Edie Sedgwick

Edith Minturn Sedgwick (April 20, 1943 - November 15 1971) was a delicately beautiful American socialite best known as a star of underground films made by Andy Warhol in the 1960s.

She was born in Santa Barbara, California, a daughter of Francis Minturn Sedgwick, an overbearing sculptor and gentleman rancher, and his shy, retiring wife, Alice Delano de Forest. She was named for her father's sister, who died at birth. Her paternal grandfather was Henry Dwight Sedgwick 3rd, a historian and author. Sedgwick's family, long established in Massachusetts history and with members frequently painted by the artist John Singer Sargent, was troubled, eccentric, and seriously blighted by alcoholism and mental illness. Later in life, Sedgwick claimed to have experienced sexual abuse as a child. As a young woman she suffered with clinical depression and anorexia nervosa and was institutionalized briefly.

In 1964, Sedgwick moved to New York to pursue a career in modelling. She appeared in Time, LIFE and Vogue between 1963 and 1965. The editor in chief of Vogue, Diana Vreeland, called her an exemplar of the era's youth culture. In 1965 Sedgwick met Andy Warhol and quickly became his favourite "Warhol superstar", featuring in many of his underground films including Poor Little Rich Girl, Vinyl, Beauty #2, and Chelsea Girls. It was during this period that Sedgwick began using drugs, particularly amphetamines.

She became Warhol's Girl of the Year during 1965 when she accompanied him everywhere in the New York social scene. During this period the pair would often dress alike, and Sedgwick frequently called herself Mrs. Warhol. The friendship did not last beyond 1966 when Warhol and Sedgwick made an acrimonious public split.

Following her departure from Warhol’s circles, Sedgwick began living at Hotel Chelsea where she became involved with Bob Dylan. Dylan’s friends convinced Sedgwick to sign up with Albert Grossman, Dylan's manager. While involved with Dylan, Sedgwick was introduced to LSD. She is rumoured to be one of the main inspirations behind Dylan's seminal 1966 opus Blonde on Blonde and songs as famous and diverse as the tender ballad "Just Like a Woman" and the raucous stomper "Leopardskin Pillbox Hat." She also inspired "Lay Lady Lay."

In 1966, Sedgwick began a tumultuous relationship with Dylan's longtime sidekick Bob Neuwirth. During this relationship she became dependent on heroin and barbituates. The relationship ended in 1967. In April 1967 Sedgwick began shooting on Ciao! Manhattan an underground movie in which she was to star. After shooting some footage in New York, work on the film was abandoned due to budget and legal problems.

Sedgwick’s rapidly degenerating health saw her return to her family in California and spend time in several different psychiatric institutions. In August 1969, she was admitted to the Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, where she met Michael Post, whom she married on July 24, 1971. Electroconvulsive therapy treatments were administered extensively and several efforts at drug rehabilitation were made.

Shooting resumed on Ciao! Manhattan in 1970 and was completed in 1971.

Sedgwick died in November 1971 from barbituate poisoning; her husband of four months woke to find her dead in bed beside him. Her death was ruled a suicide/ drug overdose. A young woman with an undoubted talent for inspiring the talents in others, Sedgwick has been immortalised in a number of rock songs and continues to be an icon far beyond what her actual achievements might suggest.

The Cult wrote a song about her life called "Edie (Ciao Baby)" which was on their Sonic Temple album released in 1989.

Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians wrote a song about her called "Little Miss S" which was on their Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars album released in 1988.

The Velvet Underground song "Femme Fatale" (on the album The Velvet Underground and Nico) is also reported to be about Sedgwick.

Just as Dylan's "Just Like a Woman" and "Leopard-Skin Pillbox Hat" were purportedly written about Sedgwick, some believe that the song commonly accepted as the greatest rock number "Like a Rolling Stone" was also inspired by her, with "Napoleon in Rags" being Andy Warhol.

Sedgwick will be portrayed in Factory Girl, a feature film about her life, which is to begin filming in 2005; it was originally to star Sienna Miller, but as of May 2005 she has been dropped from the lead role and ex-Dawson's Creek star Katie Holmes has been cast in her place.

Filmography

• Space 1965
• Screen Test #2 (1965)
• Vinyl (1965)
• Restaurant (1965)
• Poor Little Rich Girl (1965)
• Beauty #2 (1965)
• Outer and Inner Space (1965)
• **** aka the Four Star Movie (1965)
• The Chelsea Girls (1967)
• Diaries, Notes and Sketches (1970)
• Ciao! Manhattan (1972)

Links

• Edie Sedgwick fan site (http://www.rams.demon.co.uk/esmain.htm/)
• All Movie Guide (http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll/)

Bibliography

• Victor Bockris: Andy Warhol
• Michael Opray: Andy Warhol. Film Factory.
• Jean Stein: Edie an America Biography.
• Jean Stein: Edie. American Girl
• Andy Warhol. The Philosophy of Andy Warhol