Lou Reed

For the Welsh rugby player, see Lou Reed (rugby player).
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed (March 2, 1942 October 27, 2013) was an American musician, singer, and
songwriter.[1] He was the guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of the Velvet Underground, and his solo
career spanned several decades.
The Velvet Underground was a commercial failure in the
late 1960s, but 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 inuential bands of
the era.[2] Brian Eno famously stated that, while the Velvet Undergrounds debut album sold only 30,000 copies,
everyone who bought one of those 30,000 copies started
a band.[3]
Reed began a solo career in 1972. He had a hit the following year with "Walk on the Wild Side" but this level
of mainstream commercial success was not repeated.[4]
Reed was known for his distinctive deadpan voice and poetic lyrics, and for pioneering and coining the term ostrich
Reed as a high school senior, 1959
guitar tuning.[5]
Rolling Stone magazine voted Reeds 1989 New York
album the 19th best of the 1980s.[6] In 2003, Rolling
Stone magazines list of The 500 Greatest Albums of
All Time included two albums by Reed as a solo artist:
Transformer and Berlin.[7]

1
1.1

Having learned to play the guitar from the radio, he developed an early interest in rock and roll and rhythm and
blues, and during high school played in several bands.[15]
Reed began experimenting with drugs at the age of 16.[14]
His rst recording was as a member of a doo wop-style
group called the Jades. His love for playing music and his
desire to play gigs brought him into confrontation with his
anxious and unaccommodating parents.[14] His sister recalled that, during his rst year in college, he was brought
home one day in an unresponsive state, supposedly due
to a mental breakdown, after which he remained depressed, anxious, and socially unresponsive for a time,
and that his parents were having great diculty coping
with the situation. Visiting a psychologist, Reeds parents were made to feel guilty as inadequate parents, and
consented to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).[14] Reed
appeared to blame his father principally for what he had
been subjected to.[14] He wrote about the experience in
his 1974 song, Kill Your Sons.[16][17] In an interview,
Reed said of the experience:

Biography
194264: Early life

Reed was born at Beth El Hospital (now Brookdale) in

Brooklyn and grew up in Freeport, Long Island.[8] Contrary to some sources, his birth name was Lewis Allan
Reed, not Louis Firbanks, a name that was coined as a
joke by Lester Bangs in Creem magazine.[9] Reed was the
son of Toby (ne Futterman) and Sidney Joseph Reed, an
accountant.[10] His family was Jewish,[11] and although he
said that he was Jewish, he added, My God is rock'n'roll.
Its an obscure power that can change your life. The most
important part of my religion is to play guitar.[12][13]
Reed attended Atkinson Elementary School in Freeport
and went on to Freeport Junior High School, notorious
for its gangs. His sister said that as a teenager, he suered
panic attacks, became socially awkward and possessed a
fragile temperament but was highly focussed on things
that he liked principally music.[14]

They put the thing down your throat so

you don't swallow your tongue, and they put
electrodes on your head. Thats what was
recommended in Rockland State Hospital to
discourage homosexual feelings. The eect
is that you lose your memory and become a
1

1 BIOGRAPHY
vegetable. You can't read a book because you
get to page 17 and have to go right back to
page one again.
Lou Reed quoted in Please Kill Me
(1996)[18]

Upon his recovery from the bout of illness and associated

treatment, Reed resumed his education at Syracuse University in 1960,[14] studying journalism, lm directing,
and creative writing. He was a platoon leader in ROTC
and was later expelled from the program for holding an
unloaded gun to his superiors head.[19] In 1961 he began hosting a late-night radio program on WAER called
Excursions On A Wobbly Rail.[15] Named after a song by
pianist Cecil Taylor, the program typically featured doo
wop, rhythm and blues and jazz, particularly the free jazz
developed in the mid-1950s.[20] Many of Reeds guitar
techniques, such as the guitar-drum roll, were inspired by
jazz saxophonists, such as Ornette Coleman.[21] Reeds
sister Merryl oered the following recollection of her
brothers time spent at Syracuse: "[He] started a band,
he had his own radio show. He reportedly libeled some
student on his radio show; the kids family tried to sue my
father. And there were other extracurricular possibly illegal activities of which the university didn't approve. I
believe they tried to kick him out. But he was a genius;
what could they do? He stayed and he graduated.[22]
Reed graduated with honors from Syracuse Universitys
College of Arts and Sciences with a B.A. in English in
June 1964.[17][23]
While enrolled at Syracuse University, he studied under
poet Delmore Schwartz, who he said was the rst great
person I ever met, and they became friends. He credited Schwartz with showing him how with the simplest
language imaginable, and very short, you can accomplish
the most astonishing heights.[24] One of Reeds fellow
students at Syracuse in the early 60s (who also studied
under Schwartz) was the musician Garland Jereys; they
remained close friends until the end of Reeds life.[25] Jeffreys once oered the following recollection of Schwartz
and Reed during Reeds time at Syracuse: At four in the
afternoon we'd all meet at [the bar] The Orange Grove.
Me, Delmore and Lou. That would often be the center of
the crew. And Delmore was the leader - our quiet leader.
[25]
While at Syracuse, Reed was also introduced to heroin
for the rst time. He once commented: I had recently
been introduced to [heroin] by a mashed-in-face negro
named 'Jaw'. Jaw gave me hepatitis immediately, which
is pathetic and laughable at once.[26] While at Syracuse,
Reed also met fellow guitar-playing student Sterling Morrison, who would later play with Reed in the Velvet Underground. While Morrison wasn't attending Syracuse at
the time, he made Reeds acquaintance while he was visiting mutual friend Jim Tucker, the older brother of Velvet
Underground drummer Maureen Tucker who happened
to be attending school there. Reed would later dedicate
the song "European Son", from the Velvet Undergrounds

debut album, to his teacher Delmore Schwartz.[27] In

1982, Reed also recorded My House from his early 80s
album The Blue Mask as a tribute to his late mentor. He
later said that his goals as a writer were to bring the sensitivities of the novel to rock music or to write the Great
American Novel in a record album.[28]

1.2 196470: Pickwick Records and the

Velvet Underground
In 1964, Reed moved to New York City and began working as an in-house songwriter for Pickwick Records. In
1964, he wrote and recorded the single The Ostrich,
a parody of popular dance songs of the time, which included lines such as put your head on the oor and have
somebody step on it. His employers felt that the song
had hit potential, and arranged for a band to be assembled
around Reed to promote the recording. The ad hoc group,
called The Primitives, included Welsh musician John
Cale, who had recently moved to New York to study music and was playing viola in composer La Monte Young's
Theatre of Eternal Music, along with Tony Conrad. Cale
and Conrad were both surprised to nd that for The Ostrich, Reed tuned each string of his guitar to the same
note, which they began to call his "ostrich guitar" tuning. This technique created a drone eect similar to
their experimentation in Youngs avant-garde ensemble.
Disappointed with Reeds performance, Cale was nevertheless impressed by Reeds early repertoire (including
"Heroin"), and a partnership began to evolve.[24]
Reed and Cale (who would play viola, keyboards and
bass) lived together on the Lower East Side, and invited
Reeds college acquaintance guitarist Sterling Morrison
and Cales neighbour drummer Angus MacLise to join
the group, they formed the Velvet Underground. When
the opportunity came to play their rst paying gig at
Summit High School in Summit, New Jersey, MacLise
quit because he believed that accepting money for art was
a sellout and also did not want to participate in a structured gig. He was replaced on drums by Maureen Tucker
initially for that one show, but she soon became a fulltime member with her pounding style of drumming an integral part of the bands distinctive sound, despite the initial objections of Cale. Though internally unstable (Cale
left in 1968, Reed in 1970), and without commercial success, the band has a long-standing reputation as one of the
most inuential in rock history.[29][30][31]
Had he accomplished nothing else, his work with the
Velvet Underground in the late sixties would assure him
a place in anyones rock & roll pantheon; those remarkable songs still serve as an articulate aural nightmare of
men and women caught in the beauty and terror of sexual, street and drug paranoia, unwilling or unable to move.
The message is that urban life is tough stuit will kill
you; Reed, the poet of destruction, knows it but never
looks away and somehow nds holiness as well as perver-

1.3

197079: Glam rock and noise music

sity in both his sinners and his quest. . . . [H]e is still one 1.3 197079: Glam rock and noise music
of a handful of American artists capable of the spiritual
After quitting the Velvet Underground in August 1970,
home run.
Reed took a job at his fathers tax accounting rm as
[32]
Rolling Stone, 1975
a typist, by his own account earning $40 a week.[44] In
1971, he signed a recording contract with RCA Records
The group soon caught the attention of artist Andy and recorded his rst solo album in London with top sesWarhol. One of Warhols rst contributions was to sion musicians including Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman,
integrate them into the Exploding Plastic Inevitable. members of the progressive rock group Yes. The album,
Warhols associates inspired many of Reeds songs as Lou Reed, contained smoothly produced versions of unhe fell into a thriving, multifaceted artistic scene.[33][34] released Velvet Underground songs, some of which had
Reed rarely gave an interview without paying homage to originally been recorded by the Velvets for Loaded but
Warhol as a mentor. Conict emerged when Warhol had shelved (see the Peel Slowly and See box set). This rst
the idea for the group to take on a chanteuse, the Euro- solo album was overlooked by most pop music critics and
pean former model and singer Nico. Despite his initial it did not sell well, although music critic Stephen Holden,
resistance, Reed wrote several songs for Nico to sing, and in Rolling Stone, called it an almost perfect album. . .
the two were briey lovers.[35] The Velvet Underground & . which embodied the spirit of the Velvets.[45] Holden
Nico reached No. 171 on the charts.[30]
describes Reeds unique qualities, in both his voice and
The album is now widely considered one of the most in- lyrics, in the album:
uential rock albums ever recorded. Rolling Stone has it
listed as the 13th greatest album of all time. Brian Eno
once famously stated that although few people bought the
album, most of those who did were inspired to form their
own band.[36] Vclav Havel credited this album, which
he bought while visiting the U.S., with inspiring him to
become president of Czechoslovakia.[37]
By the time the band recorded White Light/White Heat,
Nico had quit and Warhol had been red, both against
Cales wishes. Warhols replacement as manager was
Steve Sesnick. In 1968, Cale left the band at Reeds
behest.[38] Morrison and Tucker were discomted by
Reeds tactics but continued with the group. Cales replacement was Boston-based musician Doug Yule, who
played bass, keyboards and who would soon share lead
vocal duties in the band with Reed.[39] The group now
took on a more pop-oriented sound and acted more as
a vehicle for Reed to develop his songwriting craft.[40]
The group released two albums with this lineup: 1969s
The Velvet Underground and 1970s Loaded. The latter
included two of the groups most commercially successful songs, Rock and Roll and "Sweet Jane". After the
bands move to Atlantic Records' Cotillion label, their
new manager pushed Reed to change the subject matter of his songs to lighter topics in hopes of commercial
success. Loaded had taken more time to record than the
previous three albums together, but had not broken them
through to a wider audience.

Reeds voice hasn't changed much since the

early days. Outrageously unmusical, it combines the sass of Jagger and the mockery of
early Dylan, but is lower-pitched than either. It
is a voice so incapable of bullshit that it makes
even an artsy arrangement work by turning the
whole thing into a joyous travesty. Just as arresting as Reeds voice are his lyrics, which
combine a New York street punk sensibility
and rock song cliches with a powerful poetic
gift.[45]
His artistic self-awareness is so secure that he invariably
turns less into more. For he not only awakens nostalgia
for Fifties rock, he shows that it is still a vital resource for
todays musicians. . . . The overall impression is that of a
knowing primitivism, as serious as it is playful, and never
less than refreshing. . . . By keeping close to the roots he
is keeping the faith.
Rolling Stone, (1972)[45]

In December 1972, Reed released Transformer. David

Bowie and Mick Ronson co-produced the album and it
introduced Reed to a wider audience, especially in the
UK. The hit single "Walk on the Wild Side" was an ironic
yet aectionate salute to the mists and hustlers who
once surrounded Andy Warhol. When rst introduced
Reed left the band in August 1970 and briey retired to to Reeds music, Bowie had said, I had never heard anyhis parents home on Long Island.[41] The band disinte- thing quite like it. It was a revelation to me.[46]
grated as core members Sterling Morrison and Maureen
Each of the songs ve verses poignantly describes a perTucker departed in 1971.[42] Yule continued until early
son who had been a xture at the Factory during the mid1973, and one more studio album, Squeeze, was released
to-late 1960s: (1) Holly Woodlawn, (2) Candy Darling,
under the Velvet Underground name.[43]
(3) Little Joe Dallesandro, (4) Sugar Plum Fairy Joe
Campbell and (5) Jackie Curtis. The songs transgressive
lyrics evaded radio censorship. Though the jazzy arrangement (courtesy of bassist Herbie Flowers and saxophonist
Ronnie Ross) was musically somewhat atypical for Reed,

4
it eventually became his signature song.[47] It came about
as a result of a commission to compose a soundtrack to a
theatrical adaptation of Nelson Algren's novel of the same
name, though the play failed to materialize.[48] Ronsons
arrangements brought out new aspects of Reeds songs.
"Perfect Day, for example, features delicate strings and
soaring dynamics. It was rediscovered in the 1990s and
allowed Reed to drop Walk on the Wild Side from his
concerts.[49]
Transformer was Reeds commercial and critical pinnacle, and he resented the shadow the record cast over the
rest of his career. An argument between Bowie and Reed
ended their working relationship for several years, though
its subject is not known. (The two reconciled some years
later, and Reed performed with Bowie at the latters 50th
birthday concert at Madison Square Garden in 1997.[50]
They did not formally collaborate again until 2003s The
Raven.) Touring in support of Transformer posed the
challenge of forming a band for the rst time since joining
the Velvets. Reed hired an inexperienced bar band, the
Tots, and spent much of 1972 and early 1973 on the road
with them. Though they improved over the months, criticism of their still-basic abilities ultimately led Reed to
re them mid-tour. He chose keyboardist Moogy Klingman to come up with a new ve-member backing band
on barely a weeks notice. Thus the tour continued with a
denser, bluesier and tighter sound that presaged the very
successful live albums Reed would record with all dierent musicians in December.[51]
Reed followed Transformer with the darker Berlin, a
concept album about two junkies in love in the city.
The songs variously concern domestic abuse (Caroline
Says I, Caroline Says II), drug addiction (How Do
You Think It Feels), adultery and prostitution (The
Kids), and suicide (The Bed). Reeds late-1973 European tour, featuring dual lead guitarists Steve Hunter
and Dick Wagner, mixed his Berlin material with older
numbers. Response to Berlin at the time of its release
was decidedly negative, with Rolling Stone pronouncing it
a disaster.[52] Since then the album has been critically
reevaluated, and in 2003 Rolling Stone included it in their
list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[53]
After Berlin came two albums in 1974, Sally Can't Dance,
and a live record Rock 'n' Roll Animal; the latter contained performances of the Velvet Underground songs
Sweet Jane and Heroin and would go on to become
his biggest selling album. Rock 'n' Roll Animal, and its
follow-up released in early 1975 Lou Reed Live, primarily
featuring live Transformer material, were both recorded
at the same show (Academy Of Music, NYC December
21, 1973), and kept Reed in the public eye with strong
sales. (The later expanded CD version of Rock 'n' Roll
Animal taken together with Lou Reed Live are the entirety
of the show that night, although not in the running order
it was performed.)

1 BIOGRAPHY
Lou Reed doesn't just write about squalid characters, he
allows them to leer and breathe in their own voices, and
he colors familiar landscapes through their own eyes. In
the process, Reed has created a body of music that comes
as close to disclosing the parameters of human loss and
recovery as we're likely to nd. That qualies him, in
my opinion, as one of the few real heroes rock & roll has
raised.
Mikal Gilmore, Rolling Stone, (1979)[54]
As he had done with Berlin after Transformer, in 1975
Reed responded to commercial success with a commercial failure, a double album of electronically generated
audio feedback, Metal Machine Music. Critics interpreted
it as a gesture of contempt, an attempt to break his contract with RCA or to alienate his less sophisticated fans.
Reed claimed that the album was a genuine artistic eort,
even suggesting that quotations of classical music could
be found buried in the feedback. Lester Bangs declared it
genius, though also as psychologically disturbing. The
album was reportedly returned to stores by the thousands
after a few weeks.[55] Though later admitting that the liner
notes list of instruments is ctitious and intended as parody, Reed continued to maintain that MMM was a serious
album; though at the time he had taken it seriously, he was
also very stoned. In the 2000s it was adapted for orchestral performance by the German ensemble Zeitkratzer.
By contrast, 1975s Coney Island Baby was mainly a
warm and mellow album, though for its characters Reed
still drew on the underbelly of city life. At this time his
lover was a transgender woman, Rachel, mentioned in the
dedication of Coney Island Baby and appearing in the
photos on the cover of Reeds 1977 best of album, Walk
on the Wild Side: The Best of Lou Reed. While Rock and
Roll Heart, his 1976 debut for his new record label Arista,
fell short of expectations, Street Hassle (1978) was a return to form in the midst of the punk scene he had helped
to inspire. Reed was dismissive of punk, and rejected any
aliation with it. I'm too literate to be into punk rock .
. . The whole CBGB's, new Maxs thing that everyones
into and whats going on in Londonyou don't seriously
think I'm responsible for whats mostly rubbish?"[56]
In 1978 Reed released his third live album, Live: Take
No Prisoners, which some critics thought was his bravest
work yet, while others considered it his silliest.[54]
Rolling Stone described it as one of the funniest live albums ever recorded [with] Lous dark-humored, Lenny
Bruce-like monologues.[54] Reed felt it was his best album:
You may nd this funny, but I think of it as
a contemporary urban-blues album. After all,
thats what I writetales of the city. And if I
dropped dead tomorrow, this is the record I'd
choose for posterity. Its not only the smartest
thing I've done, its also as close to Lou Reed
as you're probably going to get, for better or for

1.5

199099: Velvet Underground reunion and Laurie Anderson

worse.[54]
The Bells (1979) featured jazz musician Don Cherry, and
was followed the next year by Growing Up in Public with
guitarist Chuck Hammer. Around this period he also
appeared as a sleazy record producer in Paul Simon's
lm One Trick Pony.[57] Reed also played several unannounced one-o concerts in tiny downtown Manhattan
clubs with the likes of Cale, Patti Smith, and David Byrne
during this period. Reed and Patti Smith both worked
at Record Plant in 1977 at the same time, each trying
to complete albums. Bruce Springsteen was also at the
studio working on nishing his Darkness on the Edge of
Town album.[58]

1.4

198089: Marriage and critical acclaim

In 1980, Reed married British designer Sylvia

Morales.[59] They were divorced more than a decade
later. While together, Morales inspired Reed to write
several songs, particularly Think It Over from 1980s
Growing Up in Public[60] and Heavenly Arms from
1982s The Blue Mask[61] with bassist Fernando Saunders. After Legendary Hearts (1983) and New Sensations
(1984) fared adequately on the charts, Reed was sufciently reestablished as a public gure to become
spokesman for Honda motorcycles.[62]

Reed performing during A Conspiracy of Hope in 1986

ties. He would later use this experience on the 1989 album New York, commenting on crime, AIDS, Jesse Jackson, Kurt Waldheim, and Pope John Paul II.
Following Warhols death after routine surgery in 1987,
Reed again collaborated with John Cale on the biographical Songs for Drella (1990), Warhols nickname. The
album marked an end to a 22-year estrangement from
Cale. On the album, Reed sings of his love for his late
friend, and criticizes both the doctors who were unable
to save Warhols life and Warhols would-be assassin,
Valerie Solanas.

The New York Times reported in 1998 on Reeds change

from the 1970s to the 1980s.[63] The Times observed that,
in the 1970s, Reed had a distinctive persona: Back then
he was publicly gay, pretended to shoot heroin onstage,
and cultivated a 'Dachau panda' look, with cropped peroxide hair and black circles painted under his eyes.[63]
The newspaper went on to note that, in 1980, Reed
renounced druggy theatrics, even swore o intoxicants 1.5 199099: Velvet Underground reunion
and Laurie Anderson
themselves, and became openly heterosexual, openly
married.[63]
In 1990, following a twenty-year hiatus, the Velvet UnIn the early 1980s, Reed worked with a number of in- derground reformed for a Fondation Cartier benet in
novative guitarists including Chuck Hammer and Robert
France. Reed released his sixteenth solo record, Magic
Quine. Hammer appeared on Growing Up in Public and Loss, in 1992, an album about mortality, inspired by
(1980) and Quine appeared on The Blue Mask (1982) and
the death of two close friends from cancer. In 1993, the
Legendary Hearts (1983).
Velvet Underground again reunited and toured throughOn September 22, 1985, Reed performed at the rst out Europe, although plans for a North American tour
Farm Aid concert in Champaign, Illinois. He performed were cancelled following another falling out between
Doin' The Things That We Want To, I Love You, Reed and Cale. In 1994, Reed appeared in A CelebraSuzanne, New Sensations and Walk on The Wild tion: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who, also
Side as his solo set, later playing bass for Roy Orbison known as Daltrey Sings Townshend. This was a two-night
during his set. In June 1986, Reed released Mistrial (co- concert at Carnegie Hall produced by Roger Daltrey in
produced with Fernando Saunders), a more commercial celebration of his ftieth birthday. In 1994, a CD and a
album than previous records. To support the release, he VHS video were issued, and in 1998 a DVD was released.
released two music videos: "No Money Down" and "The Reed performed a radically rearranged version of Now
Original Wrapper".
And Then from Psychoderelict.
At the same time of Mistrial's release, he joined Amnesty In 1996, the Velvet Underground were inducted into the
International's A Conspiracy of Hope Tour and was out- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. At the induction cerspoken about New Yorks political issues and personali- emony, Reed performed a song entitled Last Night I

6
Said Goodbye to My Friend alongside former bandmates
John Cale and Maureen Tucker, in dedication to Velvet
Underground guitarist Sterling Morrison, who had died
the previous August. Reed was nominated for the Rock
Hall as a solo artist thrice, in 2000, 2001 and 2015 and
was chosen to be inducted at the April 18, 2015 ceremony
in Cleveland.
His 1996 album, Set the Twilight Reeling, and 2000s
Ecstasy, both produced by Hal Willner, drew praise from
most critics. In 1996, Reed contributed songs and music
to Time Rocker, an avant-garde theatrical interpretation
of H.G. Wells' The Time Machine staged by theater director Robert Wilson. The piece premiered in the Thalia
Theater, Hamburg, Germany, and was later also shown at
the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York.[64]
In 1998, the PBS TV show American Masters aired
Timothy Greeneld-Sanders' feature documentary Lou
Reed: Rock and Roll Heart. This lm, which premiered at
the Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. and at the Berlin
Film Festival in Germany went on to screen at over 50
festivals worldwide. In 1999, the lm and Reed as its subject received a Grammy Award for best long-form music
video.
Since the late 1990s, Reed was romantically linked to the
musician, multi-media and performance artist Laurie Anderson, and the two collaborated on a number of recordings together. Anderson contributed to Call On Me
from Reeds project The Raven, to the tracks Baton
Rouge and Rock Minuet from Reeds Ecstasy, and to
Hang On To Your Emotions from Reeds Set the Twilight Reeling. Reed contributed to In Our Sleep from
Andersons Bright Red and to One Beautiful Evening
from her Life on a String. They married on April 12,
2008.[65]

1 BIOGRAPHY
at the Great Jubilee Concert in Rome. In 2000, a new
collaboration with Robert Wilson called POEtry was
staged at the Thalia Theater in Germany. As with the previous collaboration Time Rocker, POEtry was also
inspired by the works of a 19th-century writer: Edgar Allan Poe. Reed became interested in Poe after producer
Hal Willner suggested he read some of Poes text at a
Halloween benet he was curating at St. Anns Episcopal Church in Brooklyn.[66] For this new collaboration,
Reed reworked and rewrote some of Poes text and included some new songs based on the theme explored in
the texts. In 2001, Reed made a cameo appearance in the
movie adaptation of Prozac Nation. On October 6, 2001,
the New York Times published a Reed poem called Laurie
Sadly Listening in which he reects upon the September
11 attacks.[67]
Incorrect reports of Reeds death were broadcast by numerous U.S. radio stations in 2001, caused by a hoax
email (purporting to be from Reuters) which said he
had died of a drug overdose. In 2003, he released a 2CD set, The Raven, based on Poe-Try. In 2011, he
transformed the CD into an illustrated book, with art
by Lorenzo Mattotti, published by Fantagraphics.[68] Besides Reed and his band, the album featured actors and
musicians including singers David Bowie, Laurie Anderson, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, the Blind Boys of Alabama and Antony Hegarty, saxophonist Ornette Coleman, and actors Elizabeth Ashley, Christopher Walken,
Steve Buscemi, Willem Dafoe, Amanda Plummer, Fisher
Stevens and Kate Valk. The album consisted of songs
written by Reed and spoken-word performances of reworked and rewritten texts of Edgar Allan Poe by the actors, set to electronic music composed by Reed. At the
same time a single disc CD version of the album, focusing
on the music, was also released.

A few months after the release of The Raven, a new 21.6 200009: Rock and ambient experi- CD Best Of-set was released, entitled NYC Man (The
Ultimate Collection 1967-2003), which featured an unrementation
leased version of the song Who am I and a selection
of career-spanning tracks that had been selected, remas1.6.1 Ecstasy, The Raven and Berlin tour
tered and sequenced under Reeds supervision. In April
2003, Reed embarked on a new world tour supporting
both new and released material, with a band including cellist Jane Scarpantoni and singer Antony Hegarty. During
some of the concerts for this tour, the band was joined
by Master Ren Guangyi, Reeds personal t'ai chi instructor, performing t'ai chi movements to the music on stage.
This tour was documented in the 2004 live double album
Animal Serenade, recorded at the Wiltern in Los Angeles.
In 2003, Reed released his rst book of photographs,
Emotions in Action. This work was made up out of two
books, a larger A4-paper sized called Emotions and a
smaller one called Actions which was laid into the hard
cover of the former. After Hours: a Tribute to the Music of Lou Reed was released by Wampus Multimedia in
Reed performing in Portland, Oregon, in January 2004
2003. Reed was also a judge that year for the third anIn May 2000, Reed performed before Pope John Paul II nual Independent Music Awards to support independent

1.6

200009: Rock and ambient experimentation

artists careers.[69]

7
pert Christie, a horn and string section and the Brooklyn
Youth Chorus. The show was produced by Bob Ezrin,
who also produced the original album, and Hal Willner.
The stage was designed by his neighbor and best friend,
painter Julian Schnabel,[72] and a lm about protagonist
Caroline directed by his daughter, Lola Schnabel, was
projected to the stage. A live recording of these concerts
was also published as a lm (directed by Schnabel) which
was released in 2008. The show was also played at the
Sydney Festival in January 2007 and throughout Europe
during June and July 2007. The album version of the concert, entitled Berlin: Live At St. Anns Warehouse, was
released in 2008.
1.6.2

Hudson River Wind Meditations and Metal

Machine Trio

Reed performing in Mlaga, Spain, July 21, 2008

In 2004, a Groovender remix of his song "Satellite of

Love", called Satellite of Love '04, was released. It
reached No. 10 in the UK singles chart. Also in 2004,
Reed contributed vocals and guitar to the track Fistful of
Love on I Am a Bird Now by Antony and the Johnsons.
In 2005, Reed recorded a spoken word text on Danish
rock band Kashmir's album No Balance Palace.
In January 2006, a second book of photographs,
Lou Reeds New York, was released.[70] At the 2006
MTV Video Music Awards, Reed performed White
Light/White Heat with the Raconteurs. Later in the
night, while co-presenting the award for Best Rock Video
with Pink, he exclaimed, apparently unscripted, that
MTV should be playing more rock n' roll.
In October 2006, Reed appeared at Hal Willners
Leonard Cohen tribute show Came So Far For Beauty
in Dublin, beside the cast of Laurie Anderson, Nick Cave,
Antony, Jarvis Cocker, Beth Orton, and others. According to the reports, he played a heavy metal version of Cohens The Stranger Song.[71] He also performed One
Of Us Cannot Be Wrong and two duets "Joan of Arc"
with Cohens former back-up singer Julie Christensen,
and Memories with Anjani Thomas.
In December 2006, Reed played a rst series of show
at St. Anns Warehouse, Brooklyn, based on his 1973
Berlin song cycle. Reed was reunited on stage with guitarist Steve Hunter, who played on the original album
as well as on Rock 'n' Roll Animal, as well as joined by
singers Antony Hegarty and Sharon Jones, pianist Ru-

Reed performing the Berlin album in Stockholm, Sweden, 2008

In April 2007, he released Hudson River Wind Meditations, a record of ambient meditation music. It was released on the Sounds True record label and its four tracks
were said to have been composed just for himself as a
guidance for t'ai chi exercise and meditation.
In May 2007, Reed performed the narration for a screening of Guy Maddin's silent lm The Brand Upon the
Brain. In June 2007, he performed live at the Trac
Festival 2007 in Turin, Italy, a ve-day free event organized by the city. That same month saw the re-release of
Reeds and The Undergrounds Pale Blue Eyes, as part of
the soundtrack of the French-language lm, The Diving
Bell and the Buttery (imdb.com).
In August 2007, Reed went into the studio with the Killers
in New York City to record "Tranquilize, a duet with
Brandon Flowers for the Killers B-side/rarities album,
called Sawdust. During that month, he also recorded
guitar for the Lucibel Crater song Threadbare Funeral
which appears on their album The Family Album. In October 2007, Reed gave a special performance in the Recitement song Passengers. The album combines music
with spoken word. The album was composed by Stephen
Emmer and produced by Tony Visconti. Hollandcentraal
was inspired by this piece of music and literature, which
spawned a concept for a music video. On October 1,
2008, Reed joined Richard Barone via projected video
on a spoken/sung duet of Reeds I'll Be Your Mirror,
with cellist Jane Scarpantoni, in Barones FRONTMAN:

1 BIOGRAPHY

A Musical Reading at Carnegie Hall.

On October 2 and 3, 2008, he premiered his new group,
which was later named Metal Machine Trio, at REDCAT
(Walt Disney Concert Hall Complex, Los Angeles). The
live recordings of the concerts were released under the title The Creation of the Universe. The trio featured Ulrich
Krieger (saxophone) and Sarth Calhoun (electronics),
and played free improvised instrumental music inspired
by Reeds 1975 album Metal Machine Music. The music ranges from ambient soundscapes to free rock to contemporary noise. The trio played further shows at New
Yorks Gramercy Theater in April 2009, and appeared as
part of Reeds band at the 2009 Lollapalooza, including
a ten-minute free trio improvisation.[73] At Lollapalooza,
held in Chicagos Grant Park, Reed played Sweet Jane
and White Light/White Heat with Metallica at Madison
Square Garden as part of the twenty-fth anniversary celebration of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on October
30, 2009.[74][75] Reed provided the voice of Maltazard,
the villain in the 2009 Luc Besson animated lm Arthur
and the Vengeance of Maltazard, and played himself in
Wim Wenders movie Palermo Shooting (2008).
In 2009, Reed became an active member of the Jazz
Foundation of America (JFA).[76] He was a featured performer at the JFAs annual benet A Great Night in
Harlem in May 2009.[77]

1.7

201013: Final years and Lulu

On September 4, 2013 Reed and Mick Rock were interviewed, in Soho, by Mark Beaumont of the New Musical
Express about their new joint photobook Transformers. It
was to be Reeds last interview. Talking of his time with
the Velvet Underground, he said:
Every single one of us there was coming
from a university and wanting to do something
magnicent. We werent there to make money
or be pretty or get laid. We were trying to create a diamond. We wanted to make heaven
on Earth. We wanted to explode the whole
thing, the Exploding Plastic Inevitable. Anyway, Warhol heard us and he got it right o.
There wasnt a chance of it being commercial
but for certain kind of people it was extraordinary. We really, really tried, every single album. Were not just a bunch of fucking assholes from the street making god knows what
kind of music thats not it. We were really
serious. Just because were in jeans and all
the rest of it doesnt mean ... yknow, read the
lyrics. Cale is one of the greatest instrumental
players in the world ever. Maureen Tuckers
drumming to this day no-one can match the
originality of it.[84]

1.8 Death and memorials

Reed remained active doing benets and composing music. He contributed vocals on the third Gorillaz album,
Plastic Beach, on the song Some Kind Of Nature[78] and
co-wrote and performed backup music for a chen-style
t'ai chi instructional DVD.[79] Reed also co-produced and
created original music for a tai chi series entitled Power +
Serenity. He had a co-production credit on Laurie Andersons Homeland. In 2010 Reed also appeared in Stephan
Berwicks short lm "Final Weapon".
In 2011, the American heavy metal band Metallica
recorded a full-length collaboration album with Reed entitled Lulu, released on November 1 in North America
and October 31 everywhere else.[80] Reed also performed
a cover of the Buddy Holly song "Peggy Sue", which is
featured on the 2011 tribute album Rave On Buddy Holly.
In January 2012, Reed and John Cale sued the Andy
Warhol Foundation for the license to use the yellow banana image from Warhols art for The Velvet Underground & Nico album.[81]
Reed contributed vocals to the track The Wanderlust
on Metric's 2012 album Synthetica. He was a well-known
supporter of the Free Tibet movement.[82]
In 2012, a bilingual (French and English) book Lou Reed:
Rimes/Rhymes[83] was published with a compilation of A Day of the Dead ofrenda (at an exhibition curated by the
more than 300 photos of Reed, with comments from co- Mexican consulate in Boise, Idaho) demonstrates Lou Reeds
wide inuence
author Bernard Comment.

2.2

As a solo artist

In May 2013,[85] Reed underwent a liver transplant at

the Cleveland Clinic. Afterwards, on his website, Reed
wrote of feeling bigger and stronger than ever, but
on October 27, 2013, he died from liver disease[86] at
his home in Southampton, New York, at the age of
71.[87][88][89][90][91]
[92]

[93]

The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)

White Light/White Heat (1968)
The Velvet Underground (1969)
Loaded (1970)

[94]

David Byrne,
Laurie Anderson,
Patti Smith,
David Bowie, Morrissey, Iggy Pop, Courtney Love, 2.2 As a solo artist
Lenny Kravitz, Miley Cyrus, Samuel L. Jackson,
Kanye West, Ricky Gervais, Ryan Adams, Elijah For a more comprehensive list, see Lou Reed discograWood, Howard Stern and many others paid tribute to phy.
Reed.[95][96][97][98][98][99] Pearl Jam dedicated their song
"Man of the Hour" to Reed at their show in Baltimore
and then played "I'm Waiting for the Man".[100] On the
day of his death, the Killers dedicated their rendition of
3 Filmography
"Pale Blue Eyes" to Reed at the Life Is Beautiful festival
[101]
in Las Vegas.
Phish opened their show in Hartford
with "Rock & Roll", after which Trey Anastasio asked the 4 See also
audience for a moment of silence for one of the greatest
artists to ever live.[102][103]
Loureedia, a genus of (underground) velvet spiders
Former Velvet Underground members Maureen
named for Lou Reed
Tucker[104] and John Cale made statements on Reeds
death,[105] and notables from far outside the music industry paid their respects on Twitter, including Cardinal 5 References
Gianfranco Ravasi and Salman Rushdie.[106]
On November 14, 2013, a three-hour public memorial
was held near Lincoln Center's Paul Milstein Pool and
Terrace. Billed as New York: Lou Reed at Lincoln Center, the gathering centered around recordings of Reeds
selected by his family and friends.[107] That same month,
it was reported that a biography is being written by Rolling
Stone critic Anthony DeCurtis.[108]
On December 16, 2013, UKs BBC Four broadcast Lou
Reed Remembered, an hour-long tribute with contributions from friends and colleagues.[109] The following day,
a memorial featuring friends and collaborators of Reed
was held at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. Organized
by Laurie Anderson, the event included performances by
Patti Smith, Antony Hegarty, Debbie Harry, Paul Simon,
John Zorn, Philip Glass, and Maureen Tucker, to name a
few.[110]
Exactly one year after the BBC Four tribute broadcast,
Reeds induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a
solo artist was announced on December 16, 2014.[111] He
was inducted by Patti Smith at a ceremony in Cleveland
on April 18, 2015.[112]

2
2.1

Discography
With the Velvet Underground

For a more comprehensive list, see The Velvet Underground discography.

[1] Roberts, Chris (2004). Lou Reed: Walk on the Wild Side:
The Stories Behind the Songs. Carlton Books. Retrieved
September 28, 2014.
[2] Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2000). The Velvet Underground. Archived from the original on June 29, 2006.
Retrieved September 15, 2006.
[3] Sam Jones; Shiv Malik (October 27, 2013). Lou Reed,
lead singer of Velvet Underground, dies aged 71. The
Guardian. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
[4] Richie Unterberger & Greg Prato (2005). Lou Reed Biography. Retrieved September 15, 2006.
[5] McPhedran, Ian (December 2010). QRD interview with
Ian McPhedran of Ostrich Tuning. silbermedia.com.
Retrieved November 24, 2011.
[6] 100 Best Albums of the Eighties. Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
[7] 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
[8] Lou Reed, Walk on the Wild Side Rocker, Dies at 71.
Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
[9] Lou Reed: The Stories Behind the Songs, Chris Roberts and
Lou Reed, 2004, Hal Leonard, ISBN 0-634-08032-6
[10] Lou Reed Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Lou Reed. Encyclopedia.com.
Retrieved December 24, 2012.
[11] The Heebie-Jeebies at CBGBs: A Secret History of
Jewish Punk Steven Lee Beeber Google Books.
Books.google.ca. Retrieved December 24, 2012.

10

[12] Gabriella (November 1998). The Gospel According to

Lou: Interview with Lou Reed. Nyrock.com. Retrieved
October 27, 2013.
[13] Lou Reeds paradoxical Jewishness. The Times of Israel. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
[14] Merrill Reed Weiner. A Family in Peril: Lou Reeds
Sister Sets the Record Straight About His Childhood.
Medium.
[15] Lou Reed and Julian Schnabel. Spectacle. Season 1.
Episode 2. 2008.
[16] Lou Reed Lived and Died with a Broken Heart,. Fatherhood Channel. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
[17] Colin, Chris. Lou Reed - Salon.com. Salon. Retrieved
June 23, 2010.
[18] McNeil, Legs; McCain, Gillian, Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk, Grove Press (1996). Cf.
[19] Cocks, Jay (April 24, 1978). Music: Lou Reeds Nightshade Carnival. Time (New York). Retrieved October
28, 2013.
[20] David Fricke, liner notes for the Peel Slowly and See box
set (Polydor, 1995)
[21] Jazz/Punk connection.
[22] http://www.loureed.com/inmemoriam/
[23] Statement from Syracuse University Regarding the Passing of Lou Reed. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
[24] Rock and Roll Heart, documentary on the life of Lou
Reed on YouTube, American Masters
[25] http://www.syracuse.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2014/
01/garland_jeffreys_le_moyne_lou_reed.html
[26] https://books.google.com/books?id=cHb_
AgAAQBAJ&pg=PT21&lpg=PT21&dq=
Lou+Reed+hepatitis+from+a+negro+named+
jaw&source=bl&ots=ayWCxUBOTV&sig=
ab7t0nkDE4AAC4vO14lBrps2tow&hl=en&sa=
X&ei=Hp-UVaP4DoH8yQSlk4DoAQ&ved=
0CCcQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Lou%20Reed%
20hepatitis%20from%20a%20negro%20named%
20jaw&f=false
[27] Velvet Underground and Nico (1967), album cover
notes and record label.
[28] Interview in Rolling Stone Magazine Nov/Dec 1987: Twentieth Anniversary Issue
[29] News from the Library of Congress. National Recording Registry. Library of Congress. March 6, 2007. For
decades this album has cast a huge shadow over nearly every sub-variety of avant-garde rock, from 1970s art-rock
to No Wave, New Wave and Punk. Referring to their
sway over the rock music of the '70s and '80s, critic Lester
Bangs stated, 'Modern music starts with the Velvets, and
the implications and inuence of what they did seem to go
on forever.'

REFERENCES

[30] The Velvet Underground Biography. Rock & Roll Hall

of Fame. The inuence of the Velvet Underground on
rock greatly exceeds their sales gures and chart numbers.
They are one of the most important rock and roll bands of
all time, laying the groundwork in the Sixties for many
tangents rock music would take in ensuing decades.
[31] Black, Johnny. Time Machine: Velvet Underground
(1997), Mojo
[32] Nelson, Paul. Rolling Stone, June 5, 1975. p. 60.
[33] Reed, Lou (1991). Between Thought and Expression: Selected Lyrics of Lou Reed. Hyperion. pp. 22, 38, 42.
ISBN 1-56282-923-8.
[34] Thompson, Dave (2009). Your Pretty Face Is Going
to Hell: The Dangerous Glitter of David Bowie, Iggy
Pop, and Lou Reed. Backbeat Books. p. 18. ISBN
9781617134081.
[35] Bockris, Victor (1994). Transformer: The Lou Reed
Story. pp. 104, 106, 107. ISBN 0-684-80366-6.
[36] Jones, Chris (2002). Review of The Velvet Underground
- The Velvet Underground & Nico (Deluxe Edition)".
BBC Music. Archived from the original on April 30,
2012. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
[37] The True Story Of How Lou Reed Helped Overthrow
Communism In Eastern Europe. Business Insider. October 27, 2013. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
[38] Bockris (1994), p. 160.
[39] Bockris (1994), pp. 164, 167.
[40] Bockris (1994), pp. 164, 166.
[41] Bockris (1994), p. 177.
[42] Unterberger, Richie (2009). White Light/White Heat:
The Velvet Underground Day-by-Day. London: Jawbone
Press. pp. 307, 317. ISBN 978-1-906002-22-0.
[43] Erlewine, Stephen. Squeeze. Allmusic.
[44] Unterberger, Richie (May 30, 2009). White Light /
White Heat. The WELL. The Well Group. p. 3.
Archived from the original on December 2, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
[45] Holden, Stephen (May 25, 1972). Rolling Stone. p. 68
[46] David Bowie, Patti Smith and others discuss Lou Reeds
music and Transformer on YouTube, video, 5 min.
[47] Wiener, John (May 11, 1987). Beatles Buy-Out. The
New Republic.
[48] Reed (1991), p. 42. They were going to make a musical
out of Nelson Algrens A Walk on the Wild Side. When
they dropped the project I took my song and changed the
books characters into people I knew from Warhols Factory.
[49] Walker, Nick (October 13, 1997). Blurred vision at the
Beeb. The Independent.

11

[50] David Bowie 50th Birthday with Lou Reed. YouTube.

December 6, 2010. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
[51] Bershaw. Concert Summary: May 2, 1973. Wolfgangs
Vault. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
[52] Bockris (1994), p. 221.

[73] Rolling Stone review of the Metal Machine Trio concert

at the Gramercy in New York. Rolling Stone. April 24,
2009. Archived from the original on April 27, 2009.
[74] Lou Reed at Lollapalooza 2009. Lollapalooza 2009.
Retrieved March 26, 2010.

[53] 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: 344. Lou Reed,

Berlin. Rolling Stone.

[75] Metallica with Ozzy, Lou Reed, Ray Davies at Rock Hall
Concert: More Video Footage Available. Roadrunner
Records. Retrieved March 26, 2010.

[54] Gilmore, Mikal. Lou Reeds heart of darkness, Rolling

Stone magazine, March 22, 1979 pp. 8, 12

[76] Great Night 2009. Jbspins.blogspot.com. Retrieved

September 28, 2014.

[55] Lou Reed interview with Anthony DeCurtis at the 92nd

Street Y New York on September 18, 2006

[77] Jazz Foundation of America. Daily News. New York.

Retrieved September 28, 2014.

[56] Waiting For The Man A Biography of Lou Reed.

Jeremy Reed, 1994 Picador p.156

[78] Lynskey, Dorian (June 26, 2010). Gorillaz at Glastonbury 2010. The Guardian (London). Archived from the
original on June 18, 2011. Retrieved July 9, 2010.

[57] One-Trick Pony (1980)". IMDb.

[58] Dolan, Marc. Bruce Springsteen and the Promise of Rock
'n' Roll, W. W. Norton & Company (2013) p. 160
[59] Sandall, Robert (February 9, 2003). Lou Reed: Walk on
the mild side. The Sunday Times (London). Retrieved
December 20, 2008. (subscription required)
[60] Reed (1991), p. 71.
[61] Carson, Tom (April 15, 1982). The Blue Mask. Rolling
Stone.
[62] Bockris (1994), p. 351.
[63] Randy Lewis (October 28, 2013), Lout Reed, 1942 2013 Inuential pioneer of punk, art rock, Los Angeles
Times: 1, retrieved December 7, 2013
[64] Pareles, Jon (November 14, 1997). Next Wave Festival:
Echoes of H. G. Wells, Rhythms of Lou Reed. The New
York Times.
[65] Aleksander, Irina (April 23, 2008). Morning Memo:
Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson Make it Legal. The New
York Observer. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
[66] VH1.com : Lou Reed : Lou Reeds Obsession With Edgar
Allan Poe Spawns The Raven Rhapsody Music Downloads
[67] War Poems. Bushwatch.com. Retrieved March 26,
2010.
[68] Ravenous Reed. The New Yorker. Retrieved September
28, 2014.
[69] Independent Music Awards Past Judges. Independentmusicawards.com. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
[70] Lou Reeds New York
[71] ""Came so far for Beauty in Dublin. Leonardcohenles.com. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
[72] Watch Spectacle: Elvis Costello With... - Lou Reed and
Julian Schnabel Online. TV.com.

[79] Ching, Gene. Lou Reed on TaiChi. Kung Fu Magazine.

usadojo.com.
[80] Secret Recording Project?". Metallica.com. June 15,
2010. Archived from the original on June 18, 2011. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
[81] Jerey, Don (January 12, 2012). Velvet Underground
Sues Warhol Over Banana Design. Bloomberg.
[82] Ostro, Joshua (October 18, 2013). Metric On Recording Lou Reed Duet 'The Wanderlust'". The Hungton
Post. AOL. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
[83] Lou Reed . Rimes Rhymes. Loureed.com. Retrieved
October 27, 2013.
[84] NME 9 November 2013.Bak. Scribd.com. Retrieved
March 5, 2014.
[85] Lou Reed Recovering From Liver Transplant. Rolling
Stone. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
[86] Lou Reeds Cause of Death Conrmed. Verbicide Magazine. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
[87] Ratli, Ben (October 27, 2013). Outsider Whose Dark,
Lyrical Vision Helped Shape Rock 'n' Roll. The New
York Times. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
[88] Lou Reed, Velvet Underground Leader and Rock Pioneer, Dead at 71. Rolling Stone. October 27, 2013. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
[89] Jones, Sam; Malik, Shiv (October 27, 2013). Lou Reed,
lead singer of Velvet Underground, dies aged 71. The
Guardian (London). Retrieved October 27, 2013.
[90] Lou Reed, Velvet Underground frontman, dies at 71.
BBC News. October 27, 2013. Retrieved October 27,
2013.
[91] Feran, Tom (June 11, 2013).Cleveland Clinic conrms
rock legend Lou Reed underwent liver transplant at hospital. The Plain Dealer (Cleveland). Retrieved October
31, 2013.

12

EXTERNAL LINKS

[92] David Byrne Remembers the 'Brave' Lou Reed. Rolling [111] Green Day, Lou Reed among Rock Hall inductees, USA
Stone. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
Today. December 16, 2014. Retrieved December 18,
2014
[93] Laurie Anderson, For 21 years we tangled our minds
and hearts together, Rolling Stone (November 6, 2013)". [112] Read Patti Smiths Poignant Lou Reed Rock Hall Induction. Rolling Stone. April 19, 2015.
Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
[94] Patti Smith: 'Lou Reed Was a Very Special Poet.
Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
[95] David Bowie leads tributes to 'master' Lou Reed. BBC
News. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
[96] Just wild about Lou: Tributes pour in for rock pioneer
Lou Reed. The Independent. October 28, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
[97] Battan, Carrie (October 28, 2013). David Bowie, Morrissey, John Cale Release Statements on Lou Reeds
Death. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
[98] Mallenbaum, Carly (October 27, 2013). Celebs tweet
about Lou Reed. USA Today. Retrieved October 27,
2013
[99] Sherwell, Philip (October 27, 2013). Lou Reed dies aged
71. The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved October
27, 2013.
[100] Case, Wesley (October 28, 2013).After 23 Years Pearl
Jam Finally Comes to Baltimore. The Sun (Baltimore).
Retrieved October 28, 2013
[101] The Killers cover Lou Reeds 'Pale Blue Eyes at Las Vegas gig watch. NME. October 30, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
[102] October 27, 2013 Setlist >". Phish.net. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
[103] Need We Say More? > News > Phish Honors Lou Reed
in Hartford. Jambands.com. October 28, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
[104] Almasy, Steve; Smith, Matyty (October 28, 2013). Rock
legend Lou Reed dies at 71. CNN. Retrieved October 28,
2013.
[105] John Cale Remembers Friend Lou Reed: 'We Have the
Best of Our Fury Laid Out on Vinyl'". The Hollywood
Reporter. October 27, 2013. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
[106] Runcie, Charlotte (October 28, 2013). Vatican leads
tributes to Lou Reed, The Daily Telegraph (London).
[107] Chiu, David (March 4, 2014). Lou Reeds Memorial
Lets the Music Speak for Itself. Rolling Stone. Retrieved
November 14, 2013.
[108] Lou Reed biography currently in the works. NME.
November 18, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
[109] Lou Reed Remembered. BBC. December 15, 2013.
Retrieved December 15, 2013.
[110] Pareles, Jon (March 4, 2014). Lou Reeds Complex
Spirit Is Invoked at a Reunion of His Inner Circle. The
New York Times. Retrieved December 17, 2013.

6 External links
Ocial website
Lou Reed at the Internet Movie Database
Comprehensive music biography of Reed by Allmusic
BBC obituary

13

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

7.1

Text

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Yoda4peace, Bartleby21, Keith-264, OnBeyondZebrax, HisSpaceResearch, Kencf0618, Shoeofdeath, NeonNero, Beno1000, Ekkert, PaddyM, RattleandHum, JForget, CmdrObot, W guice, Maplemusic, MFlet1, Cutesparkina, CuriousEric, Orsoni, Emilio Juanatey, Jbossbarr,
AndrewHowse, Cydebot, Justus Nussbaum, Treybien, Khatru2, I.M.S., GRBerry, Lugnuts, JamesLucas, Studerby, B, Bernard the Varanid,
DumbBOT, RottweilerCS, Jay32183, Chris Henniker, Ewwwwwww, After Midnight, Rocket000, KaiBailey, Stevecaratzas, Thijs!bot,
Epbr123, T kroger, Vestigial Thumb, PEJL, Nepal Tree, Headbomb, Fluxbot, John254, J-slice, Srsrsr, Strausszek, PJtP, TFunk, Leadbellly, Nick Number, Josephkuzma, Jason1978, RaNdOm26, Doremtzwr, RetiredUser124642196, John Smythe, Fireplace, Widefox,
SummerPhD, StringRay, Shirt58, Daviddinnizz, James Epstein, Activist, Tmopkisn, Tjmayerinsf, Fayenatic london, Danger, Yellowdesk,
Ghmyrtle, Libd84, Jkoskie, Esuzu, OrinR, JAnDbot, Husond, Glenntwo, Postcard Cathy, Roman 92, Nthep, Matthew Fennell, Janejellyroll, Jhchristensen, Michig, Jmaidens, NSR77, Leolaursen, Ecphora, MegX, Rothorpe, Y2kcrazyjoker4, Steveprutz, Freshacconci,
Grievous Angel, Magioladitis, Connormah, Celithemis, Bongwarrior, Kolindigo, SteelersFan UK06, VoABot II, Hullaballoo Wolfowitz,
JamesBWatson, Appraiser, Cadsuane Melaidhrin, Mattkopera, Steven Walling, TeaTree, Rich257, Indon, Shocking Blue, Zosomaniac,
Spellmaster, Jommeke, Thaiguy333, Isquitenice, Hintswen, Dirtybutclean, Babooshkalady, FisherQueen, MartinBot, Infrangible, GoldenMeadows, Sonic 80, Bus stop, Lifebonzza, Era5er, AkankshaG, S.dedalus, Fconaway, Robertotr, DandyDan2007, GreenRunner0,
Jreferee, AvatarMN, Ajmilner, ChanceTheGardener, EvanScott, JayJasper, DadaNeem, Woood, Kai81, Inwind, Melinoe~enwiki, Sortoise, Squids and Chips, DaltreyEntwistleMoonTownshend, Benikramer, Sincronio, Malik Shabazz, PYM77176, Chaz Chandler, Je
G., PlunderingDesire, Woland8917, Tmohr, Hjorten, Rclocher3, Martinevans123, TXiKiBoT, Sroc, Kww, Mark v1.0, Pwimageglow,
NPrice, Jayez85, Dadsnagem, Davekeeling, Werideatdusk33, Brian Eisley, Karensvea, Jackfork, Erdiecopper, Waycool27, MearsMan,
Nikosgreencookie, Antroxu, Jimihen, Proof Pudding, Sporting2212, Brianga, Funeral, Not Provided, Loureedfan, Dutmi055, Cosprings,
Ponyo, SieBot, MuzikJunky, Nubiatech, Barnes70, Saltywood, Kodachrome22, Jonas.E.B., Shantiq, Nite-Sirk, JD554, 23funnel23, Yone
Fernandes, TheOnlyOne12, Ogre lawless, Coppertop Guy, Jsmunroe, Gregaudette~enwiki, Stfg, Cyfal, Deeperknowledge22, Thatotherdude, Bench692, Rabend, Nradv, Msjayhawk, Loureedfanz, Anthropocentrism, Tenbe, Bunnygod888, Faithlessthewonderboy, Martarius, SpiderMum, Leahtwosaints, ClueBot, Binksternet, GorillaWarfare, Rosekelleher, All Hallows Wraith, Qbrownfox, Witchwooder,
Chico Guerra, Jdb00, Knaiad, Dantesque1, Joao Xavier, Sukie310, Sayhellojana, Ottava Rima, FunkyDuy, Rockfang, Trephination,
Cryogenia, Excirial, Chesneyrules, Ottre, Xentic, Matthewmatthews, CAVincent, Dfsghjkgfhdg, Arjayay, Light show, Thingg, ShaoFang,
Ibrokeup, Islandia(at)Home, Canihaveacookie, Indopug, Francopoulo, Newrose, DumZiBoT, XLinkBot, Redrkr, Saxophobe60, Wikiuser100, Brian211978, MerlinsMagic, Tim010987, Holdyourhorseis, Kbdankbot, Gcstackmoney, Addbot, FenderRhodesScholar, Caden, Mannylunch, Sebastian scha., Aryder779, Superkevin1992, Stewartdc8, Sowrs, Zyblorg, Tassedethe, Prowikia, NYCfellow, Lightbot,
Sternobum, Rich4ad, Everyme, Legobot, Luckas-bot, Yobot, WikiDan61, Craig Montgomery, Hihkite, Pablo323, Jizelbeck, Roger Workman, Eduen, AnomieBOT, Valueyou, AaRH, JackieBot, Justme89, Juicylime, Bailiwix, Dendlai, Eumolpo, Ergh99, LilHelpa, Xqbot,
Moviesceleton, JimVC3, Wether B, Somervillain, Aztek888, Vfumikochin, AvdN, Scottdoesntknow, RibotBOT, Krscal, BlackMath77,
Tabledhote, Sstovall19, FrescoBot, Owenmadison, Alarics, Ben Culture, LedBeatles52596, Freshh, CircleAdrian, DrilBot, Queeniez71,
I dream of horses, Cooper58, Streamfortyseven, LittleWink, Jonesey95, Kfbianco, 1000MHz, Tomcat7, JPGR69, Peteycat, Lalamusical, Motorizer, SkyMachine, GWPSP090, Dan8700, Dillster22, Europacorpnewmedia, Violetculture, Reaper Eternal, Arided, Cbben,
JFA2009, Target Jackson, Jnewton37, Tbhotch, Sightphotos, RjwilmsiBot, TjBot, MShabazz, Beyond My Ken, Lopifalko, Corregere,
Hiddenstranger, DASHBot, Eye Tooth, BotdeSki, And we drown, John of Reading, WikitanvirBot, GoingBatty, Bt8257, Ethdhelwen,
Ladymacb, Jim Michael, K6ka, Marek Koudelka, Aestuare, ZroBot, Shuipzv3, Graiai, Utar, Medeis, H3llBot, SporkBot, Wawzenek,
Lny98, Quantumor, Pun, Lizkj, JingleJim, AndyTheGrump, TYelliot, Spicemix, ToniSant, ClueBot NG, RyanQuinlan, Bulldog73,
Thegiantbark, Lashuto, Tobystewart, Helpful Pixie Bot, 8miles*, Popcorndu, SchroCat, Lowercase sigmabot, BG19bot, Kaltenmeyer,
Northamerica1000, InferKNOX, MusikAnimal, Davidiad, BizarreLoveTriangle, Ussferox, Carlstak, IneableBen, Nponpo, Thenewdavidscott, ThoughtlessAndMindless, JJ1988, Klilidiplomus, Jediknightelectro1997, Talktube101, Aleksandar Bulovic', BattyBot, Thebuck093,
Comicparadox, Grompton, TianCoop, ChrisGualtieri, Myxomatosis57, YFdyh-bot, Khazar2, Musicwikiedits, Dexbot, Pama73, I call the
big one bitey, Mogism, Cerabot~enwiki, RupJana, Lugia2453, Reatlas, 94GuitarLord, Epicgenius, FenixFeather, Sonanto, Uberaccount,
Lindenhurst Liberty, BenStein69, Bagiamswell, Cummyworms, Kill Every Honky, Blackmetalskinhead, Bretonesque, Inanygivenhole, Taylor Trescott, Jayaguru-Shishya, Vlove1, Zpgnbg, Tr00thsayya, ChangesLowBowie92, TheGreatTweedsmuir, Rod and Emu, Nas809, Avian
appreciator, Smoketree90210, Pokosz, Burgermeister77, Charge2charge, Monkbot, GCutlass1!!, Courtclinton, Taoskier2, Gene O'Mick,
KasparBot, Ludwigpaisteman, SRKCHELSKI, TheHeavyMetalThunder, Maudit, Dilidor and Anonymous: 729

14

7 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

7.2

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