James Hayden Nicholas (born May 7, 1956) is a country guitarist, songwriter, and author.Nicholas grew up in the Houston, Texas area, where he taught himself to play guitar at age nine. In the early 1980s, he was briefly member of the band Revolver, headlined by Tim McCrary, which played extensively in Texas. After a stint living in California, he returned to Texas, where, in 1987, he met then-struggling country singer Clint Black.