Lou Reed

Lou Reed was born in Brooklyn and grew up on Long Island before becoming a central figure in the Velvet Underground, formed in New York in the mid-1960s. With the band, he recorded The Velvet Underground & Nico and White Light/White Heat, records that had little commercial reach at the time.

After leaving the group, he built a solo career with Transformer, from 1972, and New York, from 1989, staying active until his death in 2013.