Gary Nicholson

Induction Year: 2022

Birth Name: Gary Tolbert Nicholson

Birth Date: 11-07-1949

Place of Birth: Commerce, Texas

Raised in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Texas native Gary Nicholson got a guitar at age 10. He wrote songs and played in Rock bands throughout his teens before moving with his college band to Los Angeles. Following a stint on an MCA Records imprint, Gary returned to Texas in 1973.

A song he sent to Nashville made it onto the 1980 soundtrack of Urban Cowboy 2, thanks to good friend/producer Jim Ed Norman. With that success, Gary moved to Music City, where he worked as a guitar player and a songwriter for Norman’s publishing company.

In 1983 “Your Love Shines Through” by Gilley gave Gary his first Top 5 song and paved the way for future successes such as “That’s The Thing About Love” by Don Williams, “The Power Of Love” by Charley Pride, “Working Without A Net” by Waylon Jennings, “Brilliant Conversationalist” by T. Graham Brown, “One More Last Chance” by Vince Gill, “The Trouble With The Truth” by Patty Loveless, “She Couldn’t Change Me” by Montgomery-Gentry and “Squeeze Me In” by Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood. Gary’s song “Fallin’ And Flyin’” was performed by Jeff Bridges & Colin Farrell in the 2009 film Crazy Heart.

Gary has 600 recorded songs spanning multiple genres. In 2011 he was inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame.

 

"A Better Word For Love"

(written with Al Anderson)

Alabama1993 
Dave Edmunds1994 
NRBQ1994 
Lee Roy Parnell w/ Trisha Yearwood1997 
T. Graham Brown1998 
Ronnie Milsap2011 
 

"A Thousand Times A Day"

(written with Gary Burr)

George Jones1993 
Patty Loveless 1996 
 

"Break Away"

(written with Wayland Holyfield)

Gail Davies1985 #15 Country
Nicolette Larson1985 

"Brilliant Conversationalist"

(written with John Hadley)

T. Graham Brown1987 #9 Country
Gary Nicholson2010 
 

"Fallin' & Flyin'"

(written with Stephen Bruton)

Jeff Bridges & Colin Farrell2009 
Jeff Bridges & The Abiders2014 
Gary Nicholson2010 
 

"Givin' Water To A Drowning Man"

(written with Lee Roy Parnell)

Lee Roy Parnell1996 #12 Country
 

"Live, Laugh, Love"

(written with Allen Shamblin)

Clay Walker1999 #11 Country, #74 Pop
Gary Nicholson2010 
 

"Memphis Women And Chicken"

(written with Donnie Fritts, Dan Penn)

Dan Penn1994 
Tim Briggs1998 
T. Graham Brown1999 
The Dynatones1999 
Mike Walker2001 
Gary Nicholson2004 
 

"Midnight Highway"

(written with Peter Rowan)

Peter Rowan1991 #1 Bluegrass
Ashby Frank2022 #2 Bluegrass
 

"Moonshadow Road"

(written with T. Graham Brown, Verlon Thompson)

T. Graham Brown1990 #18 Country

"One More Last Chance"

(written with Vince Gill)

Vince Gill1993 #1 Country
Gary Nicholson2010 
Vince Gill1993 #1 Country Vince Gill w/ Keb' Mo', James Burton, Earl Klugh & Albert Lee

"She Couldn't Change Me"

(written with Chris Knight)

Montgomery Gentry2001 #2 Country#37 Pop
Gary Nicholson2010 
 

"Someone Else's Trouble Now"

(written with Pam Tillis)

Highway 1011990 #14 Country
 

"Squeeze Me In"

(written with Delbert McClinton)

Lee Roy Parnell1995 
Delbert McClinton2001 
Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood2002 #16 Country
Gary Nicholson2010 

"That's The Thing About Love"

(written with Richard Leigh)

Don Williams1984 #1 Country
Gary Nicholson2010 
 

"The Power Of Love"

(written with Don Cook)

Charley Pride1984 #9 Country
T. Graham Brown1987 
Lee Roy Parnell1994 #51 Country
T. Graham Brown w/ Jeff & Sheri Easter2015 

"The Trouble With The Truth"

Joan Baez1992 
Patty Loveless1997 #15 Country
 

"When Love Starts Talkin'"

(written with Brent Maher, Jamie O'Hara)

Wynonna Judd1997 #13 Country
 

"Working Without A Net"

(written with Don Cook, John Barlow Jarvis)

Waylon Jennings1986 #7 Country
 

"Your Love Shines Through"

(written with Wayland Holyfield)

Mickey Gilley1983 #5 Country

Gary Nicholson

Induction Year: 2022