Lou Reed is an American rock musician, poet and composer, best known as the founder and frontman of the cult band The Velvet Underground. He is one of the most influential music innovators of his time. The biography, career and personal life of Lou Reed - later in this article.
early years
Lewis Allan Reid was born March 2, 1942 in Brooklyn (New York, USA), in the Jewish family of Sydney and Toby, emigrants from the Russian Empire. The family's real name is Rabinovich, but a year after the birth of his son, Sydney replaced her with Reed. Five years later, Lewis had a younger sister Meryl. In the photo below: little Lewis Reed with his parents.
From early childhood, the boy was fascinated only by music - he constantly listened to rock and roll and blues on the radio, learning to play the guitar by ear. According to the recollections of his sister, Lewis was a very reserved and vulnerable boy, truly liberated only while playing the guitar. At the age of 16, he simultaneously participated in three school rock groups at once.
In 1960, Reid entered Syracuse University, where he studied journalism, filmmaking and literature. Most of all he liked to study poetry - it was during the development of the best examples of world versification that the future musician gained his unique mastery of the word and abstract thought.
In the photo below, young Lou Reed (center) during a performance with a university rock band.
The velvet underground
In 1964, after graduating from university, Reed moved to New York. He decided to try his luck in recording studios and on the rock stage. Here he met John Cale, Sterling Morrison and Angus McLeese, forming with them a group called The Velvet Underground. At the same time, the novice musician reduced his name to "Lou", under which later became famous. In the new group, he took the place of vocalist and solo guitarist, Cale became the bass player, Morrison became the auxiliary guitarist, and Makliz became the drummer. However, on the eve of the first commercial concert in 1965, Angus left, giving his place to Maureen Tucker.
It was in this composition that the group was noticed by the famous artist Andy Warhol, who became the producer of the group. His decision was to bring singer Nico to the group to record their debut album. Reid was initially against this decision and against Warhol as a whole, however, when the album Velvet Underground and Nico reached high marks in rock parties, he appreciated Andy's contribution to the development of his group.
With changes in composition, The Velvet Underground recorded three more albums, after which, in 1970, Lou Reid left the group at the same time as Warhol, who had lost interest in music and left the post of producer.
Solo work
In 1972, Lou Reed's first solo album was released, simply named Lou Reed. He did not have much commercial success, but was praised by music critics and fans of The Velvet Underground. Lou Reed's solo songs, unlike the work within the group, were not distinguished by musical intricacy and psychedelic elements, but they contained a deeper and more interesting poetry.
In the same year, the musician’s second solo album, Transformer, was released. Its producer was David Bowie, who also acted as a music consultant. The record was a breakthrough in Reed's solo work and was certified as a Golden Album.
The third album, entitled Berlin, was released in 1973 and had very low sales. He was later rethought and even included in the list of 500 greatest albums of all time. But then, in the 73rd year, commercial failure forced Reed to move farther and farther away from his previous work. For example, such was the openly mocking album of 1975, Metal Machine Music, consisting of guitar noise, devoid of any melody.
During his solo career, from 1972 to 2007, Lou Reed has released twenty studio albums, varying in both musical style and commercial achievements. In 1989, the album New-York was released, which became the second Golden in the discography of the musician. Also for this album, he was nominated for a Grammy for rock vocals. He won the Grammy Award only in 1999, after the re-release of the 1976 album Rock and Roll Heart.
Personal life
In 1967, Lou Reed had a little romance with singer Nico when they worked together on The Velvet Underground's debut album. In 1973, the musician married a certain Betty Kronstadt, who accompanied him on a tour as an assistant. They divorced after three months of marriage.
From 1975 to 1978, Reed lived and was in a relationship with a transgender woman named Rachel. In 1976, he dedicated her to the studio album Coney Island Baby. In 1980, Lou Reed entered into a second marriage, his wife was Sylvia Morales - a British designer. With her, the musician defeated drug addiction and recorded one of the most successful albums - New York.
In 1993, the musician met the singer Laurie Anderson, discovering a soul mate in her. The beloved began to live together a month after they met, and in 1994, Reed and Sylvia divorced.
Having lived together for 15 years, Lou and Lori decided to get married, the wedding took place in April 2008. Anderson became Reed's last wife, the spouses were separated by the death of the musician.
Public position
In the mid-70s, Lou Reed was heavily addicted to alcohol and drugs. His propaganda of such a lifestyle from the stage, as well as his relationship with a transgender woman, created the musician a certain image that evoked approval among his fans. However, having married in 1980 and defeating his drug addiction, Reed aroused their indignation. They called him "a traitor to their own ideals." Upon learning of this, Lou reacted very sharply:
If I worked in the porn industry, I would understand why someone cares whether I sleep with a man or a woman. But the bastards who are interested in my underpants more than my music are not worthy of being my fans. Let them go to hell. Five years ago, I was alone - now my views have changed, and this is normal. This is the development of personality.
Death
In the last years of his life, Lou Reed suffered from hepatitis and diabetes, and in 2012 he was diagnosed with liver cancer. In May 2013, he underwent a liver transplant operation, but serious complications followed. The musician died on October 27, 2013, at the age of 71.