Billy Nichols obit

Influential soul music giant Billy Nichols dies at 85

 

He was not on the list.

(December 2, 2025) We are sad to inform SoulTrackers of the death of legendary guitarist, songwriter and producer William Lee “Billy” Nichols at age 85. Nichols’ died after a brief illness according to his son, Terrance Hines.

The Mississippi-born Nichols’ professional career began in earnest after relocating to Detroit in the mid-1960s, where he joined Motown Records’ touring and backing bands — working with The Vandellas and later serving as bandleader for Marvin Gaye on the road.

Nichols’ breakthrough as a songwriter came in 1972 when Millie Jackson took his song “Ask Me What You Want” into the Billboard Top 20. But it was his 1974 collaboration with B.T. Express that sealed his place in soul-funk history: the single “Do It (‘Til You’re Satisfied)” — written by Nichols — exploded on the charts, hitting #1 on the R&B chart and #2 on the US Hot 100. The success of that single helped the group’s debut album rise to #1 on the R&B albums chart and crack the Top 5 pop albums. Nichols continued writing and producing further B.T. Express hits such as “Can’t Stop Groovin’” and “Shout It Out.”

As musical trends shifted, Nichols – also known as “Papadollabill,” remained adaptable. In 1979 he penned and co-produced a disco-era club record “Give Your Body Up to the Music,” and by the end of the ’70s he had moved into early hip-hop territory, producing two rap releases — The Adventures of Super Rhymes and Rhythm Rap Rock — now regarded as pioneering in the genre.

Decades later, Nichols’ influence resurfaced via sampling: his grooves have been mined by generations of hip-hop artists — a fact underlined when a sample of “Do It (‘Til You’re Satisfied)” featured in Addictive by Truth Hurts (produced by Dr. Dre) garnered massive urban airplay and earned him two BMI awards for the year 2002.

Through shifting eras, Billy Nichols maintained a steady presence behind the scenes, writing, producing, and performing. He also continued to record as an independent artist, issuing seven albums, the most recent being 2014’s One Day At A Time. While not a household name, Nichols was both admired and revered by his peers, who today will be mourning the passing of this unheralded great. May he rest in peace.