NEV NICHOLLS

Born on the 16th September 1930 at Millthorpe in the central west of NSW, Nev Nicholls spent his childhood on a farm at Tallwood. Tallwood is not a town merely a district of small farms and in the depression years it was a grind for the whole family to eke out an existence. In 1952 he went to Sydney to put down some custom recordings and was given an audition and then signed with Regal Zonophone. He cut 22 sides for Regal Zonophone, mostly his own material. He then appeared on radio on Australia’s Amateur Hour and Tim McNamara’s Talent Quest. In 1957 Nev did his first country tour with The Reg Lindsay Show up the north coast of NSW. On that show were: Reg Lindsay, Heather McKean, Rick & Thel Carey, Judy Stone and comedian Freddy Merideth also part of that troupe was Chad Morgan. 

In 1968 Nev got a call to audition for a night club job in Kings Cross and that led to a ten-year stint at the famous Texas Tavern. The Texas Tavern wasn't a job. It was an unforgettable event playing for American servicemen on R&R from Vietnam, meeting celebrities who were making appearances at the Chevron Hotel across the street, and being accepted in the local population, as country music had never been accepted before. This is why Nev wrote "I Like Beer". People who made up part of Nev's band, The Country Playboys sounds like a who's who of the best performers in the country. In 1970 Nev released his first album 'Cross Country Music' on the Du Monde label. This was the vanguard of more than a dozen albums in the years to follow.

In 1975 Nev won the Golden Guitar for Instrument Track of the Year with ''Nashville Express'' as Nev Nicholls’s Country Playboys. In 1977 Nev was inducted into the Hands of Fame. From the late 70s through to 1988, The Nev Nicholls National Roadshow went to air throughout Australia on more than 90 radio stations- a weekly 2-hour show. He also launched a travelling show under the same name, and he toured that show all around Australia starring at various times, Gary Brown, Phil Emmanuel, Lisa White, Debbie Lee Rae (now known as Kaye Payne) and Cowboy Bob Purtell.

As a further string to his bow Nev launched his own record label Nicholls'N’Dimes and in 1992 he was inducted into the Australasian Country Music Roll Of Renown at Tamworth. Nev had always been a prolific writer and besides recording vast numbers of his own songs he had also had many covered by other artists among these were: Reg Lindsay, Chad Morgan, Frankie Davidson, Johnny Garfield, Terry Gordon, The Wayfarers, Truckin Stevens and by no means least his longtime friend Lucky Grills. Lucky and Nev shared an album in 1998, a truckies album of course, titled "Ya Wanna Screw Driver". In 2002 Nev officially retired from country music entertaining. He was then inducted into the Broadcasters Hall of Fame at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Tamworth. Nev died in 2022.

SINGLES 
''Blue Melody / Oklahoma Waltz'' 1958 Columbia

''Flower Of Love / My Heart Skips A Beat'' 1969 du Monde

''Fickle Little Woman / I've Got A Tiger By The Tail'' 1970 RCA
''Wheel Of Progress / Love Bug'' 1970 du Monde
''Sweet Thang / Nashville Piper'' 1971 du Monde
''I Want One / Cotton Pickin' Guitar'' 1971 du Monde
''Take My Heart / Transit'' du Monde
''Biding My Time / You Won't See Which Way I Went'' 1973 du Monde
''Truck Me Dead / Truckin' Around'' 1975 RCA
''Chicken Roll / Raz-Ma-Taz Polka'' 1976 RCA
''You've Gotta Have A Beer Mate / Sorrow'' 1976 RCA
''Good Old Country Outhouse / Mother Trucker'' 1976 RCA
''Super Lady / Hot Wheels'' 1980 7 Records
''Teddy Bear's Last Ride / When The Big Rigs Roll'' 1982 Brook
''Country Music Turns Me On / Good Old Love'' 1984 Powderworks
''Radio Lover / Last Rights'' 1986 RCA

EPs 

'Nev Nicholls Country Playboys' 1969 World Of Sound

ALBUMS 

'Cross Country Music' 1970 du Monde
'Lovin' Country' 1972 du Monde
'Folsom Prison Blues' 1972 Universal Summit
'Keep On Truckin' 1974 RCA

Just My Truckin' Luck 1974 Nicholls N' Dimes Records
'Truckin' Around' 1975 RCA
'Hit The Road Jack' 1976 RCA
'King Of The Road' 1976 RCA
'You've Gotta Have A Beer Mate 1977 RCA
'Blazing Diesels' 1978 7 Records
'Supertrucker' 1979 7 Records
'Loaded Up And Truckin' 1981 Telmak
'Bar Rooms & Bedrooms' 1984 Powderworks
'Gotta Get Back On The Road' 1986 Nicholls N' Dimes Records