American Rock Musician, Lou Reed dies at 71
New York, 28 October 2013:
Lou Reed, an American rock musician and pioneering songwriter died on Sunday at the age of 71. The Velvet Underground, one of the most influential rock bands which fused art and music in collaboration with artist Andy Warhol. Reed was known for his distinctive deadpan voice, poetic lyrics and for pioneering and coining the term ostrich guitar. He had a hit the following year with ‘walk on the wild side’, but subsequently lacked the mainstream commercial success its chart status seemed to indicate.
Reed underwent a liver transplant in May 2013. On October 27, Reed took his last breath at the age of 71. He was suffering from liver disease. Reed died at a home he shared in Long Island, New York, with his wife Laurie Anderson following complications from a liver transplant. His physician Charles Miller noted that Reed was fighting right up to the very end. He was doing his Tai Chi exercises within an hour of his death, trying to keep strong and keep fighting.
While the Velvet Underground flopped, the band revolutionized rock in the 1960s and 70s with a mixture of thrashing guitar licks and smooth melodies sung by Reed or the sultry German model Nico. Nico is briefly collaborated with the band at Warhol’s insistence. The Velvet Underground’s debut album only sold 30,000 copies and everyone who bought one of those 30,000 copies started a band.
Musician Iggy Pop announced the news as devastating in Twitter, while musician Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth is very sorry to hear of Lou Reed’s passing and also added that this is a huge shock news. Musician Reed was admitted because he is a regular drinker and drug user for many years. Reed underwent a liver transplant earlier this year at the Cleveland Mayo Clinic, his wife, Laurie Anderson, told after he had canceled five California April concert dates.
Reed tweeted on June 2013, “I am a triumph of modern medicine,” without directly acknowledging the transplant. He also posted that he look forward to being on stage performing, and writing more songs to connect with people’s hearts and spirits and the universe well into the future.
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