Nico May Have Invented Goth
Lou Reed and John Cale resisted the idea of former model Nico joining the Velvet Underground, but their mentor Andy Warhol overruled them. As a visual artist, Warhol saw a powerful stage presence in the statuesque blonde chanteuse. Not everyone felt “statuesque” was a virtue. Guitarist Sterling Morrison bluntly said, “We’ve got a statue in the band.” The truth is, Nico helped the Velvets get a contract with MGM, who, like Warhol, saw her as a star. She soon moved on, releasing her solo debut Chelsea Girls, and her second album, a total downer called The Marble Index. The latter was a flop — producer John Cale remarked that “You can’t sell suicide.” Maybe not, but bands that pioneered got rock, including Bauhaus and The Cult, would later cite The Marble Index as an inspiration.