REED, LOU

REED, LOU (Lewis Allen; 1942– ), U.S. guitarist, songwriter, founder of the influential art rock band The Velvet Underground; often referred to as the "Godfather of Punk." Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Freeport, New York, Reed played guitar in several high school bands. He attended Syracuse University, but dropped out after two years and moved to New York City, where he became a songwriter for Pickwick records. There, Reed met John Cale, with whom he formed The Primitives, a band which evolved to become The Velvet Underground in 1964. Later managed by Andy Warhol, The Velvet Underground was considered ground-breaking for their lyrical tales of urban decay, heroin addiction, and social realism, as well as for their droning sound and experiments in noise. Although the band was never a commercial success, The Velvet Underground is considered one of the most influential rock bands of all time. Reed left the band in 1970, and after spending a short musical hiatus working for his father's Long Island accounting firm, he released an eponymous solo album that was mostly rehashed Velvet Underground tunes. It wasn't until Reed recruited David Bowie and Mick Ronson to produce his 1972 album Transformer that Reed achieved widespread success: a Top-20 hit in the U.S., and a Top-Ten hit in the U.K. for "Walk on the Wild Side," a tribute song to the transsexuals, misfits, and hustlers at Andy Warhol's Factory. Reed followed Transformer with Berlin, which though artistically impressive, failed to make a mark commercially. Reed, who adopted a public persona of an androgynous junkie, followed Berlin with Rock and Roll Animal and Sally Can't Dance, both albums aimed at commercial success, and then in 1975, Metal Machine Music, a double album of pure guitar feedback. As Reed wrestled with drug and alcohol problems, his releases, while prolific, remained inconsistent. On 1976's Rock and Roll Heart, Reed delivered an album of pure guitar pop, only to follow up with raw punk on 1978's Street Hassle. The 1980s saw a sober, drug-free, and more focused Reed releasing critically acclaimed albums such as 1983's The Blue Mask and 1989's New York, a love letter and sharp criticism of the state of his adored city. After a 25-year estrangement, Reed reunited with John Cale in 1990 and released Songs for Drella, a musical biography and tribute to Andy Warhol. The Velvet Underground temporarily reunited in 1993. Reed and his bandmates from The Velvet Underground were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. (Harry Rubenstein (2nd ed.)