Young Nichols heard the early recordings of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band and later those of Bix Beiderbecke, and these had a strong influence on him.

[4] His composition "Nervous Charlie Stomp" was recorded by one of the top jazz bands of the 1920s, Fletcher Henderson's orchestra featuring Coleman Hawkins on sax, and released as a 78 single.

Much of his vast recorded output was released in Europe, where he was regarded by early jazz critics as the equal, if not the superior, of Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbecke.

People who make fools of themselves usually find a scapegoat, and when the critics were exposed to the music of Duke Ellington, Benny Carter, Coleman Hawkins, and others, they turned on Nichols and savaged him, trashing him as unfairly as they had revered him.

In 1942, their daughter contracted polio, which was misdiagnosed at first as spinal meningitis, and Nichols left Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra to work in the wartime shipyards.

[6] Drawn back to music after the war, Nichols formed another Five Pennies band and began playing in small clubs in Los Angeles.

In 1956, he was the subject of an episode of the television program This Is Your Life in which he reunited with Miff Mole, Phil Harris, and Jimmy Dorsey, who praised Nichols as a bandleader who ensured everyone was paid.

[7] In 1929, he appeared in the Vitaphone film short (reel #870) with his band the Five Pennies along with Eddie Condon and Pee Wee Russell.

In 1935, he appeared in the Paramount Pictures film short The Parade of the Maestros along with Ferde Grofe performing "In the Middle of a Kiss".

Nichols also made cameo appearances in the 1951 film Disc Jockey with Tommy Dorsey, and The Gene Krupa Story in 1959.

The musicians are Red Nichols (cornet), Tommy Thune and John Egan (trumpet), Herb Taylor (trombone), Pee Wee Russell (clarinet), Irving Brodsky (piano), Eddie Condon (banjo and vega lute) and George Beebe (drums).

In 1935, the film short Million Dollar Notes was released by Paramount Pictures, directed by Fred Waller and produced by Adolph Zukor.

In 1936, he and his band appeared in a ten minute film short entitled Red Nichols and His World Famous Five Pennies directed by Joseph Henabery which featured his theme song "Wail of the Winds" written by Harry Warren, "Get Happy", "When It's Sleepy Time Down South", "Troublesome Trumpet", "Cryin' for the Carolines", "Carolina in the Morning" written by Walter Donalson, and "Can't Yo' Heah Me Callin' Caroline".

He wrote or co-wrote the following songs: "Hurricane" with Paul Madeira Mertz, "You're Breakin' Me Down" with Glenn Miller, "Five Pennies", "Sugar" with Jack Yellen, Milton Ager, and Frank Crum, "Bug-A-Boo", "The Parade of the 'Pennies'", "The King Kong", "Trumpet Sobs", "Get Cannibal", "Junk Man's Blues", "Delta Roll", "Corky", "Bugler's Lament", "Nervous Charlie Stomp", "Last Dollar", "That's No Bargain", and "Blues at Midnight".