Lou Reed, front man for Velvet Underground and singer of hits such as Walk on the Wild Side, Sweet Jane, and Perfect Day has died at the age of 71. Throughout his career he was a counter culture icon and made hits with David Bowie and was also a protege of Andy Warhol. His band, The Velvet Underground, which he founded with John Cale, is cited by numerous rock stars as one of their greatest influences.

Lou Reed was born in Brooklyn in 1942, and grew up in a Jewish family living on Long Island. In 1956, Reed was subjected to electroshock therapy, which was thought may cure him of homosexual tendencies. Instead it inspired the song "Kill Your Sons" and Reed went on to become one of the gender bending heroes of the Glam Rock era.

After graduating from Syracuse University, Reed moved to New York City where he started a band called The Primitives with John Cale. Cale, a classical musician from Wales, and Reed lived together on the Lower East Side. The two co-founded Velvet Underground, but their artistic differences drove Cale out of the band in 1968.

Through Velvet Underground, Reed met Andy Warhol who would become his and the band's mentor. 20 years later, after Warhol's death, Reed and Cale resolved their longstanding dispute to reunite The Velvet Underground and record Songs for Drella, in Warhol's honor.

In 1972, Reed's David Bowie produced album "Transformer" was released. Hits like "Walk on the Wild Side" and "Perfect Day" remain popular still. Reed's artistic evolution continued through many more collaborations and solo projects, nearly until his death. Though the official cause of his death has not yet been released, many are pointing to a liver transplant that he underwent in May of 2013.

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