Chiotis was born on March 21, 1920, in Thessaloniki. He died on March 20, 1970, allegedly on his birthday. He first started playing the violin, then eventually moved on to the guitar and the bouzouki. From very early on, he was recognized as a great talent.

Aged 16, he began his stage and recording career in 1937 playing with Bayanderas. A year later, in 1938, he recorded his first song De les to nai kai 'sy (Δε λες το ναι και 'συ, Don't you also say yes). As a result of the shutdown of the record companies in Greece, because of the German occupation, he was already one of the major musicians and played bouzouki and guitar in many recordings, besides his own. His career took off after the German occupation.

He has composed many great songs that became timeless hits, including: "O Pasatémpos" (Ο Πασατέμπος), "Apópse Fíla me" (Απόψε Φίλα με, Tonight Kiss Me), "Miázis san Thálassa" (Μοιάζεις σαν Θάλασσα, You Look Like the Sea), and "Vouno me vouno" (Βουνό με βουνό, Mountain to Mountain). Chiotis is known as a virtuoso on both the bouzouki and the guitar. He started to play and popularized the four - string bouzouki (tetrachordo) after 1959.

He was married three times. His first marriage was to Zoe Nahe; his second and most well known to Mary Linda who sung many of his hits; and his third to Beba Kyriakidou.