[3] Nicholson has more than 600 recordings and is best known for his work with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Garth Brooks, George Strait, Ringo Starr, B.
The band won a talent contest at the Palomino Club and met musicians James Burton, Red Rhodes and Clarence White.
His friend and bandmate, Jim Ed Norman, recorded Nicholson's song "Jukebox Argument", sung by Mickey Gilley in the film Urban Cowboy.
He received ASCAP Awards in 1997 for the songs, "Givin' Water to a Drowning Man", by Lee Roy Parnell, and "A Thousand Times a Day", by Patty Loveless.
[11] In 2008, Nicholson co-wrote the title song, "Skin Deep", for Buddy Guy, which was number one on the Billboard Blues Chart and Grammy nominated.
[12] He has co-written songs with many notable songwriters and artists including Ringo Starr, Stevie Nicks, Neil Diamond, Vince Gill, Los Lonely Boys, Jimmy Webb, Michael McDonald, Brad Paisley, among others.
[13][14] During his career, Nicholson has produced five projects for Delbert McClinton, winning Grammys in the Best Contemporary Blues category for the albums "Nothing Personal" in 2001[15] and "Cost of Living" in 2005.
[16] Nicholson has also produced for Billy Joe Shaver, The Judds, Wynonna, Pam Tillis, T. Graham Brown and Marcia Ball.