Lou Reed Dead at 71. Legendary musician Lou Reed has died, Rolling Stone reported on Sunday. He was 71.
The Guardian confirmed the report, citing Reed's agent. BBC also confirmed the report. His exact cause of death was not immediately revealed, but the AP said it was a "liver-related ailment." Earlier this year, he received a life-saving liver transplant after experiencing chronic liver failure. Reed was open about his addiction to drugs and alcohol in his music.
He'd been sober for decades, but his past drug use took a heavy toll on his body. In "Heroin," he wrote: “Heroin, be the death of me/Heroin, it’s my wife and it’s my life.” Reed is best known for his work as guitarist, singer and songwriter for the Velvet Underground, and his solo career. Reed had a profound impact on American culture, introducing avant garde rock and pop art to mainstream music.
His work with Andy Warhol is noted as one of the most important collaborations in contemporary culture. Though the Velvet Underground saw limited commercial success in the 60s, their popularity grew tremendously in the subsequent decades. Rolling Stone named their eponymous album the 13th greatest of all time and in 1996, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.