When Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey Visited Fairhaven Nearly 20 Years Ago

One fun thing about being on the radio – you get to meet interesting people. Sometimes those people are celebrities. Most of the time, they are a lot of fun and enjoy meeting their fans.

Through the decades I've been in "the biz," I've been fortunate to meet many celebrities. Some, such as Bob Hope, Tony Bennett, and John Denver, were at the top of their game.

Others, such as Faith Hill and Kenny Chesney, were reaching for the top.

Still others were a flash – here and then gone in the blink of an eye.

In 2003, 20 years ago now, I landed at WBSM and Fun 107. I don't remember where I was just before coming to the Fairhaven studios, but not long before that, I was working in country radio. The popularity of the country music format was exploding.

Just as with early rock and roll, country artists would tour the nation, often by bus, visiting radio stations to help market their music. This established a local connection between the artist and the audience.

When I arrived in Fairhaven, I was already familiar with the talk format on WBSM, having hosted talk programs in other cities. The contemporary hit music format that propelled Fun 107 to the top was new to me.

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One of my first memories of going to work in Fairhaven was the day pop sensations Jessica Simpson and her new husband, Nick Lachey, spent an hour on Fun 107.

I didn't know much about Simpson and Lachey at the time, other than they were stars of a wildly popular reality show on MTV "Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica."

What I remember most about that day in December 2003 was the joy Jessica and Nick, both 20-somethings on their way up the ladder, brought to their fans just by being there. They got it. They spent an hour in the studio and took time to meet fans, sign autographs, and pose for pictures with the multitudes that had gathered.

Unfortunately, they only survived another three years as a couple. Both of their careers have seen better days, but for a brief moment in time, they were at the top, and they shared some of that excitement with their many fans on the south coast through Fun 107 and WBSM.

For that, we thank them and wish them well.

Were you among the many who got to meet Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey during their visit to the Fun 107 studios? Do you have photos? We'd love to see them.