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Artist News Top Stories
Music world pays tribute as Lou Reed dies
By Chris Cooke | Published on Monday 28 October 2013
Tributes aplenty have been made overnight for the late great Lou Reed, who died this weekend aged 71. The Velvet Underground frontman’s literary agent confirmed to the Associated Press yesterday that Reed had died from a “liver-related ailment”, adding that he had not been well “for a few months”.
As previously reported, it was confirmed in June that Reed had had a liver transplant earlier this year, resulting in the cancellation of his set at Coachella. And although the singer songwriter told reporters the operation had been very successful, he was admitted to hospital for further treatment in July.
Leading the tributes online was Reed’s former Velvet Underground bandmate John Cale, who said simply “The world has lost a fine songwriter and poet… I’ve lost my ‘school-yard buddy'”. Meanwhile another former collaborator, David Bowie, said via his Facebook page, simply, “He was a master”.
Producer Brian Eno used his short online tribute to note that Reed’s influence went far beyond the modest commercial success of either Velvet Underground or his solo work, saying: “The first Velvet Underground album only sold 10,000 copies, but everyone who bought it formed a band”.
