b. 26 November 1976, Rogers, Arkansas, USA. This US country singer’s father was an amateur country singer who instilled in his son a love of classic singers such as George Jones and Marty Robbins. After completing high school, Nichols landed a job as a car mechanic but also began DJing at the local country clubs. A chance meeting with producer Randy Edwards led to a recording contract with Intersound Records. Nichols released his self-titled debut album in 1996, and enjoyed a radio hit with the country pop sing along ‘Six Of One, Half A Dozen (Of The Other)’. Unfortunately, a series of failed singles and record company politics meant the singer was forced to return to Nashville and take a series of menial day jobs while searching for a new contract.
Nichols enlisted the help of seasoned Nashville session guitarist Brent Rowan to write and record his long overdue second album, Man With A Memory. The album steered clear of Nichols’ previous country pop direction, adopting a back-to-basics and neo-traditionalist approach at odds with the Nashville mainstream. Nevertheless, the album was picked up for release by Universal South, a new label headed by country music veteran Tony Brown and Tim DuBois. Released in 2002, the album was buoyed by the unexpected chart success of the gospel-influenced ballad, ‘The Impossible’. Another single from the album, ‘Brokenheartsville’, went on to top the country charts. The follow-up Revelation was another success, debuting in the country Top 5 in summer 2004. (NB: Not to be confused with the Texan country vocalist/guitarist Joe Paul Nichols).
