You Are Beautiful and You Are Alone

A redemptive, myth-shattering biography of one of the twentieth century´s most underestimated creative and artistic forces. ´Here is the Odyssey of Nico . . . a scholarly and detailed chronicle of this brilliant artist, who was spurned and tortured for her trouble.´ IGGY POP ´At last, a comprehensive and compelling book about Nico.´ VIV ALBERTINE ´A gripping portrait.´ THE TIMES ´Absorbs from start to finish.´ OBSERVER ´[This] book gets closer to understanding Nico than most.´ GUARDIAN ´Entertainingly written and insightful.´ INDEPENDENT ´Detailed and sympathetic.´ EVENING STANDARD ´Expansive.´ UNCUT ´Compassionate.´ MOJO ´The best music book you will read this year.´ LOUDER THAN WAR The real story of Nico is one of determination, self-destruction and belief in one´s artistic vision, at any cost. Nico was an ever-evolving myth, an enigma that escaped definition. Born Christa Päffgen, Nico grew up in war-torn Berlin before being scouted by a fashion photographer in her early teens. At age twenty-seven, she became Andy Warhol´s newest Superstar, securing the position of chanteuse for the Velvet Underground. Though she is primarily remembered for contributions to their seminal debut album - and her relationships with Brian Jones, Bob Dylan and Jim Morrison - her own artistry and influence have often been overlooked. Nico spent most of her career as a solo artist on the road, enduring empty concert halls, abusive fans and the perilous reality of being a drug addict. Yet beneath the superficial denigrations and one-dimensional myths was a complicated visionary determined to make art that was truly her own. In You Are Beautiful and You Are Alone, defying the sexist casting of her life as the tragedy of a beautiful woman losing her looks, youth and fame, Jennifer Otter Bickerdike cements Nico´s legacy as one of the most vital artists of her time, inspiring a generation of luminaries including Björk, Morrissey and Iggy Pop. Containing over a hundred new interviews and rare archival material, this is an empowering reappraisal of an underappreciated icon.