Glam-rock legend Lou Reed dies aged 71

Legendary glam-rock pioneer, songwriter and vocalist of The Velvet Underground, Lou Reed has died today, aged 71.

The tragic news was first reported by Rolling Stone magazine. The cause of his death remains unclear, however it is known that Reed received a liver transplant earlier this year.

Lou Reed was one of the central figures of glam-rock during the mid-1970s, alongside David Bowie, T-Rex and the New York Dolls. In a career that spanned over five decades, he defied the expectations of rock music and contributed massively to the invention of punk.

Reed was best-known for his distinctive deadpan vocals, his commercially successful signature hits Walk on the Wild Side, Perfect Day, Satellite of Love, his Bowie-produced album Transformer and his collaborations with Andy Warhol, merging art and music. The hugely influential songwriter last collaborated with Metallica in 2011 for his final full album Lulu.

Artists including Paramore singer Hayley Williams, KISS’ Paul Stanley and Foals’ frontman Yannis Philippakis have taken to social media platform Twitter to express their sadness at the loss of the iconic singer. Founding member of Sonic Youth Kim Gordon said: “So sorry to hear of Lou Reed’s passing, this is a huge shock!”

Mr Lou Reed will be sorely missed, but his work will no doubt continue to inspire many generations of musicians, as it has since the 70s.  

Gemma Whitfield

Watch the video for Walk on the Wild Side here: