In Memoriam
Lou Reed
March 2, 1942 – October 27, 2013 · aged 71
Rock · Protopunk · Art Rock
Lewis Allan Reed was the ultimate poet of New York's gritty underground and a godfather of punk, alternative, and indie rock. As the frontman and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground in the late 1960s, Reed brought unprecedented lyrical maturity and dark realism to rock music. While the hippie movement sang about peace and love, Reed wrote unflinchingly about drug addiction, paranoia, and sexual deviance on tracks like 'Heroin' and 'Venus in Furs.' Though their albums sold poorly at the time, Brian Eno famously remarked that everyone who bought one started a band. In his solo career, he collaborated with David Bowie for the 1972 glam-rock masterpiece 'Transformer,' producing the unlikely, taboo-breaking radio hit 'Walk on the Wild Side' and the hauntingly beautiful 'Perfect Day.' Fiercely independent and perpetually cool, Reed passed away from liver disease on October 27, 2013, at the age of 71. His uncompromising artistic vision remains the ultimate blueprint for rock and roll rebellion.
Milestones
Walk on the Wild Side, Perfect Day, The Velvet Underground & Nico
Also remembered in 2013
- George Jones (1931–2013)
- Jeff Hanneman (1964–2013)
- J.J. Cale (1938–2013)
- Ray Manzarek (1939–2013)