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Lou Reed, Velvet Underground frontman, dies at 71 | Lou Reed, Velvet Underground frontman, dies at 71 |
(35 minutes later) | |
US musician and Velvet Underground frontman Lou Reed has died at the age of 71. | US musician and Velvet Underground frontman Lou Reed has died at the age of 71. |
The singer-songwriter, whose best-known hits included Perfect Day and Walk On The Wild Side, was considered one of the most influential in rock music. | The singer-songwriter, whose best-known hits included Perfect Day and Walk On The Wild Side, was considered one of the most influential in rock music. |
The Velvet Underground became known for their fusion of art and music and collaborating with Andy Warhol. | |
The cause of death is unknown. But a spokesman told the BBC a statement would be released shortly. | |
An admitted hard drinker and drug user for many years, Reed underwent a liver transplant in May this year after he had cancelled five California concert dates scheduled in April. | |
"I am a triumph of modern medicine," Reed posted on his website on 1 June. | |
"I look forward to being on stage performing, and writing more songs to connect with your hearts and spirits and the universe well into the future." | |
The Velvet Underground never achieved much commercial success, but revolutionized rock and punk in the 1960s and '70s and their popularity grew in the subsequent decades. | |
The band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. |