The Nichols family moved to Fresno, California, when he was two, where they owned a camp for migrant farm workers. Sometimes a traveling gypsy band would stay at the camp and the young Nichols would hide and watch them play. His father Bruce was also a musician, playing upright bass at local dances on the weekends in the San Joaquin Valley.
The Nichols family moved to Fresno, California when he was two years old, where they owned a camp for migrant farm workers. A traveling gypsy band would sometimes stay at the camp, and the young Nichols would observe their performances. His father, Bruce, was also a musician who played upright bass at local dances in the San Joaquin Valley.