Nico was born Christa Päffgen on October 16, 1938, in Cologne, Germany, into a family with a complex background.
She was discovered at 16 by photographer Herbert Tobias, who gave her the name "Nico" after a filmmaker he admired.
Nico's collaboration with The Velvet Underground on their debut album is considered a landmark in rock music history.
Biography
Early Life
Christa Päffgen, known professionally as Nico, was born on October 16, 1938, in Cologne, Germany. She was the daughter of Wilhelm, a wealthy master brewer, and Margarete "Grete" Päffgen. During World War II, Nico and her mother moved to the Spreewald forest to escape the bombings of Cologne. Her father was conscripted into the Wehrmacht and had a tragic fate, with conflicting accounts of his death. After the war, Nico and her mother relocated to Berlin, where Grete worked as a seamstress, and Nico began her journey into the arts.
Career
Nico's career began in the fashion world when she was discovered at the age of 16 by photographer Herbert Tobias. She adopted the name "Nico" and moved to Paris, where she worked for prestigious fashion magazines and became a muse for many artists. In 1959, she made her film debut in Federico Fellini's "La Dolce Vita" and later appeared in various films while also modeling. Her music career took off when she collaborated with The Velvet Underground, contributing her haunting vocals to their iconic album "The Velvet Underground & Nico." Throughout her career, she released several influential albums, including "Chelsea Girl," "The Marble Index," and "Desertshore," showcasing her unique blend of rock music and avant-garde influences.
Personal Life
Nico's personal life was marked by her bohemian lifestyle and relationships with notable figures, including French actor Alain Delon, with whom she had a son, Christian Aaron Boulogne. Despite her struggles with motherhood, she remained a significant figure in the artistic community, living in various countries and embracing a nomadic existence. Her artistic vision was deeply influenced by the Romantic tradition, and she often reflected on her experiences in her music and performances.
Legacy
Nico's impact on music and culture is profound, inspiring a generation of artists, including Siouxsie and the Banshees, Morrissey, and Björk. Her work is often cited as a precursor to the Gothic genre, with her albums like "The Marble Index" being recognized as groundbreaking. Nico's unique voice and artistic vision continue to resonate, solidifying her status as an icon in the music world.
Collected from open sources (4) · facts link to sources · AI-processed
Discography
Love Mail2010
Tracklist not collected yet.
My Funny Valentine2009
- 1.Heroes8:21
- 2.Procession4:46
- 3.My Funny Valentine4:13
- 4.All Tomorrow’s Parties5:27
- 5.Secret Side3:13
- 6.Femme Fatale3:08
- 7.The End9:52
- 8.The Fairest of the Seasons4:09
- 9.These Days3:33
- 10.Little Sister4:26
- 11.Winter Song3:23
- 12.Chelsea Girls7:29
- 13.I’ll Keep It With Mine3:24
- 14.Somewhere There’s a Feather2:21
- 15.Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams5:20
The Frozen Borderline2007
- 1.Prelude1:00
- 2.Lawns of Dawns3:11
- 3.No One Is There3:36
- 4.Ari’s Song3:21
- 5.Facing the Wind4:58
- 6.Julius Caesar (Memento Hodie)5:02
- 7.Frozen Warnings4:01
- 8.Evening of Light5:44
- 9.Sagen die Gelehrten3:53
- 10.Rêve réveiller4:07
- 11.Roses in the Snow (alternate version)4:00
- 12.Nibelungen (complete version)3:16
- 13.Lawns of Dawns (alternate version)3:15
- 14.No One Is There (alternate version)3:41
- 15.Ari’s Song (alternate version)3:15
- 16.Facing the Wind (alternate version)5:06
- 17.Julius Caesar (alternate version)5:02
- 18.Frozen Warnings (alternate version)4:21
- 19.Evening of Light (alternate version)5:41
- 20.Janitor of Lunacy4:05
- 21.The Falconer5:43
- 22.My Only Child3:31
- 23.Le petit chevalier1:18
- 24.Abschied3:05
- 25.Afraid3:30
- 26.Mütterlein4:41
- 27.All That Is My Own3:36
- 28.My Only Child (demo)4:16
- 29.Janitor of Lunacy (demo)3:58
- 30.Abschied Ode (Death/Farewell) (demo)3:01
- 31.You Are Beautiful (Afraid) (demo)3:18
- 32.The Falconer (demo)5:46
- 33.On the Desert Shore (All That Is My Own) (demo)12:45
- 34.Frozen Warnings4:25
Cast Away2007
Tracklist not collected yet.
Asa Cum Vrei (The Way You Want It)2006
Tracklist not collected yet.
Femme Fatale: The Aura Anthology2003
- 1.Genghis Khan3:54
- 2.Purple Lips4:12
- 3.One More Chance5:41
- 4.Henry Hudson3:56
- 5.I’m Waiting for the Man4:14
- 6.Sixty Forty4:52
- 7.The Sphinx3:32
- 8.Orly Flight3:59
- 9.Heroes6:07
- 10.One More Chance (outtake)4:07
- 11.The Sphinx (outtake)4:03
- 12.Orly Flight (outtake)2:50
- 13.Henry Hudson (outtake)3:45
- 14.Sixty Forty (outtake)4:39
- 15.Genghis Khan (outtake)3:32
- 16.Saeta (single)3:52
- 17.Vegas (single)3:40
- 18.Tanamore6:35
- 19.One More Chance7:25
- 20.Procession4:31
- 21.My Heart Is Empty4:52
- 22.Janitor of Lunacy4:25
- 23.The Sphinx3:11
- 24.You Forget to Answer3:34
- 25.Fearfully in Danger4:49
- 26.Sixty Forty4:56
- 27.All Tomorrow’s Parties3:01
- 28.Purple Lips3:47
- 29.Femme Fatale4:22
- 30.Saeta6:21
- 31.The End9:17
Gând pentru ei2003
Tracklist not collected yet.
Innocent & Vain2002
- 1.I’ll Keep It With Mine3:22
- 2.All Tomorrow’s Parties (alternate single voice version)5:58
- 3.You Forget to Answer5:10
- 4.Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams5:11
- 5.Valley of the Kings3:56
- 6.Femme Fatale2:37
- 7.Eulogy to Lenny Bruce3:48
- 8.Secret Side4:07
- 9.Little Sister4:25
- 10.It Was a Pleasure Then8:05
- 11.Innocent and Vain3:49
- 12.The End (live)9:09
Femme Fatale2002
- 1.All Tomorrow’s Parties (Full version)5:36
- 2.Procession4:48
- 3.Frozen Warnings4:07
- 4.Saeta5:06
- 5.Purple Lips3:16
- 6.These Days4:11
- 7.I’ll Keep It With Mine4:44
- 8.Heroes8:33
- 9.Procession3:44
- 10.Sixty/Forty6:21
- 11.The Sphinx2:46
- 12.König1:43
- 13.Femme Fatale3:01
- 14.I’m Waiting for the Man6:48
- 15.Orly Flight3:20
- 16.Secret Side3:48
- 17.Femme Fatale3:14
An Underground Experience + Heroine2000
Tracklist not collected yet.
The Classic Years1998
- 1.I’m Not Saying2:52
- 2.The Last Mile2:30
- 3.I’ll Be Your Mirror2:18
- 4.Femme Fatale2:42
- 5.All Tomorrow’s Parties2:52
- 6.The Fairest of the Seasons4:10
- 7.These Days3:34
- 8.Little Sister4:26
- 9.Chelsea Girls7:26
- 10.No One Is There3:37
- 11.Ari’s Song3:24
- 12.Frozen Warnings4:06
- 13.Nibelungen2:47
- 14.Janitor of Lunacy4:03
- 15.Abschied3:05
- 16.Afraid3:30
- 17.Secret Side4:08
- 18.You Forgot to Answer5:09
- 19.The End9:30
Icon (Rare & Unreleased)1996
- 1.Vegas3:41
- 2.One More Chance3:53
- 3.The Sphinx4:10
- 4.Orly Flight4:05
- 5.Henry Hudson2:51
- 6.Sixty Forty3:46
- 7.Genghis Khan4:39
- 8.Mutterlein3:32
- 9.We've Got the Gold4:08
- 10.Saeta4:02
- 11.Nico Interviews 1977-198637:05
Hanging Gardens1990
- 1.Hanging Gardens6:23
- 2.The Sound4:59
- 3.You Forgot to Answer3:30
- 4.Vegas3:42
- 5.I'm Waiting for the Man4:23
- 6.Your Voice5:40
- 7.Your Word Against Mine (All Saints Night)4:06
- 8.I Will Be Seven4:47
- 9.The Line (Sãeta)3:35
Live Heroes1986
- 1.Heroes8:22
- 2.Procession4:46
- 3.My Funny Valentine4:12
- 4.All Tomorrow’s Parties5:29
- 5.Valley of the Kings3:13
- 6.Femme Fatale3:08
- 7.The End9:52
Behind the Iron Curtain1986
- 1.All Saints Night From a Polish Motorway
- 2.Procession
- 3.Secret Side
- 4.The Song of the Lonely Girl
- 5.Win a Few
- 6.König
- 7.Purple Lips
- 8.All Tomorrow’s Parties
- 9.Fearfully in Danger
- 10.The End
- 11.My Funny Valentine
- 12.60/40
- 13.Tananoori
- 14.Janitor of Lunacy
- 15.My Heart Is Empty
- 16.Femme Fatale
The Blue Angel1985
Tracklist not collected yet.
Camera Obscura1985
- 1.Camera Obscura3:46
- 2.Tananore4:28
- 3.Win a Few6:14
- 4.My Funny Valentine3:29
- 5.Das Lied von einsanen Mädchens5:44
- 6.Fearfully in Danger7:30
- 7.My Heart Is Empty4:42
- 8.Into the Arena4:17
- 9.König4:09
The Drama of Exile1983
Tracklist not collected yet.
Live in Denmark1983
Tracklist not collected yet.
En personne en Europe1983
Tracklist not collected yet.
Drama of Exile1981
Tracklist not collected yet.
The End…1974
Tracklist not collected yet.
June 1, 19741974
Tracklist not collected yet.
Andy Warhol’s Velvet Underground featuring Nico1971
Tracklist not collected yet.
Pop History1971
Tracklist not collected yet.
Desertshore1970
Tracklist not collected yet.
The Marble Index1968
Tracklist not collected yet.
The Velvet Underground & Nico1967
Tracklist not collected yet.
Chelsea Girl1967
Tracklist not collected yet.
Asculta-mă2023
Tracklist not collected yet.
Gallery
© OTFW, Berlin · CC BY-SA 3.0 
© Daniel Aragay · CC BY 2.0 
© GanMed64 · CC BY 2.0 
© Daniel Aragay from Vacarisses, Catalunya · CC BY 2.0 
© GanMed64 · CC BY 2.0 
© Daniel Aragay from Vacarisses, Catalunya · CC BY 2.0 
© Daniel Aragay from Vacarisses, Catalunya · CC BY 2.0 
© Daniel Aragay from Vacarisses, Catalunya · CC BY 2.0 
© Daniel Aragay from Vacarisses, Catalunya · CC BY 2.0 
© Cezar Popescu · CC BY-SA 4.0
Label
- Record label
- Verve Records
- Record label
- Beggars Banquet Records
- Record label
- Elektra
- Record label
- Island Records
Groups
- The Velvet Undergroundlead vocals · 1967–1967
Similar artists
Archive
Passport
Identifiers & aliases
Also known as: Christa Päffgen
Christa Päffgen, known professionally as Nico, was a German singer, songwriter, actress and model.
Nicoleta Matei, known by her stage name Nico, is a Romanian singer and TV personality. She collaborated with several Romanian hip hop artists, such as Morometzii, B.U.G. Mafia, Cabron, Puya, Blat Jargon, and Codu Penal. She represented Romania along with Vlad in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with the song "Pe-o margine de lume".
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
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