Nico

Nico
Nico performing at the University of Wales, Lampeter, 1985
Background information
Birth name	Christa Päffgen
Born	(1938-10-16)16 October 1938 Cologne, Germany
Died	18 July 1988(1988-07-18) (aged 49) Ibiza, Spain
Genres	Art rock, folk rock, protopunk, experimental, avant-garde
Occupation(s)	Composer, singer, musician, fashion model, actress
Instruments	Vocals, keyboards, harmonium, tambourine
Years active	1954–1988
Labels	Verve, Elektra, Reprise, Island, Beggars Banquet
Associated acts	The Velvet Underground, John Cale, Lou Reed, Brian Jones, Kevin Ayers, John Cooper Clarke, The Invisible Girls, Blue Orchids, Bob Dylan, Brian Eno, Iggy Pop

Nico (born Christa Päffgen; 16 October 1938 – 18 July 1988) was a German singer-songwriter, lyricist, composer, musician, fashion model, and actress who became famous as a Warhol superstar in the 1960s.

She is known for her vocals on the Velvet Underground's debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967), and her work as a solo artist. She also had roles in several films, including Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita (1960) and Andy Warhol's Chelsea Girls (1966).

Nico was born Christa Päffgen in Cologne. When she was two years old, she moved with her mother and grandfather to the Spreewald forest outside of Berlin to escape the World War II bombardments of Cologne. Her father Hermann, born into a dynasty of Colognian master brewers, was enlisted as a soldier during the war and sustained head injuries that caused severe brain damage and ended his life in a psychiatric institution; according to an unproven rumor, 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 13, and began selling lingerie in the exclusive department store KaDeWe, eventually getting modeling jobs in Berlin. At five feet ten inches and with chiseled features and porcelain skin, Nico rose to prominence as a fashion model as a teenager.

At the age of 15, while working as a temp for the U.S. Air Force, Nico was raped by an American sergeant. The sergeant was court-martialled and Nico gave evidence for the prosecution at his trial. Nico's song "Secret Side" from the album The End makes oblique references to the rape.