andPOP - Pop Culture With Substance

Nick Lachey has bought a baseball team. The singer, the former husband of Jessica Simpson, has become a part-owner of Washington team the Tacoma Rainiers.

Nick, who is a Cincinnati Reds fan, said: “Sports for me, other than what I do for a living, is truly my passion, and baseball has always been something that is a part of my life.”

The 33-year-old plans to play an active role in the ownership of the team both on and off the pitch.

He says his interest in owning a baseball team began when the Cincinnati Reds were sold. When he failed to buy a share in his home team, he set his sights on another club.

Nick, who wore a Rainiers’ shirt as he was unveiled as the new part-owner yesterday, will be involved in developing events including concerts and autograph signing sessions.

He now owns a one-third share of the baseball franchise.
The Rainiers are the Seattle Mariners’ Class AAA club in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). This system allows the Major League side to develop Rainiers’ players to be available to play for the Mariners on demand.

The PCL operates in the West and Midwest of the US. The Rainiers play at AAA level, which the highest level below the American Major League.

Former 98 Degrees and reality TV star Nick Lachey hopes to be part of Britney’s bandwagon sooner rather than later.

The 33 year old pop star is optimistic that Spears will make a stellar comeback in light of her recent divorce with Kevin Federline.

“If she puts together a great record, and I’m confident she will, I think she’ll be right back to where she was.

“A joint tour would be a Jive Records dream right there… I’d open for Britney,” he says.

There’s no denying that the pair have plenty experience when it comes to having their personal lives under continuous scrutiny.

Perhaps the two could even collaborate and write a song about their very public break-ups… or not.

Pop star Jessica Simpson has identified the precise event that led to her divorce from fellow singer Nick Lachey.

According the Simpson, she saw the end of their marriage in October 2005, when Lachey chose not to go with her on a charity tour to Africa.

“I went there on our three-year wedding anniversary,” she says in an interview with Jane magazine, set to appear in their November issue. “He stayed home.”

Simpson went on the trip as an ambassador with Operation Smile, an organization that provides volunteer medical services for children requiring reconstructive facial operations.

Both Simpson and Lachey had been given Universal Smile Awards by the charity, but only Simpson participated in the tour.

“On that day, everything became so clear,” she says. “I was in hospitals with all these sick kids. I just knew I needed to find something more in my life, on my own.”

Divorcing Jessica Simpson would be enough to send any man to a psychiatrist. Nick Lachey, however, discovered his therapy in the form of creating his latest album, “What’s Left of Me.”

“It was important go get all those emotions out. I think anybody who’s been through something like that will tell you it’s very therapeutic to get all those emotions out of your system and I think for me it was no exception,” Lachey tells andPOP, on the line from Los Angeles where he is rehearsing for his upcoming North American tour.

Lachey says the hardest part about writing the album, released in May, was deciding that the content was going to be very personal.

Once he started writing though, he held nothing back. Song titles on the Gold-certified album include “I Can’t Hate You Anymore,” “Outside Looking In,” and “Shades of Blue.”

“I felt like in order to do my best work and really give my best shot as a solo artist, I thought I had to take a personal approach and be honest. That’s where your best work comes from,” he says. “Being personal and honest was dealing with things that weren’t all too pleasant to deal with but I couldn’t imagine doing it any other way and not dealing with my own emotions.”

In a way, “What’s Left of Me” is the return of Nick Lachey as we knew him before the “Newlyweds” era. For more than three years, he was Simpson’s other half. Now, he’s back to being Nick Lachey: the artist. He sees the album as closure to a much-publicized period of his life.

“Personally, there’s been some closure, and professionally, it’s continued growth,” says the former member of 98 Degrees.

He also sees the album as the next step in his life.

“In a lot of ways, it’s a new beginning,” he explains. “It’s been quite some time since I’ve been part of the music landscape. Personally, it’s a new beginning for obvious reasons. It’s closing one chapter of my life and opening another.”

Before he completely closes the door, he will be performing tracks from the new album (and from other parts of his career) on a 26-date tour that begins Wednesday in Albany, New York. He’ll hit the Kool Haus in Toronto on September 25.

“It’s a very musical-based tour,” Lachey says. “It’s not about the pyro and there’s no dancers. It’s very much about me and the band and it’s very much about the music.”

Lachey hopes some aspect of the show hits a chord with fans.

“It’s up to everyone to interpret music for themselves. As long as they feel something then they’ve had an experience and that is kind of my job.”

Nick Lachey on:

Regrets … “I don’t believe in regrets. I don’t think you can live your life like that. You have to live your life the best way you know how and make decisions the best way you know how at the time and don’t look back.”

Television … “I would like to do more acting and see where that goes. We’re developing a show for the next pilot season right now, which will hopefully get into pilot form in the spring.”

98 Degrees reunion … “We’ve all kept our minds open to that and kept it as a possibility but right now I have so much going on.”

How happy he is right now, on a scale of 1 to 10 … “9. There’s always room for improvement.”

Nick Lachey has announced plans for his first-ever solo tour, in support of his new album “What’s Left of Me.”

The former 98 Degrees member and ex-husband of Jessica Simpson will hit venues across North America this fall, according to a press release. The 26-date tour will kick off on September 20 in Albany, NY and wrap up a month later on October 26 in St. Louis, MO.

Only a single Canadian date — Toronto on September 25 — has been announced for this leg of the tour. But fans out west can hope for a visit from Lachey soon enough; the current crop of dates doesn’t include a single stop in the western U.S., making another string of shows likely for later this year.

As for now, here’s when and where you can swoon over the somewhat less famous “Newlywed”:

Sept. 20: Albany, N.Y. (Palace)
Sept. 21: Syracuse, N.Y. (Landmark Theatre)
Sept. 22: Mashantucket, Conn. (Foxwoods Casino)
Sept. 24: Detroit (Opera House)
Sept. 25: Toronto (Koolhaus)
Sept. 27: Cincinnati (Taft Theatre)
Sept. 28: Chicago (Rosemont Theatre)
Sept. 29: Milwaukee (Riverside Theatre)
Sept. 30: Minneapolis (Orpheum Theatre)
Oct. 2: Indianapolis (Murat Theatre)
Oct. 3: Columbus, Ohio (Palace Theatre)
Oct. 4: Cleveland (Palace Theatre)
Oct. 6: Philadelphia (Tower Theatre)
Oct. 7: Boston (Orpheum Theatre)
Oct. 8: Atlantic City, N.J. (Borgata Hotel & Casino)
Oct. 10: Washington, D.C. (Warner Theatre)
Oct. 12: New York (Nokia Theatre Times Square)
Oct. 14: Greensboro, N.C. (War Memorial Auditorium)
Oct. 15: Charlotte, N.C. (Ovens Auditorium)
Oct. 17: Tampa, Fla. (Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center)
Oct. 19: Orlando, Fla. (Hard Rock Live)
Oct. 20: Atlanta (Tabernacle Theatre)
Oct. 21: Nashville (Ryman Auditorium)
Oct. 23: Louisville, Ky. (Palace Theatre)
Oct. 25: Kansas City, Mo. (Uptown Theatre)
Oct. 26: St. Louis (Touhill Performing Arts Center)

It’s unclear whether Nick Lachey had chosen a title for his second solo CD before or after his split with Jessica Simpson.

But that doesn?t matter because “What’s Left of Me” suits both Lachey’s life before Simpson and after it. The title could refer to what’s left of the singer after his marriage fell apart, or could refer to after how his career fell apart after his boy band 98 Degrees split up.

“What’s Left of Me” is full of songs that only tweens and teens would find interesting. It’s an album about how much someone broke his heart, and to the untrained ear sounds like any other Backstreet Boys album.

Which is too bad because out of all of the boys in boy bands in the late 90s, Lachey was one of the few guys with the looks and the voice to carry him past his boy band years. But unfortunately this album does not showcase his full talent.

But if you are a teen girl, or know one who is currently pining for Lachey, or one who has recently had her heart crushed, “What’s Left of Me” is the album for her.

Jessica Simpson is probably listening to a lot of Kanye West’s “Gold Digger” lately. The singer-actress is currently in the midst of a legal scuffle with her estranged husband Nick Lachey over their assets.

Simpson filed for divorce on Dec. 16 and had asked the court not to give Lachey spousal support. But the former member of boyband 98 Degrees filed papers of his own on Friday, reserving his right to seek it. They had no prenuptial agreement.

When the couple married in October 2002, Lachey had more earning power than his wife, but Simpson’s fame skyrocketed with the success of the duo’s MTV reality show, Newlyweds. Simpson, 25, reportedly earned more than $30 million last year.

Lachey, 32, cited irreconcilable differences for the dissolution of their three-year marriage. He asked the court to confirm that “miscellaneous jewelry and other personal effects” are separate property, as well as his earnings from after the date of separation and other unspecified assets.

Lachey said they separated Dec. 13, but Simpson claimed it was Nov. 23.

There will be no reunion for Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, the Associated Press reports.

Simpson cited irreconcilable differences in a petition for divorce filed with the Los Angeles Superior Court on Dec. 16.

The couple jointly announced their separation Nov. 23 following months of rumours that their marriage wasn’t as happy as they insisted.

Lachey, 32, and Simpson, 25, had no prenuptial agreement made when they married in October 2002 and in the petition, Simpson asked the court not to grant Lachey spousal support.

Lachey was worth more money when the couple wed, but thanks to the success of their MTV reality series, “Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica”, Simpson’s earning power skyrocketed. The singer-actress earned more than $30 million last year.

Simpson’s publicist, Rob Shuter, confirmed the filing to the Associated Press but declined further comment.

Calls to Lachey’s publicist were not returned.

Looks like Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson are finally kaput, but that doesn?t mean Lachey can?t be a newlywed anymore.

Lachey, who starred with Simpson on MTV?s ?Newlyweds? for three seasons, is developing a new sitcom with the WB Network. He?ll be starring as a famous baseball player who ? you guessed it ? just got married.

The show is as yet untitled but will be written by the co-creator and executive producer of ?Mad About You,? Danny Jacobson.

In addition to ?Newlyweds,? Lachey has made a few guest appearances on the WB?s fantasy drama, ?Charmed,? last season. We should also be hearing some more music from Lachey soon; he signed a solo deal with Jive Records last January.

Lachey and wife Simpson announced their split last week.

Pop star Jessica Simpson is sick of tabloids constantly speculating about her marriage to her husband, former boyband-er Nick Lachey. So what does Simpson think is the best way to get people to shut up? By having them talk about something else ? like how she?s had to see a therapist to help her deal with all the gossip.

“Yes I have,” Simpson confirmed in the December-January issue of Teen People, on newsstands Friday. “I respect knowledge of the psyche. I would be a therapist if I weren’t an entertainer.”

Simpson, 25, posed for the cover of the magazine with her younger sister Ashlee, who topped the charts recently with her sophomore album, I Am Me.

Jessica, meanwhile, has had to deal with persistent rumours of a split between her and Lachey, which the couple have denied. “Hopefully mine and Nick’s story will continue for the rest of our lives, like what we vowed, through sickness and in health,” she said.