Nicholas Psyhogios
Nicholas Psyhogios is a lifelong musician, singer, songwriter, and producer. He is self-taught on several instruments including piano and guitar. Nick started playing trumpet at the age of nine and rose to first chair trumpet in his high school and college Jazz Band. During this time, Nick also played bass guitar in several local bands and upright bass in his college orchestra. In the late 1970’s and 1980’s, Nick was the keyboard player and one of the singers in a band called “Stagger,” which toured across the United States and Canada for over 5 years, including a 3-month engagement in Hawaii playing 7 nights per week. The group evolved into an all-original 4-piece band named “Ruffian.” Ruffian performed at several ChicagoFests and traveled the country. In 1983, Ruffian was working with A&M Records to finalize a recording deal and were asked to open for a diverse group of acts including The Ramones, Brian Adams, Greg Kihn, Tower of Power, Dion and Survivor. At this time, they also began negotiating with Columbia Records, and it was during this period that the band attracted the attention of Paul Anka. Paul Anka signed Ruffian in February of 1984. This major record deal took Nick and Ruffian to Carmel, California for over three months, where they recorded an album at Paul Anka’s home studio and then onto Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, CA with producer Mark Smith (Dwight Twilley). During the recording of this album, Nick worked side-by-side with David Foster, Paul Anka, and Patrick Simmons of the Doobie Brothers. The album was recorded and completed but never released.
Through the 1990’s Nick performed locally with “The Rascal Band” while he also arranged and performed with “The Rockets.” The Rockets were an a cappella ensemble sponsored by Anheuser-Busch. They performed at numerous conventions across the US such as the National Restaurant Association, National Grocers Association, Food Market Institute, The National Association of Convenient Stores, and other venues representing Anheuser-Busch for over six years. Nick coordinated the entire production for that group, and wrote parodies, performing across the country. They worked with several celebrities such as Tony Randall and Jack Klugman, John Forsythe, Payne Stewart, Norm Crosby and even Spuds McKenzie! Nick also wrote and produced jingles for local radio sports shows and other clients, most notably for a software product entitled “The Study Game” by Lessonware.
Presently, Nick has a band with some of the finest musicians in Chicago called “Chicago’s Own Piano Man Band.” They have performed at many of the major Chicago Festivals and were invited to perform on the main stage at The Hoboken Italian Festival in New Jersey in the fall of 2019. Chicago’s Own Piano Man Band was the first to perform in March 2020 to an empty 1000-seat theater for a livestream for folks who were quarantined during the pandemic, and they had over 30,000 views. They also performed a livestream benefit for United Way to benefit Tools for Schools. In September 2020, they were honored to be the opening act for The 6th Annual Josie Music Awards at The Country Tonite Theater in Pigeon Forge where they performed one of Nick’s original songs.
As a current solo artist, Nick has been the opening act, four times for Burton Cummings of the Guess Who at The Arcada Theater in St. Charles. He has also opened for Greg Khin, Patty Smyth and KC and The Sunshine Band.
Nick has a home studio named Street of Dreams Productions, which is set up for a multi-camera shoot where he livestreams his fellow musicians since the pandemic began so they can still have a platform to perform for an audience. He has opened his home to these performers and helps promote their music. Nick has mentored young artists with marketing and songwriting techniques. He has produced numerous music videos and soundtracks for artists who cannot afford to create them on their own. Nick never took any money for this, as he was only interested in helping other artists.
In November of 2015, Nick and his wife Phyllis began producing “The Concert for Jimmy Zito” in honor of Phyllis’s brother who was a musician. Jim passed away that year at a young age. Since that first concert, which drew over 350 people with performances from family members and friends, they have produced a concert each year, and have raised thousands of dollars for children’s charities. These charities included scholarships to underprivileged children to attend The School of Rock Oak Park, and their main focus is benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
That first concert included local celebrity Jimy Sohns (Shadows of Knight) who came and sang his hit song GLORIA. Each year they promote the concert through social media and work with St. Jude to coordinate an event link. Along with Jimy Sohns, Carl Giammarese of the Buckinghams has joined as an entertainer at the shows, performing hits such as “Kind of a Drag” and “Mercy Mercy Mercy,” much to the excitement of the local audiences. Nick and Phyllis have also raised money by auctioning multiple autographed guitars at their concerts, which they acquired from Bret Michaels, Graham Nash, Buddy Guy, Jimmy Peterik, Sammy Hagar and more! They had two guitars called The Cornerstones of Rock Guitar, which were signed by all the members of The Ides of March, The Buckinghams, New Colony Six, The Cryan Shames and The Shadows of Knight. These two guitars alone brought in thousands for St. Jude. The Concert for Jimmy Zito is something that has become a passion for Nick and his wife Phyllis in honor of Jimmy’s memory and to pay forward what a kind person he was through giving to children’s charities while working with musicians and musical production.
In 2017, they held the Concert for Jimmy Zito at The Palace Grill on Madison in Chicago and invited many local entertainers to join the benefit. That year they supported Ann & Robert Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. At that time, they joined The Lurie Children’s Hospital Circle of Friends network and vowed to help where they can with future music events.
Nick and his wife have toured the St. Jude facility in Memphis and were awarded a Thank You plaque as Official Partners for St. Jude in 2018-2019. In 2020, they received a Certificate of Appreciation from Marlo Thomas, representing St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
In August of 2019, Nicholas Psyhogios was invited to join the Hammond Artist Family as a recording and touring artist.
In September of 2020, Nicholas Psyhogios was presented with The Josie Music Award in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee for Songwriter’s Achievement – Personal Composition for his original song “I Want You To Kiss Me.” Nick has since won Musician of the Year for 2021 and 2022 at The Josie Music Awards and has performed on the Grand Ole Opry Stage with one of his original songs.
Nick has recently released two albums, “Reach Out and Take It” which has 15 originals on it and in 2022 “It’s Never Too Soon To Start Over”, which has 29 originals on it. He had his CD Release Celebration at The Des Plaines Theatre on December 6, 2023 and is currently working on his new album.
The St. Jude concert is set for November 24, 2024 at The Des Plaines Theatre and to date they have raised over $110,000 for St. Jude and other children’s charities.