Nico

            Of the five musicians collaborating on this album, Nico is the only one who was not a member of the Velvet Underground.  Nico was born Christa Paffgen in Cologne, Germany on October 16, 1938.  She spoke five languages: German, English, Italian, Spanish, and French.  Her career started at thirteen when she left school to pursue modeling.  She moved to Berlin and then Paris.  While on a modeling job the photographer, Herbert Tobias, gave her the nickname Nico, which she went by for the majority of her life.  In 1962, Nico had a son, Christian Aaron Paffgen.  The father is thought to be Alain Delon, a French actor, but he has always denied it.  Christian was raised by Delon’s mother most of the time, eventually being adopted by her.  Nico recorded her first single, I’m Not Sayin’/The Last Mile in 1965 after she met Brian Jones, guitarist for the Rolling Stones.  Later that same year, Nico was introduced to Bob Dylan, who wrote I’ll Keep It With Mine for her, which she used on her debut album, Chelsea Girl, in 1967.  She was then introduced to Andy Warhol and became one of his “Warhol Superstars,” a group of New York City personalities whom Andy Warhol promoted throughout the 1960s and early 1970s.  Nico starred in several films, including Chelsea Girls, Sunset, The Closet, and Imitation of Christ.  The Velvet Underground and Nico met through Andy Warhol, who suggested that they collaborate on The Velvet Underground’s debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico.  Both parties reluctantly agreed and Nico sang the lead and backup vocals on four songs: Femme Fatale, All Tomorrow's Parties, I'll Be Your Mirror, and Sunday Morning.  Throughout the 1970s, Nico became close with French director, Phillipe Garrel.  She starred in several of his films and collaborated with him to create the music for a few films.  It is said that she became addicted to heroin after meeting Garrel.  Nico released several more solo albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s: Desertshore, The End, Drama of Exile, and Camera Obscura.  Nico’s last concert, Fata Morgana, was held, and recorded, on June 6^th, 1988.  The last song Nico recorded was Your Kisses Burn, a duet with singer Marc Almond, and was released on his album after her death.  Nico’s life was cut short by a tragic bicycling accident in Ibiza on July 18^th, 1988..  While Nico had been a heroin addict for over fifteen years, she had recently quit and was practicing a healthy lifestyle of good eating and bicycle exercise.  While bicycling in Ibiza, on vacation with her son, Nico suffered from a minor heart attack and fell off of her bike, hitting her head and going unconscious.  She died later that night from, what was discovered later as a severe cerebral hemorrhage.