Christa Päffgen , 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 … See more

On 11 August 1962, she gave birth to her son, Christian Aaron Boulogne, whom she called Ari. She was living with Nicos Papatakis in 1962 but told him that Alain Delon was … See more

Nico directly inspired many musicians, including Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Cure, Morrissey, Elliott Smith, and Björk. Siouxsie and the … See more

Nico was born Christa Päffgen in Cologne to Wilhelm and Margarete "Grete" Päffgen (née Schulz, 1910–1970). Wilhelm was born into the wealthy Päffgen Kölsch master brewer family … See more

Acting and modelling (1954–1964)
Nico was discovered at 16 by photographer Herbert Tobias while both were working at a … See more

On 17 July 1988, during a holiday with Ari on the Spanish island of Ibiza, Nico hit her head when she fell off her bicycle. A passing taxi driver found her unconscious, but had difficulty getting her admitted to local hospitals. She was misdiagnosed as suffering from heat … See more

• Nico: The Life and Lies of an Icon by Richard Witts (Virgin Books: London, 1992).
• Up … See more