Gary Nichols Is No Longer a Member of The SteelDrivers. Adam Wakefield to Fill In
Gary Nichols, who was the singer and guitarist for the well-renown and popular bluegrass band The SteelDrivers for the last seven years, is no longer with the band. Though no reasons were given, the band did confirm the departure on Thursday evening (8-24) ahead of a shows in Colorado this weekend.
“The SteelDrivers and Gary Nichols have parted ways. We wish him only the best,” the band said in a statement. “We are looking forward to seeing you on the road this fall. We are excited about our next chapter and we are getting our new music for you guys ready as we speak. We will be out there rocking harder than ever.”
Filling in for Gary Nichols for upcoming shows will be recent runner up on NBC’s The Voice, Adam Wakefield. This will be the second time Wakefiled will have stepped in for Gary Nichols, who took a medical leave from the band in late May with Wakefield filling in. There were no further details given at the time of the Nichols hiatus in May to the nature of the problem, only that it was an “unexpected medical issue.” There is no word if it is the same medical issue that is the cause of him to leave the band now. Gary has not addressed his departure from The SteelDrivers publicly.
Gary Nichols took over for now country music superstar Chris Stapleton when Stapleton left The SteelDrivers in 2010 to pursue a songwriting and solo career. Nichols was uniquely equipped to handle the soaring vocals of the band first started by Stapleton. Though decidedly bluegrass in nature, the SteelDrivers are known for their more hard-driving, almost Southern rock style, with exceptional and outstepping vocals talents not always indicative of bluegrass. They’ve received great attention over the last couple of years due to the rise in popularity of Chris Stapleton.
Nichols himself has had his own dalliance with a major label career. Originally from Muscle Shoals and a friend of Jason Isbell, he was signed to Mercury Nashville in 2006, and released a number of singles, including “Unbroken Ground” which reached #39 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. He eventually left the label without releasing a proper record.
When Adam Wakefield first emerged as a serious contender on The Voice, he immediately drew comparisons with Chris Stapleton from Saving Country Music and others for his more R&B approach to singing country songs, and his long hair and beard.
The SteelDrivers have been a very successful band in the bluegrass space since forming in 2005. In 2016, their record The Muscle Shoals Recordings was named Best Bluegrass Album by The Grammy Awards.
August 26, 2017 @ 10:20 am
Trigger, I think you’re combining Sundance head and Adam Wakefield. Sundance won the voice the season after Adam was runner up. They both drew Chris comparisons, but Sundance has the big beard. Adam is also very into bluegrass and had Alison Kraus as his celebrity duet.
August 26, 2017 @ 10:27 am
Sundance Head was compared to Chris Stapleton too, but so was Adam Wakefield. I posted an article titled, ““The Voice” Contestant Adam Wakefield Could Be Our First Chris Stapleton Clone” in 2016:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/the-voice-contestant-adam-wakefield-could-be-our-first-chris-stapleton-clone/
The bluegrass blog “Bluegrass Today” also made the comparisons between Wakefield and Stapleton when he first filled in for the band:
https://bluegrasstoday.com/gary-nichols-on-medical-leave-from-the-steeldrivers/
I misspoke about the bushy beard. I meant to say “long hair and beard.”
August 26, 2017 @ 10:30 am
I said they both drew Chris comparisons, but only Sundance had a beard.
August 26, 2017 @ 10:30 am
(The two are similar and were in back to back seasons so they’re easy to sort of combine into one)
August 26, 2017 @ 10:28 am
Bummer. I’ve been into this band from the early years. Even saw them with Stapleton back a decade ago. I was stunned when Stapleton left but pleasantly surprised how well Gary worked with their sound. Gary really rescued them from going out and helped them win a Grammy snd continue to build a fan base. His songwriting is tremendous. He brought so much to this band with his impressive voice and mad flat picking skills. I am sure he could do well as a solo artist.
I am shocked at this development. Doubtful that a third go around with lead singer is good. I will say that Tammy Rogers has a great voice and it would be interesting to hear more of it, but that would change the dynamic considerably. Instrumentally, they are a force. Richards banjo style is quite unique in that he is very melodic with his lead runs and often he and Tammy will play melodies off each other to great effect, her fiddling is equally awesome. Brent Truitt is also quite good on msndolin. That said, is it better off to call the band quits? I dunno. But I’m skeptical about another vocalist.
August 26, 2017 @ 10:37 am
I think Adam Wakefield could be a very good option for the band moving forward. Some think runner up on “The Voice” secures you a major label deal, but as we’ve seen over and over, this is rarely the case. The SteelDrivers could give Wakefield a sustainable career in music, it could give The SteelDrivers a boost in attention, and continue to set the SteelDrivers as a top-level bluegrass band that has a history as a proving ground for talent. Of course this is all fantasy football on my part, but The SteelDrivers have been investing in this thing for 12 years, and it would be a shame to see it fall apart right as they’re hitting their stride.
August 26, 2017 @ 11:09 am
Yeah…they were full of momentum for sure. The Muscle Shoals Sessions album is very good, really good. Check out the closing song River Runs Red. Talk about depth, soul and emotion…all in a song mourning the loss of life in the Civil War on both sides. Kinda timely right now.
Tammy is definitely committed to the band, she used to be Reba’s fiddle player and then Patty Loveless. She literally went from touring in private jets to riding in a VAN with The Steeldrivers. She Isn’t About To Call It quits.
Not a fan of Wakefield or horrible pop trendy shows like The Voice either. But considering it’s The steeldrivers, I will give it a chance.
August 26, 2017 @ 1:18 pm
Adam is very not pop. (Actually the country on the voice is waaaaay better than the country on radio).
August 28, 2017 @ 6:26 am
Would recommend seeking out “Unbroken Ground” and “I Can’t Love You Anymore” from his brief Mercury stint. Both are solid and you leave with “Why is this guy not a star?”.
August 28, 2017 @ 9:14 am
I’ve heard his single Blame it On Me a couple of times on Sirius/XM and he sounded pretty good. He suffers from that zero personality curse though but hopefully this is a good break for him. He’s a hard worker.
August 29, 2017 @ 2:24 pm
I just saw Adam with the Steeldrivers in Colorado. He did a fantastic job! I hope he sticks with them.
August 31, 2017 @ 6:01 am
Appears to be a continued struggle with drinking. Hope he rebounds.
November 17, 2017 @ 8:14 pm
Actually, issues with drugs. Known since we were kids. Always knew he’d make it musically, just never thought the drugs would get him.
November 28, 2017 @ 7:39 pm
Drugs? What?
November 17, 2017 @ 1:11 pm
Have you heard Gary’s solo album??? https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-way-we-do-it-down-south/409043809
February 25, 2018 @ 1:57 pm
I am a Bonafied Steelhead and have seen them twice since the announcement of Kelvin as the new lead. Young, talented musician and I’m sure he will grow more confidant as he continues. My next scheduled date to see the is in early October at the Bluegrass Fest at the OBX. It will make 3 times with 11 months of experirnce being use to being on stage and a front man. Will it be a swing and miss or a swing and a hit. Definitely not the dynamic band that they were.
August 29, 2018 @ 6:25 pm
Gary Nichols has been my favorite of the whole period. Really bummed about this. Astonishing it’s been kept so quiet about the departure.
June 29, 2019 @ 1:00 am
It’s incredibly sad. So much talent. This man is the proverbial poster kid for drugs are bad. He had it all – incredible talent, success, beautiful wife and family. Living the dream. Tragically, it wasn’t enough to stave off the voracious, destructive demons of addiction. In a really short period of time has gone from the epitome of success to a heartbreaking example of what not to do and what can happen in the blink of an eye. To see him now is mind boggling – seriously hard to wrap your head around. I struggled with posting this comment. Honestly, had the door not already been opened, I wouldn’t be straining to find the right words; to hopefully express nothing but sadness for what he is dealing with and hope that he someday finds his way out of the rabbit hole while acknowledging the gift and contribution he’s given to us all – something that can never, should never be taken away. But, if looking at Gary’s downslide and seeing how much and how quickly addiction can steal from anyone could help even one person pause and back up before reaching that point of no return then perhaps that would be his greatest gift to the world. Personally, I will never stop hoping that he can find his way back. Certainly, stranger things have happened. If you pray, say a prayer for him. Light a candle. Or just send some love, positive energy and good vibes out to him.
September 29, 2019 @ 9:10 pm
So sorry for this loss of life, he is/was my new favorite, haven’t heard such a soulful voice in quite a few decades. Gary you still got it, you just need to tweak with some quantum healing and get rid of some attachments you have hanging on you. Thank you, thank you thank you. Namaste wishing you love and healing. We still love you everyday.
September 29, 2019 @ 10:18 pm
I’m sorry for the suffering and pain Gary has to deal with. A lot of it is probably related to some type of trauma. So how about if you haters shut it. We know who you are and he certainly doesn’t need to be connected to your karmic cord, because your mouth just gave you away. Its people like you who need help because to begin with your kind are the ones who are the first ones to say something bad. But he knows things you don’t so please don’t be so quick to help other people form an opinion. It doesn’t matter, but it will affect you by being unfair and it will catch up to you
The powers that be will deal with us accordingly. Watch he will be able to make better music than before. I hope for him to be healed, it’s real, but its probably because he has some kind of negative energy around that actually was caused by a per who “doesn’t know”. He has the best voice I’ve heard in a few decades. Bless you Gary, hope to see you soon. Namaste
August 18, 2020 @ 1:42 pm
Gary Nichols is the reason I listen to The SteelDrivers in the first place .
May 22, 2022 @ 12:37 am
We have no idea what this man has gone through. Life is hard sometimes. Especially in the music industry. He is an amazing talent and I have nothing but love and admiration for the truly inspiring, catchy and soulful songs he puts out into the world. Gary, I can only imagine the hurdles and problems you’ve had to face and I wish you all the best. I hope you find the strength and courage to fight your way back to the many fans who love the amazing emotional music , you’ve given us. We love you. We miss your gruff, soulful voice and your mad guitar skills. God bless you for what you have given us and I wish you well , with fighting your demons and finding your way home my friend.
August 11, 2022 @ 2:05 pm
Gary has a couple of great songs on his YouTube channel which address his addiction. I pray his recovery sticks and he stays clean. He has a God-given talent. He can use that talent to help others with similar problems. I hope he does, and I would love to see him return to the SteelDrivers.