Lou Reed, Velvet Underground frontman, dies at 71

Lou Reed. Photo courtesy Britannica

US singer and former Velvet Underground frontman Lou Reed has died at the age of 71.

Known for tracks including Perfect Day and Walk on the Wild Side, Reed was considered one of the most influential singers and songwriters in rock.

The Velvet Underground became renowned for their fusion of art and music and for collaborating with Andy Warhol.

According to the Associated Press news agency, Reed's literary agent said he died of a "liver-related ailment".

Andrew Wylie said the musician died at his home in Long Island, New York, on Sunday morning and had not been well "for a few months".

Reed's former Velvet Underground bandmate John Cale wrote on his website : "The world has lost a fine songwriter and poet… I've lost my 'school-yard buddy.'"

Other stars paying tribute included The Who, who tweeted : "RIP Lou Reed. Walk on the peaceful side." Iggy Pop said it was "devastating news".

An admitted hard drinker and drug user for many years, Reed had a liver transplant this May after suffering liver failure.

"I am a triumph of modern medicine," Reed posted on his website on 1 June.

The Velvet Underground never achieved commercial success during their 1960s existence, but their influence on music in later decades was widely recognised.

The punk, glam and alternative rock movements of the 1970s, '80s and '90s were all indebted to Reed, whose songs were covered by the likes of REM, David Bowie, Nirvana, Patti Smith and countless others.

Music producer Brian Eno once summed up their influence by saying: "The first Velvet Underground album only sold 10,000 copies, but everyone who bought it formed a band."

The group were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

After quitting The Velvet Underground in 1970, Reed released his self-titled debut in 1972, but it wasn't until the Bowie-produced LP Transformer later that year - which featured both Perfect Day and Walk on the Wild Side - that he achieved chart success.

Perfect Day enjoyed a second bout of success in 1996 when it was featured in Danny Boyle's Trainspotting, and again a year later when it was re-recorded by a celebrity cast for a BBC charity single.

As a solo artist, he released 20 studio albums. His last, Hudson River Wind Meditations, was released in 2007.

He is survived by his second wife, the musician and performing artist, Laurie Anderson.

Others paying tribute included US rock band Weezer, who said The Velvet Underground were "a big influence" when they were starting out.

Chic guitarist Nile Rogers said: "I did the Jools Holland show with him last year and we yucked it up. I didn't know he was ill."

Meanwhile, singer Marianne Faithfull said: "He was a great friend, musician, songwriter and band leader. One of the most intelligent musicians I've ever known and a great guitarist.

"His songs will live for ever... Perfect Day, Sweet Jane... In my opinion he was a genius. I will miss him terribly."

And Def Jam founder Russell Simmons tweeted: "New York lost one of our greatest gifts today.”

First published at BBC News, October 27, 2013

Lou Reed short biography

Lou Reed. Photo courtesy Britannica

By Jon Dolan

Lou Reed grew up in Long Island, New York. During his teens, he received electroshock treatment for depression, and would later cite the experience as damaging and transformative. He formed the Velvet Underground in the mid-1960s with multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Maureen Tucker.

After being discovered by Andy Warhol and performing in his multimedia happening Exploding Plastic Inevitable, the band, now with the German model Nico sharing lead vocals, released its debut The Velvet Underground and Nico in 1967. Reed’s songs about the dark side of sex and drugs and the band’s dissonant sound had an enormous influence on punk, glam, metal, and indie music. The Velvets released three more LPs – 1968’s howling  White Light/White Heat, 1969’s gentler The Velvet Underground, and 1970’s poppier Loaded–each exerting a deep impact on future artists, despite selling poorly at the time. 

Reed’s solo career in the 1970s went from the David Bowie-produced glam of 1973’s Transformer (which had the hit “Walk On the Wild Side”) to the grim rock opera Berlin to the pure-noise experiment Metal Machine Music. His excessive drug use and genderqueer sexuality made him an icon of punk experimentation and decadence, but he toned down his wild side in 1980s and 1990s, marrying twice (to the dancer Sylvia Morales, and musician-performance artist Laurie Anderson), and becoming a student of tai chi. In the 2000s, he worked with the trans artist Anohni and hard-rock icons Metallica.

Lou Reed died October 27, 2013 of liver cancer in 2013.

Notable albums:

The Velvet Underground and Nico (1967); White Light/White Heat (1968); The Velvet Underground (1969); Loaded (1970); Transformer (1972);

Berlin (1973); Metal Machine Music (1975); Rock and Roll Heart (1976) New Sensations (1984); New York (1989)

First published at Rolling Stone, no date give. Uploaded to this blog on his death date (October 27, 2013).