‘Catch of the Day’ – Joe Nichols – “Freaks Like Me” [AUDIO]

Today our focus highlights an artist who definitely paid his dues in Nashville, signing two failed record contracts before releasing a single, and who worked to support his dream as a country disc jockey, moving furniture, installing cable TV systems, and selling steaks door to door.

Joe Nichols was born and raised in Rogers, Arkansas, the second son of a truck-driving father who played bass in local country bands and a stay-at-home mom. Joe signed his first recording contract at age 19 with Intersound Records, but when his self-titled debut album sold poorly, Nichols was released from his contract. A second contract, this time with indy label Giant Records, failed to produce either a single or an album.

In 1999, a friend of Nichol's, session guitarist Brent Rowan, helped him land his third contract, this time with Universal South Records. His second album, Man With A Memory, was released in 2002. The album, which featured the single "The Impossible", earned Nichols the Top New Male Vocalist award from the Academy of Country Music, as well as 3 Grammy nominations. The single climbed to #3 on the Billboard Hot Country chart, and finished 2002 as one of the top-10 played songs of the year. The album's second single, "Brokenheartsville" became Nichol's first #1 hit. In all, the album featured 4 top-10 hits.

Nichols would release five more albums for Universal South (which became Show Dog-Universal Records in 2009), 2004's Revelation, 2005's III, 2007's Real Things, 2009's Old Things New and It's All Good in 2011. The albums would spawn 11 singles, including 7 top-10 singles and the #1 hits "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off" and "Gimme That Girl". He would sign with Broken Bow records in 2012. His first single with Broken Bow, "Sunny and 75" hit #1, a perfect lead in for his eighth studio album Crickets. The follow-up single "Yeah" would also top the chart in 2013, his fourth trip to the top of the country chart. The album's third single "Hard To Be Cool" peaked at #22.

Nichols is back in the studio, hard at work on an as yet untitled ninth album; the first single is in our spotlight today. Joe Nichols and "Freaks Like Me" is today's Catch of the Day, new music you haven't heard, but you'll want to hear it again.