The Wisdom of Lou Reed in ‘Blue in the Face’

The Wisdom of Lou Reed in ‘Blue in the Face’ by Wayne Wang and Paul Auster.

Reed is best known for his work as guitarist, singer and songwriter for the Velvet Underground, and his solo career. Reed had a profound impact on American culture, introducing avant garde rock and pop art to mainstream music. His work with Andy Warhol is noted as one of the most important collaborations in contemporary culture.

Born in Brooklyn in 1942, Reed spent most of his childhood on Long Island.

Earlier this year, he received a life-saving liver transplant after experiencing chronic liver failure. Reed was open about his addiction to drugs and alcohol in his music. In one of his most well-known songs, “Heroin,” he wrote: “Heroin, be the death of me/Heroin, it’s my wife and it’s my life.”

The Velvet Underground, Lou Reed & Nico, footage from Andy Warhol’s “Symphony of Sound”