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Roger Stewart Nichols (September 17, 1940 – May 17, 2025) was an American composer and songwriter. He was a multi-instrumentalist who played violin, guitar, bass guitar and piano.

Roger Stewart Nichols was born inMissoula, Montana, on September 17, 1940, but grew up inSanta Monica, California, where his family had moved shortly after his birth.^[1] 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.^[1] After graduating fromSanta Monica High School, he enrolled at theUniversity of California, Los Angeles, where he played basketball under head coachJohn Wooden.^[1] However, he dropped out of college after two years to pursue music.^[1]

Nichols co-wrote many songs with lyricistsPaul Williams,Tony Asher, and Bill Lane.

Asher and Nichols co-wrote several songs on Nichols' debut albumRoger Nichols and the Small Circle of Friends (A&M Records, 1968) which was produced byTommy LiPuma, engineered byBruce Botnick, and featured session contributions fromVan Dyke Parks,Randy Newman andLenny Waronker. Although the album was not a big seller, A&M co-ownerHerb 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" (performed byThe Carpenters), which was originally written for aCrocker 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 (sung by Williams) was heard on TV byRichard Carpenter, who believed it had hit potential. According to the documentaryClose 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 aGrammy Award forSong of the Year, was included onBMI's million performances list and received an award for selling a million copies ofsheet music. The song was also covered byCurtis Mayfield among many others.

"Times of Your Life", written with Lane and performed byPaul Anka, reached number one on theAdult Contemporary chart in January 1976.

Another Nichols-Williams song, "Out in the Country" byThree Dog Night (later covered byR.E.M.), reached the Top TWenty. Six months later, "Rainy Days and Mondays" was anothergold record by The Carpenters and Nichols' thirdgold record in a single year.

Other hits were The Carpenters' "I Won't Last a Day Without You",Art Garfunkel's "Travelin' Boy" (covered byRumer), and "I Never Had It So Good" (covered byBarbra Streisand). He also scored the theme song fromHart to Hart with a lyric by Lane.

Nichols released a Japan-only CD in 1995 calledRoger 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" (which featured Williams on guest vocals).

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 ofFull Circle, issued by Steve Stanley'sNow Sounds label. This version also contained five previously unreleased, 1960s-era demo recordings.

In addition to his extensive musical career, Nichols also was a successful jeweler.^[2]

Nichols lived inBend, Oregon, with his wife, the former Therese Vorndran.^[1] He died from pneumonia at his home on May 17, 2025, at the age of 84.^[3][4] He was survived by his wife and three daughters.^[1][4]

• Roger Nichols & The Small Circle of Friends (1968)
• Roger Nichols and A Circle of Friends – Be Gentle With My Heart (1995)
• Roger Nichols and The Small Circle of Friends – Full Circle (2007)
• Roger Nichols and The Small Circle of Friends – My Heart is Home (2012)

• Roger Nichols and The Small Circle of Friends – Full Circle (2008) –Now Sounds (UK) edition with five original demo extra tracks.

• Treasury (2016)
• Treasury Extra Tracks (2018)
• Roger Nichols Works ~ Special 7inch Box (2018)

• Roger Nichols discography atDiscogs
• Roger Nichols atAllMusic
• Roger Nichols at International Songwriters Association"
• Roger Nichols atIMDb

• 1940 births
• 2025 deaths
• 20th-century American composers
• 21st-century American composers
• 21st-century American male musicians
• A&M Records artists
• American male songwriters
• American multi-instrumentalists
• Musicians from Santa Monica, California
• Musicians from Oakland, California
• Songwriters from California
• Santa Monica High School alumni
• UCLA Bruins men's basketball players
• Deaths from pneumonia in Oregon
• Songwriters from Montana
• People from Bend, Oregon
• 20th-century American male composers

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