Lou Reed
The dark poet of underground rock
Origins and Early Life
Lewis Allan Reed was born on March 2, 1942 in Brooklyn, New York. A literature student at Syracuse University under the poet Delmore Schwartz, he founded The Velvet Underground in 1964 with John Cale, under the patronage of Andy Warhol.
The Velvet Underground
The first album, The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967), with its Warhol-designed banana cover, was a commercial failure but influenced all future music. Brian Eno said that everyone who bought this record went on to form a band.
Solo Career
As a solo artist, Transformer (1972), produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson, includes “Walk on the Wild Side”. Berlin (1973) is a dark and ambitious rock opera. Lou Reed remained a provocative and unclassifiable artist until his death on October 27, 2013 in New York.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 with the Velvet Underground.
Lou Reed remained a provocative and unclassifiable artist. The album Metal Machine Music (1975), made of an hour of feedback and drone without melody or lyrics, is considered one of the most controversial records in history — either a deliberate hoax or a visionary avant-garde work, depending on the interpretation.
Iconic Guitars
Lou Reed is associated with the Fender Stratocaster, the Gibson Les Paul, and the Gretsch Country Gentleman. His use of controlled feedback and dissonant chords influenced punk and art rock.
