​Nikki Rich began her career as a hobby singing in choirs and musical theater. At the end of her college years, she began fronting a rock and roll band, and found her home as a vocalist. Over the years, she has been in several original and cover bands and has expanded the range of her repertoire to include standards, ballads, swing tunes, R&B, Motown, big band, disco, Latin, Italian, Hebrew, Ladino, and Yiddish along with a variety of rock and roll tunes -- from classic to today's alternative rock.​​

After many years of singing for some of Chicago's top orchestra leaders, she decided to go out on her own and introduce NEO -         ​

​          The Nicole Earich Orchestra​​​​​​​

The large 10 piece group is mostly retired, but has been known to reform from time to time. NEO plays as a smaller (5 piece and under) group for parties and summer concerts.

In 2008, she was approached by the Garth Gardner Company to author a book for them in their Career Diary Series about being a professional vocalist. (www.amazon.com/Career-Diary-Vocalist-Gardners-Guide/dp/1589650379)​​

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After spending over 25 years as the principal vocalist for Stuart Rosenberg's "Music for Celebration" and many years with Maryann & the Professors and NEO, she now enjoys singing back up for The Hitmaker (Nick Markos) and in the Lake County band, Big Boss & the Toes.​

She has toured with Stuart Rosenberg, Dr. Bop & the Headliners, and the Dark Star Orchestra. She has recorded many industrial and commercial projects including Michelob Golden Draft, Bally's Total Fitness, Fisher's Nuts, and for the BBC as well. She has recorded and/or performed live with Junior Wells, Barrett Deems (Louis Armstrong), Joe Walsh (The Eagles), Frank Orrall (Poi Dog Pondering), Vince Welnick (Grateful Dead), Ralph Covert, Ben E. King, Three Dog Night, Paul Wertico, Howard Levy, The Bill Porter Orchestra, The Ken Arlen Orchestra, Joel Frankel and Lynne Jordan. ​

She was a regular guest National Anthem singer for the Chicago Bulls during 6 seasons, and was invited to sing for the Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Cubs during two seasons as well. She spent a year being a co-producer of Singer Spotlight Northshore, a showcase for Chicago singers. In November 2004, her singing was the feature of an Infiniti Automobile ad campaign in the Wall Street Journal.​​