Lou Reed dead at 71, Rolling Stone reports

No cause of death has been released, but Rolling Stone notes that Reed underwent a liver transplant in May

Published October 27, 2013 5:50PM (EDT)

Lou Reed         (AP/John Smierciak)
Lou Reed (AP/John Smierciak)

Lou Reed died Sunday at the age of 71, according to a report from Rolling Stone.

No cause of death has been released, but Rolling Stone notes that Reed underwent a liver transplant in May.

Reed was the principal songwriter for the Velvet Underground, and was one of the most powerful influences on American rock music in the last half century.

 

 

 


By Katie McDonough

Katie McDonough is Salon's politics writer, focusing on gender, sexuality and reproductive justice. Follow her on Twitter @kmcdonovgh or email her at kmcdonough@salon.com.

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Lou Reed Velvet Underground