The 'Walk on the Wild Side' singer apparently died of liver disease in New York. He had received a liver transplant in May.
Though the Velvet Underground were not a commercial success, they went on to have a massive influence on the rock scene and Reed's evocative poetry has a lot to do with it.
After the Velver Underground disbanded, Reed went on to have a long innings as a solo artist, a career that he held on to from the seventies till his death.
After college, Reed worked as a staff songwriter for Pickwick Records.
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In the mid-Sixties, Reed befriended Welsh musician John Cale and they went on to for a band called the Primitives. The name of the band was later changed to the Warlocks.
After meeting guitarist Sterling Morrison and drummer Maureen Tucker, they became the Velvet Underground which was produced by Andy Warhol. Their debut 'The Velvet Underground & Nico' described the bohemian New York side.