Enter for your chance to win two meet and greet passes to meet Joe at Roper's booth in Fan Fair Hall during CMA Music Fest 2012!  The GRAND PRIZE includes (2) 4 day general admission level tickets to the 2012 CMA Music Festival, 4 nights for 2 at the Courtyard Nashville at Opryland, and a Joe Nichols meet and greet at the Roper Booth in Fan Fair Hall.  Entry period closes on May 24.  

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Joe's journey from childhood to fatherhood was anything but idyllic and for the first time he shares his story with GAC. Backstory: Joe Nichols premieres Saturday, May 12, 11:00PM ET on Great American Country (GAC). Nichols recalls his parents’ nasty divorce, physical abuse from his father and a love affair with whiskey that he says started at around age 13. When he could, he’d shut himself in his bedroom, listening over and over again to a Merle Haggard record, mimicking the country music icon until he was hoarse. Time spent with the Hag paid off and at 19, Nichols released a single on a small independent label in Arkansas and played some club dates. He moved to Nashville and after a nearly two year period of dues-paying, was the first artist signed to Universal South Records.

He found it very difficult to deal with early career successes that included chart-topping hits like “The Impossible,” and “Brokenheartsville,” four Grammy nominations and newcomer awards from the likes of Billboard magazine, the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music explaining that historically, high points in his life sent him into destruction mode and ultimately, in and out of rehab. “Those are the most dangerous times for me. That’s when I want to destroy everything.” Just as his career took off, Nichols’ father passed. “I was ill-equipped to handle the loss of my dad,” Nichols says.

Nichols married Heather Singleton in ’07 following a friendship that began when they were 19. Just 30 days into their marriage, Nichols was back in rehab and what followed was a one step forward, two steps back pattern of behavior until 2008 when an intervention orchestrated by his family and friends sent the singer to an intensive, in-patient rehab treatment program.

He is quick to acknowledge his wife’s unwavering commitment to their marriage adding, “There’s no way that Heather should still be married to me, there’s no way. It’s only by grace.” The couple also faced major fertility issues and suffered five consecutive miscarriages until last month when they finally became parents of Dylan River, a healthy baby girl. “I hope through my story that other people find a sliver of hope because I have lost five children to get to this one,” Heather says.

Today Nichols admits to enjoying life one day at a time. “I live free now,” he says. “I don’t live perfectly, I don’t claim that. That’s a mistake because I can’t promise anything past today.” Joe's brother, wife, manager, producer, therapist, and friend are some of those interviewed for the special. Tune-in to GAC Saturday, May 12, 11PM ET to watch Backstory: Joe Nichols.

Complete airing schedule:
May 12, 2012 at 11PM ET
May 13, 2012 at 3AM ET
May 13, 2012 at 4PM ET
May 13, 2012 at 9PM ET
May 14, 2012 at 1AM ET
May 16, 2012 at 9PM ET
May 17, 2012 at 1AM ET
May 17, 2012 at 10AM ET
June 12, 2012 at 8PM ET
June 13, 2012 at 12AM ET
June 13, 2012 at 5PM ET

Joe and Heather Nichols are the proud parents to a daughter, Dylan River Nichols, born April 17, 2012.  This is the first child for the couple, who married in 2007. Mother and child are doing fine, according to Dad.  

“Our prayers have been answered,” said Heather. “We went through years of loss and heartbreak to get to this point and now our little baby girl is here. I want to thank everyone for their well wishes, thoughts and prayers and our doctors and nurses who have walked along side us in this process. I know that we are going to love this little girl, and I am so thankful that she is ours.” 

“As Heather said, we have been trying to have a baby together for many years, and this gift is not something we take for granted,” Joe added. “We are going to try to be the best parents possible.”

Dylan entered the world at a healthy 7 lbs 5 oz and 21 ¼ inches long. 

Congratulations, Joe and Heather!