Ernest Loring "Red" Nichols, born on May 8, 1905, in Ogden, Utah, was a prominent American jazz cornetist, bandleader, and composer. He emerged as a significant figure in the jazz scene during the late 1920s and early 1930s, known for his virtuosic cornet playing and innovative bandleading. Nichols was born into a musical family; his father was a college music professor, and he began playing the cornet at the age of three. By the age of 12, he was performing challenging pieces with his father's brass band.

Nichols was influenced by the early recordings of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band and Bix Beiderbecke, which shaped his polished and incisive style. In the early 1920s, he moved to the Midwest and joined the Syncopating Seven, later relocating to New York City with the Johnny Johnson Orchestra in 1923. There, he formed a long-lasting partnership with trombonist Miff Mole, and together they recorded under various names, including Red Nichols and His Five Pennies—a pun on "nickel."

During his career, Nichols recorded over 4,000 records, collaborating with notable musicians such as Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Jack Teagarden, and Gene Krupa. His band, the Five Pennies, achieved a million-selling hit with "Ida, Sweet as Apple Cider," earning a gold disc from the Recording Industry Association of America. Nichols' music was characterized by adventurous arrangements and dynamic contrasts, influenced by his admiration for Bix Beiderbecke.

Despite facing challenges in the 1940s, including a hiatus to support the war effort by working in a shipyard, Nichols returned to music, reforming the Five Pennies in 1944. He continued to perform and record extensively, contributing significantly to the jazz genre. His life and career were loosely depicted in the 1959 biopic "The Five Pennies," starring Danny Kaye, which renewed interest in his work.

Red Nichols passed away on June 28, 1965, in Las Vegas, Nevada, leaving behind a vast legacy of recordings and performances that underscore his impact on jazz music. His contributions to the development of hot jazz and small-group jazz remain influential, and he is celebrated as a key figure in jazz history.