Lou Reed(born March 2, 1942) is an American rock and roll singer-songwriter, originally from Brooklyn, New York. Especially while a member of the The Velvet Undergroundin the 1960s, Reed broke new ground for the rockgenre in several important dimensions, influencing the rock and rollmovement in general, introducing more mature and intellectual themes to what was then considered a music genre for children and teenagers. Reed first found prominence as the guitarist and principal singer-songwriter of The Velvet Underground. The band, which lasted from 1965 until 1973 (with Reed departing in late 1970 during the Loaded sessions), gained relatively little notice during its life but is often considered the seed from which most alternative traditions of rock music sprang. As the Velvet's songwriter, Reed wrote about such taboo subjects as S&M ( .
last.fm page