Self-taught, he made his singing debut in Cluj and in 1970 won first prize at the Tinereţe pe portativ ("Youth on the Scale") festival.
After the Romanian Revolution of 1989, he was engaged for several months (March–November 1990) as a soloist with the ensemble "Optimiştii", a troupe of blind performers.
Nicolescu retired in 1992, taking part in various shows and singing in restaurants in order to earn a living.
In autumn 2002, ten years after retiring, Nicolescu returned to the top of the Romanian charts through a duet with the band UNU'.
In December 2007, he released the album Muzică uşoară...lăutărească ("Light Music, Lăutar-style"), featuring songs by other musicians of his age such as Dan Spătaru, Mirabela Dauer, Gabriel Dorobanţu and Corina Chiriac.