Red Nichols facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Red Nichols
Background information
Birth name	Ernest Loring Nichols
Born	(1905-05-08)May 8, 1905 Ogden, Utah, United States
Died	June 28, 1965(1965-06-28) (aged 60) Las Vegas, Nevada
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, bandleader, composer
Instruments	Cornet
Associated acts	California Ramblers, Paul Whiteman

Ernest Loring "Red" Nichols was a famous American jazz musician. He was born on May 8, 1905, and passed away on June 28, 1965. Red Nichols was known for playing the cornet, leading jazz bands, and writing music. He became a very important figure in jazz music during the 1920s and beyond.

Who Was Red Nichols?

Early Life and Musical Start

Red Nichols was born in Ogden, Utah. His father was a music professor at a college. This meant Red grew up surrounded by music. He was a very talented child, playing complex songs with his father's brass band by the time he was just 12 years old.

Young Red Nichols listened to early recordings of jazz bands like the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. He was also inspired by another great cornet player, Bix Beiderbecke. These musicians helped shape Red's clear and sharp playing style.

In the early 1920s, Nichols moved to the Midwest. He joined a band called the Syncopating Seven. After that band ended, he joined the Johnny Johnson Orchestra. He moved with them to New York City in 1923. In New York, he met Miff Mole, a talented trombonist. They became very close friends and played music together for many years. Before signing with Brunswick Records, Nichols and Mole recorded songs as "The Red Heads."

Becoming a Star with Brunswick Records

Red Nichols was great at reading music. This skill helped him get a lot of work in recording studios. In 1926, he and Miff Mole started recording with different bands. They often used the name "Red Nichols and His Five Pennies." Even though the name suggested five musicians, most of these groups had more players. The name was a clever play on words, since a "nickel" is five pennies.

With the Five Pennies, Red Nichols recorded over 100 songs for Brunswick Records. He also recorded under other fun names. These included the Arkansas Travelers, the California Red Heads, and the Louisiana Rhythm Kings. Sometimes, Nichols and his bands would record 10 to 12 songs in just one week!

Red Nichols' first band included Miff Mole on trombone and Jimmy Dorsey on alto saxophone and clarinet. Over the next ten years, many other famous musicians played in his bands. Some of these included Benny Goodman (clarinet), Glenn Miller (trombone), Jack Teagarden (trombone), and Gene Krupa (drums).

One of the Five Pennies' biggest hits was their song "Ida, Sweet as Apple Cider." It was a huge surprise hit, selling over a million copies! It even earned a gold disc award. Red Nichols also wrote a song called "Nervous Charlie Stomp." This song was recorded by Fletcher Henderson's orchestra, which was one of the top jazz bands of the 1920s.

As time went on, swing music became more popular. This new style was more structured than the improvisational jazz Red Nichols loved. He tried to adapt and formed a swing band. However, his recording career slowed down around 1932.

Nichols also recorded for other record labels. These included Edison Records, Victor Records, Bluebird Records, Variety Records, and Okeh Records.

Later Career and Comeback

Red Nichols managed to keep playing music during the Great Depression. He performed in show bands and theater orchestras. For a while, he even led the orchestra for the famous comedian Bob Hope. During this time, he moved to California.

Nichols married Willa Stutsman, a dancer. They had a daughter. In 1942, their daughter became very ill with polio. Red Nichols decided to leave his band to work in shipyards during World War II. He wanted to be closer to his family.

After the war, Red Nichols returned to music. He formed another Five Pennies band. They started by playing in small clubs in Los Angeles. Soon, they were performing in bigger places. He even toured Europe, sharing American music as a goodwill ambassador.

In 1950, Nichols and his band appeared in the film Quicksand, which starred Mickey Rooney. In 1956, Red Nichols was featured on a TV show called This Is Your Life. On the show, he reunited with old friends like Miff Mole and Jimmy Dorsey. They all praised Red for being a great bandleader who always made sure everyone got paid.

In 1965, Red Nichols took his Five Pennies band to the Mint Hotel in Las Vegas. A few days after they started performing, he felt chest pains while sleeping. He called for help, but sadly, he passed away before an ambulance arrived on June 28, 1965. His band still performed as planned, with a spotlight shining on Nichols' empty chair.

Red Nichols in Movies

Red Nichols and his band, The Five Pennies, appeared in a short film in 1929. Later, in 1935, he was in another short film called The Parade of the Maestros.

He was also mentioned and performed in the 1950 film Quicksand. In the movie, Mickey Rooney's character asks if someone likes "Red Nichols and his outfit?" The other character says they think they're great, and then they go to watch Red Nichols and his band play.

A movie about Red Nichols' life, called The Five Pennies, was released in 1959. Danny Kaye played Red Nichols in the film. Red Nichols himself played his own cornet parts for the movie. He even made a short appearance in the film as one of the "Clicquot Club Eskimos." The movie was very popular and received four Academy Award nominations. The famous jazz musician Louis Armstrong also appeared in the film.

Nichols also had small appearances in other films. These included Disc Jockey in 1951 and The Gene Krupa Story in 1959. His music has also been used in later films, like "Poor Butterfly" in the 1994 film Bullets Over Broadway.

Awards and Honors

In 1986, Red Nichols was honored by being added to the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame.

Songs Red Nichols Wrote

Red Nichols wrote or helped write many songs. Some of his compositions include:

• "Hurricane" (with Paul Mertz)
• "You're Breakin' Me Down" (with Glenn Miller)
• "Five Pennies"
• "Sugar" (with Jack Yellen, Milton Ager, and Frank Crum)
• "Nervous Charlie Stomp" (recorded by Fletcher Henderson)
• "The Parade of the 'Pennies'"
• "Blues at Midnight"

Discography

• Red Nichols Classics. Volume One (Brunswick, 1943)
• Red Nichols Classics. Volume Two (Brunswick, 1946)
• Jazz Time (Capitol, 1950)
• Hot Pennies (Capitol, 1956)
• In Love With Red (Capitol, 1956)
• Red Nichols and His Five Pennies (Tops, 1957)
• Parade of the Pennies (Capitol, 1958)
• Meet the Five Pennies (Capitol, 1959)
• Dixieland Supper Club (Capitol, 1962)
• Sessions, Live (Calliope, 1976)

Images for kids

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See also

In Spanish: Red Nichols para niños