Roger Nichols (songwriter)


Roger Stewart Nichols was an American composer and songwriter. He was a multi-instrumentalist who played violin, guitar, bass guitar and piano.

Background

Roger Stewart Nichols was born in Missoula, Montana, on September 17, 1940, but grew up in Santa Monica, California, where his family had moved shortly after his birth. Both of his parents were musicians, and he inherited their interest in music from an early age, playing the violin as a child and later starting a band. After graduating from Santa Monica High School, he enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he played basketball under head coach John Wooden. However, he dropped out of college after two years to pursue music.

Career

Nichols co-wrote many songs with lyricists Paul Williams, Tony Asher, and Bill Lane.
Asher and Nichols co-wrote several songs on Nichols' debut album Roger Nichols and the Small Circle of Friends which was produced by Tommy LiPuma, engineered by Bruce Botnick, and featured session contributions from Van Dyke Parks, Randy Newman and Lenny Waronker. Although the album was not a big seller, A&M co-owner Herb Alpert recommended that Nichols be hired by A&M publishing as a staff songwriter, and it was during this period that he was introduced to Paul Williams.
Nichols' collaborations with Paul Williams include "We've Only Just Begun", which was originally written for a Crocker Bank commercial. They were commissioned to write a jingle after a bank executive heard Nichols' album, and it was composed in a matter of hours on the last day before the deadline. The commercial was heard on TV by Richard Carpenter, who believed it had hit potential. According to the documentary Close to You: Remembering The Carpenters, Williams reported that his label-mate Richard called him up and asked if there was a complete song. Williams replied, "We had an additional verse and a bridge, but if we didn't I'd have lied through my teeth. This was a chance to get a Carpenters record which was a big deal in those days. Richard and Karen gave our songs a life."
Richard's group, The Carpenters, subsequently recorded a version which became a major hit in late 1970. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Song of the Year, was included on BMI's million performances list and received an award for selling a million copies of sheet music. The song was also covered by Curtis Mayfield among many others.
"Times of Your Life", written with Lane and performed by Paul Anka, reached number one on the Adult Contemporary chart in January 1976.
Another Nichols-Williams song, "Out in the Country" by Three Dog Night, reached the Top TWenty. Six months later, "Rainy Days and Mondays" was another gold record by The Carpenters and Nichols' third gold record in a single year.
Other hits were The Carpenters' "I Won't Last a Day Without You", Art Garfunkel's "Travelin' Boy", and "I Never Had It So Good". He also scored the theme song from Hart to Hart with a lyric by Lane.
Nichols released a Japan-only CD in 1995 called Roger Nichols and a Circle of Friends – Be Gentle With My Heart, featuring vocalist Sheila O'Connell-Roussell, on which he recorded some of his best-known tunes, including "We've Only Just Begun", "I Won't Last a Day Without You", and "Rainy Days and Mondays".
He also released an album in 2007 with the original Small Circle of Friends, Full Circle, which brought together the group to cover many of Nichols hits for other bands, including "Out in the Country" and "Let Me Be the One" as well as other tunes penned by Nichols. 2008 saw an upgraded release of Full Circle, issued by Steve Stanley's Now Sounds label. This version also contained five previously unreleased, 1960s-era demo recordings.

Personal life and death

In addition to his extensive musical career, Nichols also was a successful jeweler.
Nichols lived in Bend, Oregon, with his wife, the former Therese Vorndran. He died from pneumonia at his home on May 17, 2025, at the age of 84. He was survived by his wife and three daughters.

Discography

Studio albums

Roger Nichols & The Small Circle of Friends Roger Nichols and A Circle of Friends – Be Gentle With My Heart Roger Nichols and The Small Circle of Friends – Full Circle
  • ''Roger Nichols and The Small Circle of Friends – My Heart is Home''

Special Editions

Roger Nichols and The Small Circle of Friends – Full Circle – Now Sounds edition with five original demo extra tracks.

Compilations

Treasury Treasury Extra Tracks
  • ''Roger Nichols Works ~ Special 7inch Box''