Joe Nichols Back on Track After Personal Setbacks

Since Joe Nichols released Real Things two years ago, he’s experienced some personal highs and lows.

The Country star married Heather Singleton, whom he’s known since they were both 18, but then spent some time in rehab. Despite the setback, Nichols has spent the time developing his music and his distinctive style as a vocalist.

Nichols will start the next chapter in his Country Music career with the Sept. 29 release of Old Things New on Universal South Records. Even though the title of his fifth album  sounds like he’s putting a new spin on traditional things, he says he’s not following the increasingly dominant pop-Country trend.

"If one artist sells five million albums, the tendency is for other artists to say, 'Maybe I should do a little of that, too. That can be tough to resist. But something inside me tells me to stay true to who I am and to stay on my own path. I truly believe that if I do that, there's something better for me down the road."

In addition to promoting his new album, Nichols will soon be starring in the Broadway adaptation of the 1992 film "Pure Country,” which starred George Strait.