Nico began modeling young and somehow in 1959 she got on the set of the film La Dolce Vita and Fellini gave her a part on the spot. She continued modeling in Paris, moved to New York took acting classes with Lee Strasberg, recorded a song with Serge Gainsbourg, met Brian Jones and through him she met Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham, and made her first record for his Immediate label: I’m Not Sayin, a Gordon Lightfoot song, produced by Jimmy Page.

Returning to New York later in 1964, Nico went back to work as a model and landed a job singing at the Blue Angel Lounge on 55th Street (all drinks 85¢). She had an affair with French actor Alain Delon, whom she had met in Italy in 1962, and had a child. Nico called the boy Ari. In that period everybody wanted to know that mysterious blonde girl, and gave her short but complete adoration.

Afterwards in Paris, Nico met Bob Dylan who urged her to pursue her career as singer and gave her a song: I’ll Keep It with Mine, later recorded on the solo debut-album Chelsea Girl. Dylan wrote her a tribute on his album Blonde on Blonde called Visions of Johanna, later he introduced her to Andy Warhol who began to feature her in his and Paul Morrisey’s experimental films.

Legend has it that Nico told Andy: ‘I want to sing’ and he introduced her to his latest protégés, The Velvet Underground, a part of Warhol’s mixed-media Exploding Plastic Inevitable troupe until 1967. At that point Nico gave up modeling and spent a year touring with them. She joined then to sing in long improvisations as well as the classic Lou Reed compositions Femme Fatale, All Tomorrow’s Parties and I’ll Be Your Mirror. Even before the legendary Banana album was released she went her own way; the band worried about being eclipsed by her haunting, charismatic presence and forced her out of the line-up. The main reason was trouble between her, Lou and John Cale, jealously in love and hate, something Andy loved to witness.

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