success didn’t come right away for the band, as Lachey and company had to work a series of odd jobs to make ends meet. The band finally grabbed attention while trying to crash the backstage area of a Boys II Men concert. They were offered a chance to perform on a local radio station, after which they were introduced to manager Paris d’Jon. With d’Jon, the group recorded demos and eventually inked a deal with Motown records. Their first single, Invisible Man”, went gold in 1997, and their self-titled debut album was released soon after; their second effort, 98º and Rising, dropped in 1998; and a third album, Revelation, hit stores in 2000. However, rumors began to swirl about a possible separation, and by February 2002 the rumors proved true: 98 Degrees announced a hiatus.
Unlike his band mates, who drifted into obscurity, Lachey achieved more celebrity after the breakup; unfortunately, his rise in stardom had nothing to do with talent. Instead, Lachey married the more famous Jessica Simpson on October 26, 2002—it was the only way she would consummate the relationship. The happy couple then signed on to a reality TV show, “Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica” (MTV, 2003- ). Originally anticipated to be a ratings dud, the show turned out to be a big hit, mainly due to Simpson’s routine blunders and oddly entertaining whining, as well as Lachey's delicate balance of infinite patience and thinly veiled exasperation.
Lachey served as the voice of reason in response to Simpson’s often hilarious gaffes In one infamous episode, Lachey explained to Simpson that Buffalo wings were not made of actual buffalo meat. Another episode found Lachey refuting Simpson’s belief that Chicken of the Sea was really chicken, not tuna. In 2003, Lachey found himself back on the music scene with the release of his first solo album, cleverly titled SoulO, which was coincidentally released the same day as Simpson’s third album, In This Skin. Neither album fared particularly well on the charts at first, though Simpsons eventually became something of a sleeper hit. As the couple's personal popularity continued to skyrocket, ABC inked them to host their own variety special, "The Nick and Jessica Variety Hour" (2004), which aired on Easter Sunday and drew sky-high ratings with 11.5 million viewers--high enough to prompt the network to sign the couple for a Christmas follow-up. "Nick & Jessica's Family Christmas" (2004), and "Nick & Jessica's Tour of Duty" (2005), a special in which they entertained U.S. troops in Iraq. The couple's high profile proved to be a marketing bonanza.
The downside of the young couple's newfound fame was that they were suddenly fodder for qa seemingly endless array of cover stories among the weekly celebrity gossip magazine, usually weighing in on the state of their marriage. Almost as soon as Simpson was cast as cutoff-clad Southern Belle Daisy Duke in the big screen remake of the fondly recalled '70s series "The Dukes of Hazzard" (2005) her star was shining even brighter than ever, and even though Lachey had ventured into acting as well with a recurring role on The WB's "Charmed" in 2004, speculation ran rampant that her higher profile, compounded with extended periods apart and the availability of other partners, was taking its toll on his ego and her marriage. But even as coverage of their every outing reached critical mass on the verge of the "Dukes" premiere, the couple stood fast and insisted their bond was enduring. Throughout the rest of the year the celebrity magazines dogged Simpson and Lachey, breathlessly reporting their every move and trumpeting the couple's alleged split, and after repeated denials the one-time "Newlyweds" did indeed formally announce their separation over Thanksgiving weekend in 2005.