This story begins August 6, 1945, on Black Fox Road in upper Union County, Tennessee, where the cries of a baby newly born to Clyde and Kate Thomas Nicley echoed through the hollows and hills.
This child’s name was Richard Nicley. It was late summer and at night you could hear the katydids and whippoorwills while enjoying the cooling night air. Life was changing in the mountains as World War II was spinning down and soldiers were returning home to their families.
Young Richard would play with his siblings in the mountains, fields and streams, and he learned a strong work ethic from his parents. When Richard was five years old, a few miles south a new baby girl was born to Sam and Annie Crawford on December 25, 1950. She was the youngest of 14 brothers and sisters and was named Linda Crawford. Like Richard, Linda was born into a farm family and early on learned how to work.
A few years later Linda would influence Richard’s life in a very good way.
When Richard became a teenager, he bought a guitar from his cousin for $7, and this instrument changed the direction of his life forever. With the help of a friend, Gene Needham, Richard learned to play the guitar and the bass. He also began to sing. When he was a student at Horace Maynard High School, Richard played the part in a skit of a linebacker that went to sleep during the game. The audience roared with laughter and that earned him the nickname, Sleepy. Richard said he was just acting naturally.
Richard dropped out of high school in his sophomore year. He had no plans for the future.
He had an old car and was getting a little rebellious—just a teenager with too much time on his hands. Richard had an older first cousin, D.R. Cabbage (who later became a Primitive Baptist Elder).
D.R. had been working at Southern Cast Stone and injured his foot and was disabled for a while. He received a state rehabilitation grant that allowed him to go to barber school. Knowing Richard's severe asthma limited his employment opportunities, D.R. came to Richard’s house to talk to him about going to barber school. He said he thought Richard could also get on a disability grant.
He said, “Go with me tomorrow and spend the day and see what you think.”
That was in the fall of 1962. Richard enrolled that year and graduated on July 23, 1963. This year Richard celebrates his 56th year of barbering, thanks to the good Lord and Elder D.R. Cabbage.
About two years after Richard became a barber he became friends with Ruby Crawford and met her youngest sister, Linda.
Richard was smitten.
They started seeing each other secretly, at first against her mother’s wishes. Her mother eventually signed for them to get married that summer.
Linda was the best thing that ever happened to Richard. They have been married for 54 years and have two children, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
From a very young age, Linda loved to sing, inheriting her singing talent from her father, Sam Crawford. (It really is a God-given gift.) While they were dating, Richard discovered Linda could sing. He played the guitar for her.
Early in their marriage, Linda was on The Jim Hensley Show (a local TV show out of Knoxville) for a season. Many years ago her oldest sister, Lucille, was on the Mid Day Merry-Go-Round (a radio show in Knoxville) numerous times.
Richard became a Christian in December of 1965 soon after getting married. Eventually he started playing bass guitar for a couple of gospel quartets and then had a trio, The Richard Nicley Singers, with Linda, Mike Tipton and Jane Tipton Miller, with Richard on guitar and Mike playing bass guitar.
Richard was called into the ministry in 1974 and was ordained in May of 1975. He soon became a pastor and has pastored four churches for a total of 40 years of pastoring. He recently retired from Emory Valley Baptist Church after serving there for 19 years.
During Richard’s ministry he presided over and with Linda sang at over 700 funerals. They have always been a team and have endeavored to bring comfort to the bereaved families when they lost loved ones.
Richard offers this example of life’s darker episodes that pastors must take part in:
“It was toward the end of November 2010 and a cold north wind was beginning to blow. I was pastor of Emory Valley Baptist Church.
"A young homeless girl named April was living with some folks in a trailer park in Maynardville, and she had been coming to church with a family.
"It was on a late Saturday afternoon, our grandson Canaan was about 15 years old, and he was spending the night with Linda and me. We were just sitting down to supper when the phone rang. It was the lady at the trailer park where
April was staying. She said 'Pastor Nicley, April can’t live here any longer. Could you drive up here and take her to the Salvation Army?'
“Canaan and I drove to Maynardville to get her. It was beginning to get dark and April was waiting outside with no coat and a small bag with her belongings. As we drove toward Knoxville, April talked about how apprehensive she was and that she had not ever been in a homeless shelter before.
"I said, 'April, Canaan and I are going to have prayer with you.'
"We pulled to the curb to let her out and we prayed for her. April then opened the door and disappeared into the night. I was so moved, I came home and sat down at the table and wrote the song, 'April in November' in about 15 minutes.”
Sometimes and for some fortunate people your life is changed by things you don’t expect. Richard’s life was changed by meeting Linda: He had desire to be a country singer, but was led into the ministry.
Richard’s ministry, with Linda, their children and grandchildren, and their gospel singing has hopefully brought peace and contentment to many people.