Lou Reed

1942 -

Origin: United States

Main instrument: Acoustic guitar/electric guitar

Genres: Avant-garde, Rock

New York singer and guitarist Lou Reed founded seminal rock group the Velvet Underground in the 1960s. The VU's no-frills musical approach contrasted with Reed's highly literate lyrical content, informed by Beat poets and writers. After leaving the band in 1970, Reed embarked on a sometimes disconcerting but always fascinating solo journey. His recordings have been known to go off many a tangent, from glam-rock Transformer), to experimental-noise (Metal Music Machine), to spoken word (The Raven). Reknown for his extravagant lifestyle, Reed will nevertheless go down in history on the merits of his art. With Neil Young and David Bowie, he belongs to a rare breed of rockers who have managed to remain relevant while reinventing themselves periodically.