Joe Nichols

Joe Nichols Artistfacts

  • November 26, 1976
  • Nichols was born and raised in Rogers, Arkansas, which is where the first Walmart opened in 1962.
  • Nichols grew up listening to traditional country singers like George Jones and Willie Nelson. His dad was a big fan of Merle Haggard and would often play his records "loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear."
  • As an underclassman in high school, he tried out for a rock band run by seniors, but didn't make the cut. The group's leader told him he sounded too much like George Strait. That's when Joe realized the only way he can sound is country.
  • Nichols had a string of hits in the 2000s, including "Brokenheartsville" and "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off," but his first album was a flop. Titled Joe Nichols, it was released in 1996 on an independent label and went nowhere. It took Joe five more years to get another label deal.
  • Before he hit it big, Nichols worked a series of odd jobs while playing music on the side. He was a cable guy, worked for UPS, and moved furniture. He tried selling steaks door to door, but that one lasted only one day.
  • Nichols likes to record songs about people in "weird, funny situations," which is why he recorded "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off." Other songs in this vein include "No Truck, No Boat, No Girl" and "Let's Get Drunk and Fight." These fun, lighthearted songs really connect with his audience.
  • In 2002, just as Joe's career was taking off, his father Michael died at 46 from a rare lung disease called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) that took doctors three years to correctly diagnose. Joe has worked to raise awareness about the disease, which is commonly misdiagnosed.
  • Nichols has had a lot of ups and downs in his professional and personal life. One of the downs came in 2007 when his problems with substance abuse - amphetamines and alcohol - landed him in rehab. An up came when he emerged sober in 2008 and was able to pick up where he left off in his career.
  • He loves baseball and is a diehard fan of the St. Louis Cardinals. On June 26, 2025, he threw out the first pitch at their game against the Cubs.
  • He married his longtime girlfriend, Heather Singleton, on September 9, 2007. They met in 1995 when Joe was 18; when they got married, they were both 30. Their courtship was on-and-off. In 1998 Nichols had a daughter, Ashelyn, with another woman. He and Heather had a daughters named Dylan in 2012 and another named Georgia in 2014.
  • Nichols pulled off a popular cover of the Sir Mix-A-Lot hit "Baby Got Back," bringing a tongue-in-cheek twang to the song. He started playing it live in 2012 as a joke, but audiences loved it and he released a studio version in 2017.

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