Feature Photo Unidentified (Ensian published by University of Michigan), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Christa Päffgen, known to the world as Nico, was born in Cologne, Germany, in 1938. She began her career not in music but as a fashion model in the 1950s, working under the name Nico and appearing in publications such as Vogue and Elle. Her striking appearance and European mystique soon led her into film, where she worked with directors like Federico Fellini. Her transition into music was gradual but transformative, and she would go on to become one of the most enigmatic and influential voices in experimental and avant-garde rock.