Two years ago, Joe Nichols was just a man with a dream of making a name for himself. Now he’s opening for some of the biggest acts in country music.

Nichols found his way to Nashville and after adding two hit singles and a gold album to his credentials, Nichols has finally reached his dream.

Nichols says is very lucky to be where he is now, though it sometimes seems stressful and hectic.

“I think it’s like any job,” Nichols says.

“It can be stressful at times, but I always try to remember that this is a blessing and I’m very lucky to be where I’m at. So I don’t ever complain too long.”

Nichols says he began playing guitar as a teenager and remembers exactly how he was able to afford his first instrument.

“I got my first guitar when I was probably 13 or 14 years old,” he says.

“I did a summer job and saved up all through the summer, went to the pawn shop where my uncle worked and bought my first guitar.”

Nichols says he even remembers his first live performance in his hometown.

“I did a talent show in a square, a town square in Fayetteville, Ark. I couldn’t have been a day over 16,” he says. “It was my first experience out in front of everybody, singing out in front of everybody for people that I didn’t know. I actually won the contest and it was OK.”

Nichols says he was self-taught but has had some help with his guitar playing along the way. Nichols says, however, that he thinks of himself as more than just a guitarist and that he might take on roles other than playing guitar while in the studio.

“Playing guitar is not really my strong suit. I’m more of a singer and songwriter,” he says. “I can be a melody guy one day and a lyrics guy the next.”

Nichols says he is thankful for those he has worked with in the industry, especially the people most involved in the songwriting process.

“The co-writers have a lot to do with what goes on in songwriting,” he says.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to have several great co-writers that give great ideas and help further along songs.”

Of all the songs Nichols has recorded, he says one of his recently written songs has touched him the most.

“We cut a song here recently called ‘No Time to Cry,'” he says. “It’s probably my favorite song that I’ve heard in a long time and I’m very proud to have cut it. It means more to me than any other song I’ve ever cut.”

Nichols says he still remembers how it felt when he got the call informing him his debut album, “Man With a Memory,” had gone gold.

“It’s one thing to have a lot of accolades like awards, but it’s another thing to actually have the acceptance of fans,” Nichols says. “When they go out and buy your album and accept you like they have, that’s a completely different kind of compliment.”

Who: Brooks & Dunn, Joe Nichols, Josh Turner

Where: Hilton Coliseum

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

Cost: $27.75-$41.75