Lou Reed

In early May 2013, Reed underwent liver transplant surgery.

Winner of the 2005 Ivor Novello Special International Award.

Lived with Laurie Anderson beginning in 1995 prior to their marriage in 2008.

In 1993, The Velvet Underground was re-formed with its original line-up, and toured in Europe in 1993.

In the 1990s, he continued to be one of the most sharp-tongued rock 'n' roll poets of his time.

In 1990, he once again collaborated with ex-Velvet-partner John Cale. Their album, "Songs for Drella," was a very personal tribute to friend and artist Andy Warhol, who had recently died.

In 1989, he made "New York"--a love letter to his city with its good and bad, and with a heavy criticism of American thought.

The following album, "The Blue Mask" (1982), stands as one of his best and most composed.

Valentine's Day 1980, Lou Reed married Sylvia Morales, and that was another turning point in his career.

On November 22, 1974, Reed was performing the song "Heroin" at Winterland. In the middle of the song, Reed took out a hypodermic needle, a spoon, match, rubber hose, and injected something into his arm, although it is unknown as to whether or not it was heroin.

His second album, "Transformer" (1972), was produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson, long-time admirers of the Velvets. That year, he had his first--and still only--top 20 song, "Walk on the Wild Side.

In 1970, Lou Reed began his solo career.

" Through the 1970s, he made a prolific number of albums with "Berlin" (1973), "Rock 'n' Roll Animal" (1974), and "Street Hassle" (1978) as the artistic highlights of this period. On St.

The group, at its best, made only four original albums: "The Velvet Underground & Nico" (1967), "White Light/White Heat" (1968), "The Velvet Underground" (1969), and "Loaded" (1970). They stand today as milestones in the history of rock.

He formed the group The Velvet Underground with Welsh multi-instrumentalist John Cale, second guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Maureen Tucker in New York in 1965. The group soon became a part of Andy Warhol's Factory scene, which housed a great number of the most freaked and experimental artists at the time. The German singer and actress Nico sang in the group for a short period-- but the original line-up began to split up.

In 1958 a 14 year-old Reed was part of a doo-wop band called The Shades and recorded a single, "So Blue" b/w "Leave Her For Me". Alan Freed played the single on his show; Reed commented later "I got royalties of 78 cents.".