Nico

This article is about the German rock singer. For other uses, see Nico (disambiguation).

Nico
Publicity photo of Nico with Velvet Underground in 1966
Nico with the Velvet Underground in 1966
Background information
Birth nameChrista Päffgen
Born(1938-10-16)16 October 1938
Cologne, Germany
Died18 July 1988(1988-07-18) (aged 49)
Ibiza, Spain
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • actress
  • model
Instruments
Years active1955–1988
Labels
Formerly ofThe Velvet Underground

Christa Päffgen (German pronunciation: [ˈkʁɪsta ˈpɛfɡn̩]; 16 October 1938 – 18 July 1988),[1][2][3] known by her stage name Nico, was a German singer, songwriter, actress, and model. Reviewer Richard Goldstein described her as "half goddess, half icicle" and wrote that her distinctive voice "sounds something like a cello getting up in the morning."[4]

Nico had roles in several films, including Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita (1960) and Andy Warhol's Chelsea Girls (1966). At the insistence of Warhol, she sang lead 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 (1967). Her 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 of the Velvet Underground became her musical arranger and produced The Marble Index (1968), Desertshore (1970), The End... (1974) and other subsequent albums.

In the 1980s, Nico toured extensively in Europe, United States, Australia and Japan. After a concert in Berlin in June 1988, she went on holiday in Ibiza, where she died from a cerebral haemorrhage while cycling in extremely hot weather.[5]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference The Great Rock Discography was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Talevski, Nick (2006). Knocking on Heaven's Door: Rock Obituaries. London, UK: Omnibus Press. p. 462. ISBN 1846090911.
  3. ^ "The Velvet Underground | American rock group". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 26 October 2019. Nico (original name Christa Päffgen; b. October 16, 1938, Cologne, Germany—d. July 18, 1988, Ibiza, Spain)
  4. ^ Lindberg, Ulf (2005). Rock Criticism from the Beginning: Amusers, Bruisers, and Cool-headed Cruisers. Peter Lang. p. 115. ISBN 978-0820474908.
  5. ^ Stephen Yardwood (March 2004). "An Interview with James Young". Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2018.