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NEWS ARCHIVE
Lou Reed Dies Aged 71
Iconic Velvet Underground frontman Lou Reed has passed away in New York. The exact cause of death remains unknown, however the star was admitted for a liver transplant back in May.
Magazine Rolling Stone broke the news of the rocker’s death and tributes have been flooding in via Twitter from some of the world’s biggest stars. David Bowie called his old friend ‘a master’ whilst Duran Duran, The Who and Billy Idol all expressed their sadness at his passing.
Born in 1942 Lou Reed was best known as the guitarist, vocalist and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground as well as his solo career which spanned several decades. Despite The Velvet Underground failing commercially in the 1960s, they have since gained a cult following and have become one of the most influential rock bands of all time. The group were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1996.
Velvet Underground released 5 studio albums, 5 live albums, 13 compilations, 2 box sets and 7 singles. Their biggest album release in the UK was their ‘VU’ compilation record which reached no. 47 in the charts. Lou Reed had better chart success as a solo artist, releasing the single ‘Walk On The Wild Side’ in 1973 which reached no. 2 in the UK. Perhaps his biggest achievement as a solo performer is the song ‘Perfect Day’ which was released including multiple singers in 1997 for the Children In Need single. The track reached number 1 for several weeks and is still popular today
Lou had not been seen since his transplant, and fans were unaware that he was ill. Known for his distinctive deadpan voice and poetic lyrics Lou will be missed by both fans and family alike. He is survived by his wife, performance artist Laurie Anderson.
Magazine Rolling Stone broke the news of the rocker’s death and tributes have been flooding in via Twitter from some of the world’s biggest stars. David Bowie called his old friend ‘a master’ whilst Duran Duran, The Who and Billy Idol all expressed their sadness at his passing.
Born in 1942 Lou Reed was best known as the guitarist, vocalist and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground as well as his solo career which spanned several decades. Despite The Velvet Underground failing commercially in the 1960s, they have since gained a cult following and have become one of the most influential rock bands of all time. The group were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1996.
Velvet Underground released 5 studio albums, 5 live albums, 13 compilations, 2 box sets and 7 singles. Their biggest album release in the UK was their ‘VU’ compilation record which reached no. 47 in the charts. Lou Reed had better chart success as a solo artist, releasing the single ‘Walk On The Wild Side’ in 1973 which reached no. 2 in the UK. Perhaps his biggest achievement as a solo performer is the song ‘Perfect Day’ which was released including multiple singers in 1997 for the Children In Need single. The track reached number 1 for several weeks and is still popular today
Lou had not been seen since his transplant, and fans were unaware that he was ill. Known for his distinctive deadpan voice and poetic lyrics Lou will be missed by both fans and family alike. He is survived by his wife, performance artist Laurie Anderson.
