Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed (2 March 1942, Brooklyn, New York, USA - 27 October 2013, Southampton, New York, USA) was an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He was best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his solo career, which spanned several decades. Though the Velvet Underground were a commercial failure in the late 1960s, the group gained a considerable cult following in the years since its demise and has gone on to become one of the most widely cited and influential bands of the era. As the Velvet Underground's principal songwriter, Reed wrote about subjects of personal experience that rarely had been examined so openly in rock and roll, including sexuality and drug culture. After his departure from the group, Reed began a solo career in 1971. He had a hit the following year with "Walk on the Wild Side", although he subsequently lacked the mainstream commercial success its chart status seemed to indicate. Reed's work as a solo artist frustrated critics wishing for a return of the Velvet Underground. In 1975, Reed released a double album of feedback loops, Metal Machine Music, upon which he later commented, "No one is supposed to be able to do a thing like that and survive." In 2008, Reed married performance artist Laurie Anderson. Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed (2 March 1942, Brooklyn, New York, USA - 27 October 2013, Southampton, New York, USA) was an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He was best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his solo career, which spanned several decades. Though the Velvet Underground were a commercial failure in the late 1960s, the group gained a considerable cult following in the years since its demise and has gone on to become one of the most widely cited and influential bands of the era. As the Velvet Underground's principal songwriter, Reed wrote about subjects of personal experience that rarely had been examined so openly in rock and roll, including sexuality and drug culture. After his departure from the group, Reed began a solo career in 1971. He had a hit the following year with "Walk on the Wild Side", although he subsequently lacked the mainstream commercial success its chart status seemed to indicate. Reed's work as a solo artist frustrated critics wishing for a return of the Velvet Underground. In 1975, Reed released a double album of feedback loops, Metal Machine Music, upon which he later commented, "No one is supposed to be able to do a thing like that and survive." In 2008, Reed married performance artist Laurie Anderson. false 2025-11-07 18:50:50 0 Rock 113007 9d1ebcfe-4c15-4d18-95d3-d919898638a1 /media/data/media5/Music/Lou Reed/folder.jpg /media/data/media5/Music/Lou Reed/backdrop1.jpg /media/data/media5/Music/Lou Reed/fanart.jpg 1972 1973 1978 1980 1989 1989 1992 1993 1996 1999 2000 2002 2007 2008 2008 2010 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2022 Lou Reed