JK Nick Nichols

Nicholsworth LLC Music Publishing
 
 
 
05 September 2018

Union Native Moving Up in Music World

His hometown newspaper, the Union County News, Union SC, published an article in January 2015 about the success of JK Nick Nichols as both an artist and songwriter in Nashville.


Union County News

Like This Page · January 5, 2015 · 

 YOUR MONDAY PAPER CONTAINS 16 PAGES OF LOCAL NEWS, SPORTS, FEATURES, OPINIONS AND PHOTOS, INCLUDING:
• Man's quick actions saved woman from fire
• Edwards remembered as a gentleman
• Medic of the Year honored for dedication to his work
• Young fire victim recovering well from burns
• Union native moving up in music world
• New Year great time to get moving
• New Year brings personnel changes to arts center

Front Page

By Anna Brown

  You might have heard Nick Nichols singing on the radio or you might have listened to a song he wrote and not even realized that you know him.  The musician and songwriter grew up in Union and graduated from Union High School in 1974, where he played in the band.  His parents, Jimmy and Mary Frances "Yank" Nichols operated Nichols Grocery Store on South Pinckney Street.  Back then, more people knew Nick as Kim Nichols, but close friends started calling him "Nick" and that stuck.

  He has had success both in singing and in songwriting, but Nick Nichols said some breaks through his connections with the International Songwriters Guild have put him in an even better position. "I've had about 25 major cuts in the last two years because of that," he said. "We have two currently on hold for George Strait's new album.  I can't even tell you how hard it is to get George Strait to listen to one of your songs. We have had several songs pitched to Kenny Rogers.  I am writing a book that is out at the end of the year or first of next year called 'I Am Music, the Story.'  It is my life's story and is coming out through my record label. I signed back in the spring with Star 1 Records out of Los Angeles. I am going to start touring sometime next year. There is a lot of good stuff happening."

  Nichols has a Christian CD out "Livin' in God's Grace." The first single from the CD went to #24 on the Christian Voice Chart.  As a child Nick Nichols took piano lessons.  "But when I got in high school I decided that I liked Jerry Lee Lewis better than Bach" he said with a laugh. He remembers the first time he sang in public at Unity United Methodist Church with Margaret Hines.  He has a tape of this which he plans to integrate in his book - people will be able to listen to it and other songs through a download card in the book.

  After high school Nichols went to Clemson University where he taught himself to play guitar. For 32 years he has been keyboard specialist and lead singer for Southern Crescent Band, a classic rock and blues band. 'We have toured all over the state, up and down the east coast" he said.  "We were a country band years ago, playing a lot of the country honky tonks.  We started doing black tie events, weddings, private parties, corporate functions. We can make in one night what we use to make in seven nights playing honky tonks.  We played some god-awful hours - 9 to 1, 9 to 3, I used to tell people I was going home when the milk man was coming out.

  Nichols started writing songs while he was at Clemson and really wanted to pursue that.  He put that off until after his parents had passed away and he decided to get an apartment in Nashville.  "I had been back and forth to Nashville for 30 years pitching songs," he said.  "I had a lot of songs put on hold, had a few cut but nothing really major. I still have a house in Clemson but my kids are grown and my wife is about to retire.  I have been in Nashville about 5 years." 

  Nichols has been working with Sean Andrew Murray, an Irish rock artist, songwriter, and lounge guitarist. Murray had come up with a plan.  He and British artist Pete Ware had started the Irish Songwriters Guild.  The idea: To take the songs made popular by artists and songwriters in Ireland-a magical land that in the name of love is crazed for traditional country as well as jigs and U2 anthems - and pitch them to American artists.

  During their talk both men found what they were looking for: Murray wanted a Nashville writer to add to his roster, while Nichols just wanted someone to listen to his songs and give him a chance to get some cuts by legitimate artists. Murray and Ware had formed the Guild as an online home for Irish songwriters, a place where demos could be posted and sampled, with Nashville as the target.

  "The idea for the ISG (guild) first came through talks and swapping ideas and experiences with other Irish writers," Murray told the Nashville Ledger.  "All these guys were having hits in Ireland but not breaking into other markets.  I was pushing for deals in Nashville and other areas with my own songs and it seemed to make sense to get all the writers together as a sort of co-op and move forward together as a team.  If I didn't have a song to suit, then someone else would, so better to get the deal with one of our writers than to lose out completely."

  Murray had plenty of Irish writers in his fold, but no songs had been picked up yet to be cut. But after Nichols agreed to sign with the Guild two of his songs "Hero" and "Back in Love Again" were picked up by Irish country mainstay Sean McAloon, the latter as a duet with the Emerald Isle's Lisa Stanley. It turned out that Murray's first success story was not - as planned - getting an Irishman's song cut on Music City Row.  It was getting a Nashville writer's song cut in Ireland.

  The Irish Songwriters Guild quickly began to morph in to the International Songwriters Guild.  And Nichols has found writing success both in Nashville and overseas.  As for Murray, he began using the success of being the American abroad as another tool in his network building to get Irish wordsmith's tunes heard and selected on Music Row. Touring the website proves Murray's assessment of the talent level that's invested hope in him.  "These guys are fantastically talented writers. I'm listening to these songs and their writing just blows me away."

  His payoff and the writers' may be forthcoming.  "We've got at least 25 songs on hold or being recorded right now, between Ireland, Holland, and Nashville."  Nichols said he is pleased with the development.  "For years I was going back and forth to Nashville and I couldn't get anybody to give me a single break," says Nichols of that development.  " I was looking for someone to help me do something with my songs. I thought I had some good songs. Sean gave me a break.  I was just ecstatic that someone felt I had something worth doing something with." 

  Whatever happens, Nichols just plans to keep on doing what he loves. "  We have a couple of songs on hold with a major European artist," he said.  "We have another major artist out of Australia that has one of our songs.  I hope to be going to Ireland next February to song at the Belfast Songwriters Festival.  We are going to continue to write.  I can't tell you how hard it is to get George Strait to listen to your song.  That is almost a miracle in itself.  It is difficult to get in to an artist like George Strait and this is the second song of mine he has heard.  We have several other other artists we are pitching to.  We just keep trying to get that big artist cut. It will happen eventually."

   Nichols has a Facebook Music Page (www.facebook.com/jknicknichols/)  His new CD "Livin' In God's Grace" is now available on for download or purchase on CD Baby (www.cdbaby.com/c/d/jknichols) and his Facebook Band Page Music Store.  His music is on (http://www.reverbnation.com/jknicknichols).  He is a Guest Artist on The Irish Songwriters Guild @ www.irishsongwritersguild.com along with all the great writers featured there.  His new record label Star 1 Entertainment out of Los Angeles has just released his first single and video worldwide, "High Cost of Loving."  The single is now availalbe for download on his Reverb Nation store and iTunes as well as countless other digital stores worldwide!  The video may also be viewed at his Star 1 Records profile page (http://star1ent.com/artists/nick-nichols/youtube/24nick-nichols-the-high-cost-of-loving) as well as Facebook and Reverb Nation.

 

 

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