Christa Päffgen, better known as Nico, was born on October 16, 1938. She began her career as a model and through her friendship with the Rolling Stones founder and band manager, Brian Jones, she started her career in music. Nico met Andy Warhol while hanging around The Factory in 1966. She ended up appearing in Warhol’s Chelsea Girls. Warhol had been managing the band The Velvet Underground and decided to give Nico top billing in the band. In doing so, he changed the name of the band to The Velvet Underground and Nico. They released one album appropriately titled The Velvet Underground and Nico. Though the band is well-known now, the group did not achieve commercial success until decades after splitting up. The lack of success in the band is perhaps what lead Nico to follow a different path. Shortly after The Velvet Underground & Nico’s debut, the Warhol Superstar Nico decided she wanted to start her own solo career. Nico went on to release a total of six albums.
On July 17, 1988, Nico was misdiagnosed with heat stroke. However, when she was found lying on the ground later, it was determined that she had suffered from a cerebral hemorrhage, from which she passed away the next day.
