Nico
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Christa Päffgen (16 October 1938 – 18 July 1988), known by her
stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...
Nico, was a German singer, songwriter, actress and model. She had roles in several films, including
Federico Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and most i ...
's '' La Dolce Vita'' (1960) and Andy Warhol's '' Chelsea Girls'' (1966). Reviewer Richard Goldstein describes Nico as "half goddess, half icicle" and writes that her distinctive voice "sounds something like a cello getting up in the morning". At the insistence of Warhol, she sang on three songs of the Velvet Underground's debut album '' The Velvet Underground & Nico'' (1967). At the same time, she started a solo career and released '' Chelsea Girl''. Nico's friend, Jim Morrison, suggested that she start writing her own material. She then composed songs on a harmonium, not traditionally a rock instrument.
John Cale John Davies Cale (born 9 March 1942) is a Welsh musician, composer, singer, songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the American rock band the Velvet Underground. Over his six-decade career, Cale has worked in various styl ...
of The Velvet Underground became her musical arranger and produced '' The Marble Index'', '' Desertshore'', '' The End...'' and other subsequent albums. In the 1980s, she toured extensively in Europe, United States, Australia and Japan. After a concert in Berlin in June 1988, she went on holiday in
Ibiza Ibiza (natively and officially in ca, Eivissa, ) is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, in Spain. Its l ...
to rest and died as the result of a cycling accident.


Early life

Nico was born Christa Päffgen in Cologne to Wilhelm and Margarete "Grete" Päffgen (née Schulze, 1910–1970). Wilhelm was born into the wealthy Päffgen Kölsch master brewer family dynasty in Cologne and was Catholic, while Grete came from a lower-class background and was Protestant. When Nico was two years old, she moved with her mother and grandfather to the Spreewald forest outside Berlin to escape the World War II bombardments of Cologne. Her father was conscripted into the '' Wehrmacht'' at the onset of the war, but there are several conflicting accounts as to when and how he died. According to biographer
Richard Witts Richard "Dick" Witts (born in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire) is an English musicologist, music historian, and ex leader of 1980s band the Passage. He attended Clee Grammar School for Boys. He studied at the Royal Manchester College of Music and ...
in his 1995 book, ''Nico: The Life and Lies of an Icon'', Wilhelm Päffgen was gravely wounded in 1942 after having been shot in the head by a French sniper. With no certainty that he would survive, his commanding officer, following standing orders, ended his life by gunshot. Another story is that he sustained head injuries that caused severe
brain damage Neurotrauma, brain damage or brain injury (BI) is the destruction or degeneration of brain cells. Brain injuries occur due to a wide range of internal and external factors. In general, brain damage refers to significant, undiscriminating t ...
, and spent the rest of his life in a psychiatric institution. According to unproven rumours, he was variously said to have died in a concentration camp, or to have faded away as a result of shell shock. In 1946, Nico and her mother relocated to downtown Berlin, where Nico worked as a seamstress. She attended school until the age of 13, and began selling lingerie in the exclusive department store
KaDeWe The Kaufhaus des Westens (), abbreviated to KaDeWe, is a department store in Berlin, Germany. With over of retail space and more than 380,000 articles available, it is the second-largest department store in Europe after Harrods in London. It att ...
, eventually getting modelling jobs in Berlin. At , and with chiseled features and pale skin, Nico rose to prominence as a fashion model when still a teenager. At the age of 15 while working as a temp for the US Air Force, she was allegedly raped by an American sergeant and she gave evidence at the trial which led to the perpetrator being court-martialed. The incident was referenced in her song ''Secret Side.'' However, biographers such as Richard Witts have debated the validity of the story as no public records of the case have been documented.


Career


Acting and modelling (1954–1964)

Nico was discovered at 16 by the photographer Herbert Tobias while both were working at a
KaDeWe The Kaufhaus des Westens (), abbreviated to KaDeWe, is a department store in Berlin, Germany. With over of retail space and more than 380,000 articles available, it is the second-largest department store in Europe after Harrods in London. It att ...
fashion show in Berlin. He gave her the name "Nico" after a man he had fallen in love with, filmmaker
Nikos Papatakis Nico Papatakis ( el, Νίκος Παπατάκης; 5 July 1918 – 17 December 2010)Death certificate registered by the Paris's City Hall (France) was an Ethiopian-born Greek filmmaker, who lived in France. Biography Papatakis was born in Addi ...
, and she used it for the rest of her life. She moved to Paris and began working for '' Vogue'', ''Tempo'', ''Vie Nuove'', ''Mascotte Spettacolo'', ''Camera'', '' Elle'', and other fashion magazines. Around this time, she dyed her brown hair blonde, later claiming she was inspired to do so by Ernest Hemingway. At age 17, she was contracted by Coco Chanel to promote their products, but she fled to New York City and abandoned the job. Through her travels, she learned to speak English, Spanish, and
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
. In 1959, she was invited to the set of
Federico Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and most i ...
's '' La Dolce Vita'', where she attracted the attention of the acclaimed director, who gave her a minor role in the film as herself. By that time, she was living in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
and taking acting classes with Lee Strasberg. After a role in the 1961 Jean Paul Belmondo film ''
A Man Named Rocca ''A Man Named Rocca'' (french: Un nommé La Rocca, it, Quello che spara per primo) is a 1961 French-Italian crime-thriller film directed by Jean Becker and starring Jean Paul Belmondo. It is based on the 1958 novel ''L'Excommunié'' by José Gio ...
'', she appeared as the cover model on jazz pianist
Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block ch ...
' 1962 album, '' Moon Beams''. After splitting her time between New York and Paris, she got the lead role in
Jacques Poitrenaud Jacques Poitrenaud (born 22 May 1922, Lille – died 5 April 2005, Paris) was a French film director and actor. Director *1956: '' Saint-Germain-en-Laye, cité royale'' (Short) *1957: '' Enfants, Touraine'' (Short) *1960: '' La revenante'' (Short ...
's ''Strip-Tease'' (1963). She recorded the title track, which was written by
Serge Gainsbourg Serge Gainsbourg (; born Lucien Ginsburg; 2 April 1928 – 2 March 1991) was a French musician, singer-songwriter, actor, author and filmmaker. Regarded as one of the most important figures in French pop, he was renowned for often provoca ...
but not released until 2001, when it was included in the compilation ''Le Cinéma de Serge Gainsbourg''.


Early singing work

In 1965, Nico met the
Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...
guitarist Brian Jones and recorded her first single, "
I'm Not Sayin' "I'm Not Sayin' is a song written by Gordon Lightfoot. It was recorded in December 1964 and released as a single A-side in 1965 and on his 1966 debut album ''Lightfoot!''. The lyrics detail the singer's promise: not that he can necessarily love t ...
", with the B-side "The Last Mile", produced by
Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...
for Andrew Loog Oldham's Immediate label. Actor Ben Carruthers introduced her to Bob Dylan in Paris that summer. In 1967, Nico recorded his song " I'll Keep It with Mine" for her first album, '' Chelsea Girl''.


The Velvet Underground (1966–67)

After being introduced by Brian Jones, she began working in New York with Andy Warhol and
Paul Morrissey Paul Morrissey (born February 23, 1938) is an American film director, best known for his association with Andy Warhol. He was also director of the first film in which a transgender actress, Holly Woodlawn, starred as a girlfriend of the main cha ...
on their experimental films, including '' Chelsea Girls'', ''The Closet'', ''Sunset'' and '' Imitation of Christ''. Warhol began managing the Velvet Underground, a New York City rock band and he proposed that the group take on Nico as a " chanteuse", an idea to which they consented, reluctantly for both personal and musical reasons. The group became the centerpiece of Warhol's '' Exploding Plastic Inevitable'', a multimedia performance featuring music, lighting,
film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
and
dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
. Nico sang lead vocals on three songs ("
Femme Fatale A ''femme fatale'' ( or ; ), sometimes called a maneater or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype of ...
", " All Tomorrow's Parties", " I'll Be Your Mirror"), and backing vocal on " Sunday Morning", on the band's debut album, '' The Velvet Underground & Nico'' (1967). Reviewer Richard Goldstein describes Nico as "half goddess, half icicle" and writes that her Velvet Underground vocal "sounds something like a cello getting up in the morning". Nico's tenure with the Velvet Underground was marked by personal and musical difficulties. Multi-instrumentalist
John Cale John Davies Cale (born 9 March 1942) is a Welsh musician, composer, singer, songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the American rock band the Velvet Underground. Over his six-decade career, Cale has worked in various styl ...
wrote that Nico's long dressing room preparations, and pre-performance ritual of burning a candle, often held up performances, which especially irritated songwriter
Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. ...
. Nico's partial deafness sometimes caused her to veer off key, for which she was ridiculed by other band members. The album became a classic, ranked 13th on '' Rolling Stone''s
500 Greatest Albums of All Time * Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time * NME's The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is a 2013 special issue of British magazine '' NME'', available digitally or in newsstands on October 23. The li ...
, though it was poorly received at the time of its release.


Early solo career (1967–1977)

Immediately following her musical work with the Velvet Underground, Nico began work as a solo artist, performing regularly at The Dom in New York City. At these shows, she was accompanied by a revolving cast of guitarists, including members of the Velvet Underground, Tim Hardin, Tim Buckley, Ramblin' Jack Elliott and
Jackson Browne Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and political activist who has sold over 18 million albums in the United States. Emerging as a precocious teenage songwriter in mid-1960s Los Angeles, he h ...
. For her debut album, 1967's '' Chelsea Girl'', she recorded songs by Bob Dylan, Tim Hardin, and
Jackson Browne Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and political activist who has sold over 18 million albums in the United States. Emerging as a precocious teenage songwriter in mid-1960s Los Angeles, he h ...
, among others. Velvet Underground members
Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. ...
,
John Cale John Davies Cale (born 9 March 1942) is a Welsh musician, composer, singer, songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the American rock band the Velvet Underground. Over his six-decade career, Cale has worked in various styl ...
and Sterling Morrison contributed to the album, with Nico, Reed and Cale co-writing one song, "It Was a Pleasure Then." ''Chelsea Girl'' is a traditional chamber-folk album, with
strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
and flute arrangements by producer Tom Wilson. Nico had little say in its production, and was disappointed with the result; she said in 1981: "I still cannot listen to it, because everything I wanted for that record, they took it away. I asked for drums, they said no. I asked for more guitars, they said no. And I asked for simplicity, and they covered it in flutes! ... They added strings, and— I didn't like them, but I could live with them. But the flute! The first time I heard the album, I cried and it was all because of the flute." In California, Nico spent time with Jim Morrison of the Doors, who encouraged her to write her own songs. For '' The Marble Index'', released in 1968, Nico wrote the lyrics and music. Nico's harmonium anchored the accompaniment, while John Cale added an array of folk and classical instruments, and arranged the album. The harmonium became her signature instrument for the rest of her career. The album has a classical-cum-European folk sound. The album also marked a radical change in Nico's appearance and image. She once again dyed her hair, this time from blonde to red, and began dressing mostly in black, a look that would be considered a visual prototype for the
gothic rock Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie a ...
scene that would emerge in subsequent years. A promotional film for the song "Evening of Light" was filmed by Francois de Menil. This video featured the now red-haired Nico and
Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of ...
of The Stooges. Returning to live performance in the early 1970s, Nico (accompanying herself on harmonium) gave concerts in Amsterdam as well as London, where she and John Cale opened for
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
. 1972 saw a one-off live reunion of Nico, Cale and
Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. ...
at the
Bataclan Bataclan may refer to: *''Ba-ta-clan'', a 1855 operetta by Jacques Offenbach *Bataclan (theatre), a theatre in Paris named after the operetta **Bataclan theatre massacre, November 2015 Paris attacks Music *''Bataclan 1989'', by Maxime Le Foresti ...
in Paris. Nico released two more solo albums in the 1970s, '' Desertshore'' (1970) and '' The End...'' (1974). She wrote the music, sang, and played the harmonium. Cale produced and played most of the other instruments on both albums. ''The End...'' featured
Brian Eno Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop an ...
on synthesizer and Phil Manzanera on guitar, both from Roxy Music. She appeared at the
Rainbow Theatre The Rainbow Theatre, originally known as the Finsbury Park Astoria, is a Grade II*-listed building in Finsbury Park, London. The theatre was built in 1930 as a cinema. It later became a music venue. Today, the building is used by the Universa ...
, in London, with Cale, Eno, and Kevin Ayers. The album '' June 1, 1974'' was the result of this concert. Nico performed a version of the Doors' "The End", which was the catalyst for '' The End...'' later that year. Between 1970 and 1979, Nico made about seven films with French director Philippe Garrel. She met Garrel in 1969 and contributed the song "The Falconer" to his film ''Le Lit de la Vierge''. Soon after, she was living with Garrel and became a central figure in his cinematic and personal circles. Nico's first acting appearance with Garrel occurred in his 1972 film, ''La Cicatrice Intérieure''. Nico also supplied the music for this film and collaborated closely with the director. She also appeared in the Garrel films ''Anathor'' (1972); the silent Jean Seberg feature ''Les Hautes Solitudes'', released in 1974; ''Un ange passe'' (1975); ''Le Berceau de cristal'' (1976), starring Pierre Clémenti, Nico and Anita Pallenberg; and ''Voyage au jardin des morts'' (1978). His 1991 film ''J'entends Plus la Guitare'' is dedicated to Nico. On 13 December 1974, Nico opened for Tangerine Dream's infamous concert at Reims Cathedral in
Reims Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne. Founded by ...
, France. Around this time, Nico became involved with Berliner musician Lutz Ulbrich, guitarist for Ash Ra Tempel. Ulbrich would accompany Nico on guitar at many of her subsequent concerts through the rest of the decade. Also in this time period, Nico let her hair return to its natural brown color but continued wearing mostly black. This would be her public image from then on. Nico and
Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anoth ...
allegedly had many disputes during this time, and in 1975 the label dropped her from their roster.


Later solo career (1978–1988)

In September 1978, Nico performed at the Canet Roc '78 festival in Spain. Also performing at this event were Blondie, Kevin Ayers, and Ultravox. She made a vocal contribution to Neuronium's second album, ''Vuelo Químico'', as she was at the studio, by chance, while it was being recorded in Barcelona in 1978 by Michel Huygen, Carlos Guirao and Albert Gimenez. She read excerpts from " Ulalume" by Edgar Allan Poe. She said that she was deeply moved by the music, so she could not help but make a contribution. During the same year, Nico briefly toured as supporting act for
Siouxsie and the Banshees Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. They have been widely influential, both over their contemporaries and with later acts. ''Q'' magazine in ...
, one of many post-punk bands who namechecked her. In Paris, Patti Smith bought a new harmonium for Nico after her original was stolen. Nico returned to New York in 1979 where her comeback concert at CBGB (accompanied by John Cale and Lutz Ulbrich) was reviewed positively in '' The New York Times''. She began playing regularly at the Squat Theatre and other venues with Jim Tisdall accompanying her on harp and
Gittler guitar A Gittler Guitar is an experimental designed guitar created by Allan Gittler (1928–2002). Gittler felt that sentimental design references to acoustic guitars are unnecessary in an electronically amplified guitar, and designed his instrument wit ...
. They played together on a sold-out tour of twelve cities in the East and Midwest. At some shows, she was accompanied on guitar by Cheetah Chrome ( the Dead Boys). In France, Nico was introduced to photographer Antoine Giacomoni. Giacomoni's photos of Nico would be used for her next album, and would eventually be featured in a book (''Nico: Photographies'', Horizon Illimite, Paris, 2002). Through Antoine Giacomoni, she met Corsican bassist Philippe Quilichini. Nico recorded her next studio album, ''
Drama of Exile ''Drama of Exile'' is the fifth studio album by German musician Nico. It was initially released in 1981. The second release followed in 1983 which was a re-recording of the first one done in May 1981. The album featured a Middle Eastern rhythm ...
'', in 1981. produced by Philippe Quilichini. Mahamad Hadi aka Mad Sheer Khan played oriental rock guitar and wrote all the oriental production. It was a departure from her earlier work with John Cale, featuring a mixture of rock and Middle Eastern arrangements. For this album, in addition to originals like "Genghis Khan" and "Sixty Forty", Nico recorded covers of the Velvet Underground's " I'm Waiting for the Man" and David Bowie's " Heroes". ''Drama of Exile'' was released twice, in two different versions, the second appearing in 1983. After relocating to Manchester, England, in the early 1980s, Nico acquired a manager, the influential Factory Records executive and promoter Alan Wise, and began working with a variety of backing bands for her many live performances. These bands included, chronologically, Blue Orchids, the Bedlamites and the Faction. In 1981, Nico released the Philippe Quilichini-produced single "Saeta"/"Vegas" on Flicknife Records. The following year saw another single, "Procession" produced by Martin Hannett and featuring The Invisible Girls. Included on the "Procession" single was a new version of The Velvet Underground's "All Tomorrow's Parties". Nico toured in 1982 with post-punk band Blue Orchids as her backing band. At the time, her work impacted the emerging
gothic rock Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie a ...
scene. At Salford University in 1982, she joined Bauhaus for a performance of "I'm Waiting for the Man". That same year, Nico's supporting acts included The Sisters of Mercy and Gene Loves Jezebel. In September 1982, Nico performed at the
Deeside Leisure Centre Deeside Leisure Centre is a sports centre located in Queensferry, Flintshire. Its facilities include Deeside Ice Rink (an Olympic-sized inline hockey rink), badminton courts, and squash courts. The centre was the venue for the 1974 Wightman Cup ...
for the
Futurama Festival Futurama Festival was an annual post-punk and gothic rock festival held at venues in Leeds, Stafford and Queensferry between 1979 and 1983. A sixth edition was held in 1989. It aimed for a relaunch in 2021 but, after being postponed, was forced ...
. The line-up for this show also included The Damned,
Dead or Alive Dead or Alive most commonly refers to: * Dead or Alive (band), a British pop band * Dead or alive, a phrase on a wanted poster Dead or Alive may also refer to: Film and television * ''Dead or Alive'' (1921 film), an American silent film dir ...
, Southern Death Cult,
Danse Society The Danse Society are an English gothic rock band, formed in Barnsley in 1980. They were originally active until 1987, reforming in 2011. They achieved moderate success during their career. Their lineup included Steve Rawlings (vocals), Paul N ...
and The Membranes. After the end of her work with the Blue Orchids, she hired musical arranger James Young and his band the Faction for her concerts. The live compilations ''1982 Tour Diary'' and ''En Personne En Europe'' were released in November 1982 on the 1/2 Records cassette label in France; the ROIR cassette label reissued the former under the revised title "Do Or Die!" in 1983. These releases were followed by more live performances throughout Europe over the next few years. She recorded her final solo album, '' Camera Obscura'', in 1985, with the Faction ( James Young and Graham Dids). Produced by John Cale, it featured Nico's version of the
Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American Musical composition, composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers was one of the most ...
/
Lorenz Hart Lorenz Milton Hart (May 2, 1895 – November 22, 1943) was an American lyricist and half of the Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart. Some of his more famous lyrics include " Blue Moon", " The Lady Is a Tramp", "Manhattan", "Bewitched, Both ...
song "
My Funny Valentine "My Funny Valentine" is a show tune from the 1937 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart coming of age musical ''Babes in Arms'' in which it was introduced by teenaged star Mitzi Green. The song became a popular jazz standard, appearing on over 130 ...
". The album's closing song was an updated version of "König", which she had previously recorded for ''La cicatrice interieure''. This was the only song on the album sung in German or to feature only Nico's voice and harmonium. A music video for "My Heart Is Empty" was filmed at The Fridge in
Brixton Brixton is a district in south London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th ce ...
. The next few years saw frequent live performances by Nico, with tours of Europe, Japan and Australia (usually with the Faction or the Bedlamites). A number of Nico's performances towards the end of her life were recorded and released, including 1982's ''Heroine'', ''Nico in Tokyo'', and '' Behind the Iron Curtain''. In March 1988, she and Young hired new guitarist Henry Olsen: together, they composed new songs to be premiered at a festival organized by Lutz Ulbrich at the Berlin Planetarium in June. Nico was then inspired by Egyptian music and Egyptian singer and diva Oum Kalthoum. Young stated that the new material was "good enough to be a springboard to a new record" with an Egyptian orchestra. The Berlin concert ended with a song from ''The End...'', "You Forget to Answer". A duet called "Your Kisses Burn" with singer Marc Almond was her last studio recording (about a month before her death). It was released a few months after her death on Almond's album ''
The Stars We Are ''The Stars We Are'' is the fourth studio album by British singer/songwriter Marc Almond. It was released in September 1988, reaching number 41 on the UK Albums Chart, and 144 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 album chart. It is Almond's highest sell ...
''. The recording of the 1988 Berlin concert, was later released with the title '' Nico's Last Concert: Fata Morgana''.


Personal life

Nico had an affair with French actor
Alain Delon Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon (; born 8 November 1935) is a French actor and filmmaker. He was one of Europe's most prominent actors and screen sex symbols in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. In 1985, he won the César Award for Best Actor for h ...
and, on 11 August 1962, gave birth to their son,
Christian Aaron Boulogne Christian Aaron Boulogne (11 August 1962 – May 2023) also known as Ari Boulogne and Ari Päffgen was a French photographer, actor and writer. Early life Boulogne was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine on 11 August 1962. He was the son of German singer ...
, whom she called Ari. Delon denied paternity and Nico had difficulty raising Ari, so the boy was raised by Delon's parents. Ari became a photographer and actor, and had a son, born in 1999, and a daughter, born in 2006. Nico saw herself as part of a tradition of bohemian artists, which she traced back to the Romanticism of the early 19th century. She led a nomadic life, living in different countries. Apart from Germany, where she grew up, and Spain, where she died, Nico lived in Italy and France in the 1950s, spent most of the 1960s in the US, and lived in London in the early 1960s and again in the 1980s, when she moved between London and Manchester. The final years of her life were mainly spent in the
Prestwich Prestwich ( ) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England, north of Manchester city centre, north of Salford and south of Bury. Historically part of Lancashire, Prestwich was the seat of the ancient parish o ...
and Salford area of Greater Manchester. Although she was still struggling with addiction, she became interested in music again. For a few months in the 1980s, she shared an apartment in Brixton, London, with punk poet John Cooper Clarke but not as a couple. Nico was a heroin addict for over 15 years. In the book ''Songs They Never Play on the Radio'', James Young, a member of her band in the 1980s, recalls many examples of her troubling behaviour due to her "overwhelming" addiction – and that Nico claimed never to have taken the drug while in the Velvets/Factory scene but only began using during her relationship with Philippe Garrel in the 1970s. In his autobiography, Cheetah Chrome depicted his friendship with a strung-out Nico in the 1980s and their mutual dependency. Shortly before her death, Nico stopped using heroin and began methadone replacement therapy as well as a regimen of bicycle exercise and healthy eating. Nico's friend Danny Fields, the American journalist who helped her sign to
Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the 1 ...
, described her as " Nazi-esque", saying: "Every once in a while there'd be something about Jews and I'd be, 'But Nico, I'm Jewish,' and she was like 'Yes, yes, I don't mean you.' According to Fields, in the early 1970s, Nico attacked a mixed-race woman at the Chelsea Hotel with a smashed wine glass, sticking it in her eye while saying, "I hate black people".
Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anoth ...
dropped Nico after she told an interviewer that she did not like " Negroes" and that they had "features like animals". Nico said she had been raped at the age of thirteen by a black American soldier who had been court-martialed and executed; the biographer
Richard Witts Richard "Dick" Witts (born in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire) is an English musicologist, music historian, and ex leader of 1980s band the Passage. He attended Clee Grammar School for Boys. He studied at the Royal Manchester College of Music and ...
could find no record of this, even "when similar incidents were assiduously documented". In 2019, Nigel Bagley, Nico's co-manager and promoter in Manchester, claimed he never saw Nico express racist views, stating: "She was in a multicultural city and was good friends with Yankee Bill, our American-Jamaican doorman." Her drummer Graham Dowdall said: "She played an Indian instrument, worked with north Africans, and brought that to her music. She was certainly capable of very casual racism about Alan ise who was Jewish, but that was a way of having a go at Al."


Death

On 17 July 1988, during a holiday with Ari on the Spanish island of
Ibiza Ibiza (natively and officially in ca, Eivissa, ) is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, in Spain. Its l ...
, Nico hit her head when she fell off her bicycle. A passing taxi driver found her unconscious, but had difficulty getting her admitted to local hospitals. She was misdiagnosed as suffering from heat exposure and was declared dead at 8:00 pm. X-rays later revealed a severe
cerebral hemorrhage Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as cerebral bleed, intraparenchymal bleed, and hemorrhagic stroke, or haemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into the tissues of the brain, into its ventricles, or into both. It is one kind of bleed ...
as the cause of death. Her son later said of the incident: Nico's cremated remains are buried in her mother's plot in Grunewald, a forest cemetery in Berlin. Friends played a tape of "Mütterlein", a song from ''Desertshore'', at her funeral.


Legacy

Nico inspired many musicians including
Siouxsie and the Banshees Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. They have been widely influential, both over their contemporaries and with later acts. ''Q'' magazine in ...
, The Cure,
Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey (; born 22 May 1959), known professionally as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. Since then ...
,
Elliott Smith Steven Paul Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003), known professionally as Elliott Smith, was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and lived much of hi ...
and
Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...
. Siouxsie and the Banshees invited her as special guest on their first major UK tour in 1978; they also later covered "All Tomorrow's Parties". The Cure's leader
Robert Smith Robert Smith or Bob Smith, or similar, may refer to: Business * Robert MacKay Smith (1802–1888), Scottish businessman, meteorologist and philanthropist who founded Glasgow University's Mackay Smith Prizes * Robert Barr Smith (1824–1915), ...
has cited ''Desertshore'' as one of his favourite records, as has Björk. Joy Division's
Peter Hook Peter Hook (born Woodhead; 13 February 1956) is an English musician, best known as the bassist and co-founder of the rock bands Joy Division and New Order. Hook often used the bass as a lead instrument, playing melodies on the high strings wi ...
cited ''Chelsea Girl'' as one of his favourite albums. Bauhaus' singer, Peter Murphy, considered that "Nico recorded the first truly Gothic album, ''Marble lndex'' or ''The End''. Nico was Gothic, but she was Mary Shelley to everyone else's Hammer Horror. They both did '' Frankenstein'', but Nico's was real." Morrissey cited Nico when asked to name artists who had a lasting influence on him: "The royal three remain the same: the New York Dolls,
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...
, Elvis Presley, with Nico standing firm as first reserve." Morrissey also said of the song "Innocent and Vain": "this is my youth in one piece of music". Elliott Smith covered "Chelsea Girls" and " These Days" in Portland, Oregon in October 1999; he also cited ''The Marble Index'' as one of his perfect 2.45am albums. Marc Almond recorded a cover version of "The Falconer": she was one of the "things I was obsessed about at school" due to her "wonderful intriguing voice, icy and remote yet warm at the same time". Patti Smith did a concert tribute to Nico in 2014 in which she covered "I Will Be Seven".
Low Low or LOW or lows, may refer to: People * Low (surname), listing people surnamed Low Places * Low, Quebec, Canada * Low, Utah, United States * Lo Wu station (MTR code LOW), Hong Kong; a rail station * Salzburg Airport (ICAO airport code: LO ...
wrote a song titled "Those Girls (Song For Nico)" and Neko Case covered "Afraid" in 2013. Marianne Faithfull recorded "Song For Nico" on her LP "Kissin' Time" in 2002. Two of Nico's songs from ''Chelsea Girl'', "The Fairest of the Seasons" and "These Days", both written by Jackson Browne, were featured in Wes Anderson's film '' The Royal Tenenbaums''. Several biographical works on Nico have appeared, both in print and film. The first, in 1992, was ''Songs They Never Play on the Radio'', a book by James Young that draws on his association with Nico in her last years. In 1993, ''Nico: The Life and Lies of an Icon'' by musicologist
Richard Witts Richard "Dick" Witts (born in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire) is an English musicologist, music historian, and ex leader of 1980s band the Passage. He attended Clee Grammar School for Boys. He studied at the Royal Manchester College of Music and ...
covered Nico's entire life and career. The 1995 documentary ''Nico Icon'' by Susanne Ofteringer examined the many facets of Nico's life with contributions from those who knew her, including her colleagues Reed and Cale. In 2015, Lutz Graf-Ulbrich, Nico's former partner and accompanist in the late 1970s, published ''Nico: In the Shadow of the Moon Goddess'', an account of his time with Nico. In the 2018 biopic '' Nico, 1988'' directed by
Susanna Nicchiarelli Susanna Nicchiarelli (; born 6 May 1975) is an Italian director, actress and screenwriter. Biography Nicchiarelli graduated in Philosophy at the Sapienza University in Rome and gained a PhD in Philosophy at the Scuola Normale in Pisa and a Di ...
, Trine Dyrholm portrays Nico on a journey across Europe during her last tour. In 2019, Manchester International Festival put on a production called
The Nico Project
'. It was a theatrical re-telling of Nico's 1968 album ''The Marble Index'' starring Maxine Peake.


Tributes

Several concerts to honour Nico's career were organized over the years with multiple singers to revisit her repertoire. In 1981 Texas punk band Really Red released an original song in tribute to Nico. In 2005, alternative rock band Anberlin released their second studio album,
Never Take Friendship Personal ''Never Take Friendship Personal'' is the second studio album by alternative rock band Anberlin, released on February 1, 2005 on Tooth & Nail Records. This album was chosen as one of Amazon.com's Top 100 Editor's Picks of 2005. Its singles were ...
, which includes the song "Dance, Dance Christa Päffgen," inspired by Nico, whose given name was Christa Päffgen. The song references her struggle with drugs and unrelated death. Two Nico tribute concerts took place in Europe in the autumn of 2008 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Nico's birth and the 20th anniversary of her death. On 11 October 2008, John Cale, James Dean Bradfield (of Manic Street Preachers),
Fyfe Dangerfield Fyfe Antony Dangerfield Hutchins (born 7 July 1980) is an English musician and songwriter, best known as the founding member of the indie rock band Guillemots. Early life Born in Moseley, Birmingham, in 1980, he moved to Bromsgrove at the ag ...
of the Guillemots, Mark Linkous (of
Sparklehorse Sparklehorse was an American indie rock band from Richmond, Virginia, led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Mark Linkous. Sparklehorse was active from 1995 until Linkous' 2010 death. Prior to forming Sparklehorse, Linkous fronted local bands ...
), Peter Murphy (of Bauhaus), Lisa Gerrard of Dead Can Dance and
Mark Lanegan Mark William Lanegan (November 25, 1964 – February 22, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter, and poet. First becoming prominent as the lead singer for the early grunge band Screaming Trees, he was also known as a member of Queens of the St ...
appeared on stage at the
Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a Grade I l ...
in London. On 17 October 2008 at the Volksbuehne in Berlin, Nico's ex-boyfriend Lutz Ulbrich, who was her musical collaborator in the late 1970s, presented another tribute concert, which featured Marianne Rosenberg, Soap&Skin, Marianne Enzensberger and James Young, the keyboardist from The Faction, Nico's last band. Performance artist Tammy Faye Starlite (Tammy Lang) enjoyed success in 2011 with her one-woman show Nico: 'Chelsea Mädchen', in which she impersonates the singer and delivers spoken material based on an actual interview Nico gave in the mid-Eighties, during an Australian tour. In 2012, X-TG (featuring members of industrial band
Throbbing Gristle Throbbing Gristle were an English music and visual arts group formed in 1975 in Kingston upon Hull by Genesis P-Orridge, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Peter Christopherson, and Chris Carter (British musician), Chris Carter. They are widely regarded as pi ...
) released a re-interpretation of the ''Desertshore'' album. In January 2013, John Cale organized a tribute ''A Life Along the Borderline'' at the
Brooklyn Academy of Music The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a performing arts venue in Brooklyn, New York City, known as a center for progressive and avant-garde performance. It presented its first performance in 1861 and began operations in its present location in ...
in New York City. Performers included Cale, Kim Gordon with Bill Nace, Sharon Van Etten, Meshell Ndegeocello, Stephin Merritt, Peaches, Alison Mosshart, Joan As Police Woman, Greg Dulli, Yeasayer, and Mercury Rev. The song "Last Ride" on Beach House's 2018 album '' 7'' "was inspired by" Nico, according to lead singer Victoria Legrand.


Discography

According to ''The Great Rock Discography'':


Studio albums


EP


Live albums


Compilation albums


Unofficial releases

In 2002, Faust Records released two collections of obscure Nico tracks, ''
Reich der Träume ''Reich der Träume'' (German, "Realm of Dreams") is an unofficial release of obscure Nico tracks. It was released by Faust Records in 2002. Another, similar CD compilation from the same originators, '' Walpurgis-Nacht'', was released shortly aft ...
'' (Realm of Dreams) and ''Walpurgis-Nacht'' (Walpurgis Night).


Singles


Bibliography

*''Nico: The Life and Lies of an Icon'' by
Richard Witts Richard "Dick" Witts (born in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire) is an English musicologist, music historian, and ex leader of 1980s band the Passage. He attended Clee Grammar School for Boys. He studied at the Royal Manchester College of Music and ...
( Virgin Books: London, 1992). *''Up-tight: the Velvet Underground Story'' by Victor Bockris and Gerard Malanga (
Omnibus Press Omnibus Press is a publisher of music-related books. It publishes around 30 new titles a year to add to a backlist of over 250 titles currently in print. History Omnibus Press was launched in 1972 as a general non-fiction publisher to complem ...
: London, 1995 reprint). * ''Songs They Never Play on the Radio: Nico, the Last Bohemian'' Reissued numerous times over the years with recognizable variant titles (''Nico – Songs They Never Play on the Radio'' or ''Nico – The End'') by James Young,
Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural, intellectual, and educational institutions. Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum, the largest mus ...
, London 1992 *''Nico: Photographies'' by Antoine Giacomoni, (
Dragoon Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat w ...
: Paris, 2002). *''Nico: Cible mouvante. Chansons, Poèmes, Journal'' by Nico, Jacques Pauvert and Ari Boulogne, (Pauvert: Paris, 2001). *''L'amour n'oublie jamais'' by Ari Boulogne, (Pauvert: Paris, 2001). *''Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk'' by Legs McNeil and Gillian Mccain, (Grove Press: New York, 1996). *''Lüül: Ein Musikerleben zwischen Agitation Free, Ashra, Nico, der Neuen Deutschen Welle und den 17 Hippies'' by Lutz Ulbrich (Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf: Berlin, 2007). *''Nico - In The Shadow of the Moon Goddess'' by Lutz Graf-Ulbrich (E-book, Amazon Digital Services, 2015). *''You Are Beautiful and You Are Alone: The Biography of Nico'', by Jennifer Otter Bickerdike, Faber (2021), , 512 pp.


Films and plays

*''Nico – In Memoriam'' (1988), documentary directed by Bernd Gaul *''Nico Icon'' (1995), documentary directed by Susanne Ofteringer * ''Nico Icon Play'', play by Stella Grundy, premièred at Studio Salford on 5 September 2007 * ''Nico. Sphinx aus Eis'' (2005), by Werner Fritsch * '' Nico, 1988'' (2018), directed by Susanna Nicchiarelli with actress Trine Dyrholm as Nico. *
The Nico Project
' (2019), co-created by
Sarah Frankcom Sarah Frankcom (born 1968) is an English theatre director. She was an artistic director of the Royal Exchange, Manchester, Royal Exchange theatre in Manchester from 2008 to 2019, when she became director of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic ...
(director) and Maxine Peake (performer), performed at Manchester International Festival 2019.


References


External links


Habits of Waste, Pt. 1
Evaluation of Nico's early work
Habits of Waste, Pt. 2
Evaluation of Nico's later work
Nico, the Voice of Disaffected Youth
– Audio story from National Public Radio
Nico
(BBC Radio 4 ''Woman's Hour'' audio item) * * *

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