Lou Reed, a musician, photographer and cultural icon best known as the lead singer of the Velvet Underground, has died. He was 71.
Rolling Stone first reported the news on Sunday. Reed's literary agent, Andrew Wylie, later confirmed the death to The New York Times.
Reed transformed the music scene in the 1960s as part of the Velvet Underground, a band that influenced many later rock acts. They created songs that candidly discussed the sex and drug culture of the time, a gritty honesty that continued in Reed's later projects. The band's well-known debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico, was supported by famed artist Andy Warhol, who also designed its iconic banana cover.
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Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Reed studied poetry and journalism at Syracuse University. He eventually formed the Velvet Underground, before leaving the band in 1970. Reed went on to create his own music as a solo artist, writing legendary songs such as "Walk on the Wild Side" and "Satellite of Love." U2 and Duran Duran were among the bands that later covered his work.
The Guardian reported in May that Reed was recovering from a liver transplant. His wife, Laurie Anderson, told the newspaper, "It's as serious as it gets. He was dying. You don't get it for fun."
On Sunday morning, Reed's official Facebook page published a photo of a poster of the musician wearing dark sunglasses and a black t-shirt with the word "Supreme" written on it. The poster appears to be taped to a door.
Post by Lou Reed.
Twitter users, including celebrities, reacted to Reed's death online. The term "Lou Reed" trended on Twitter in the United States on Saturday.
#RIPLouReed
— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) October 27, 2013
R.I.P Lou Reed - VU was a big influence when weezer was being formed, and Ric Ocasek told us cool stories of his friendship with him.
— weezer (@Weezer) October 27, 2013
Devastating news:... http://fb.me/2FaEgiBub
— Iggy Pop (@IggyPop) October 27, 2013
Legacy Recordings did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Image: Flickr, Man Alive!