Joe Nichols Makes "Impossible" Impression

Joe Nichols on the Grand Ole Opry stage in April 2008. 2008 Copyright Grand Ole Opry® Photo by Chris Hollo, Hollo Photographics.

May 22, 2009 — A simple song can make a huge impression, and Joe Nichols was reminded of that fact when he used his stardom to help a STARS program at a school in South Carolina.

A class at the John T. Simpson Alternative School in Easley had undertaken a letter writing campaign to get Joe’s attention after the teacher, Sonya Boyles, used Joe’s 2002 hit "The Impossible" to encourage the kids in her Students Taking Active Responsibility (STARS) class. Joe was on his way to a show in Asheville, N.C., and got in touch with Sonya to arrange a visit on just one day’s notice.

"These kids find themselves in a situation not of their making," Joe says. "I think it's great that their teacher is trying to teach them that nothing is impossible, and that you should never give up. And she didn't [give up] with me. Heck, I felt like if I didn't get over to the school and do this performance for the kids, she'd put it on my permanent record! It was a trip we were happy to make, and I applaud Sonya and her students for their hard work."

The positive message Joe set up with "The Impossible," his first hit, continues to make waves. Not only is that song still having an emotional impact on fans, his current single "Believers" likewise puts an inspirational spin on moving through life. And Joe is getting set to do something he might once have thought was impossible: He’ll be taking the lead role in Pure Country when the George Strait film debuts as a Broadway production next year.