Born in April 1936 and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Nichols attended St. Xavier High School. While in high school, Nichols and several other youths were involved in an automobile accident resulting from a  joy ride.
Nichols was born in April 1936 and grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. He studied at St. Xavier High School. During his time there, Nichols and several other teenagers got into an auto accident during a joyride.