Lou Reed, Lead Singer Of The Velvet Underground, Dies At 71: Report

Rolling Stone reports that legendary musician Lou Reed has died at the age of 71. Reed is known for his work as the guitarist, singer and songwriter for the Velvet Underground, as well as a solo career. Reed is also known for introducing avant-garde rock and pop culture into mainstream music through his collaboration with the late artist Andy Warhol.

According to AdWeek, Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground were Andy Warhol’s personal band and entourage -- an experience Reed recorded daily and remembers vividly. Reed’s cause of death has not been revealed. Following their success in the 1960s and 1970s, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed was born in Brooklyn in 1942 and was an early fan of rock and roll. After college, Reed worked as a staff songwriter for Pickwick Records. In the mid-60s, Reed met musician John Cale and quickly formed a band called the Primitives, and later, the Warlocks. The Velvet Underground was born after Reed and Cale met Sterling Morrison and drummer Maureen Tucker. The band took off after superstar artist Andy Warhol added them to the Exploding Plastic Inevitable.

Eventually, in 1970, Reed split from Velvet Underground and launched a solo career.

It wasn't until his second solo album, "Transformer," produced by David Bowie, that Reed was considered a true rock legend. During the 80s he married Sylvia Morales and released "The Blue Mask," thought to be his best work since "Transformer." He later released more commercial albums including "New Sensations" and "New York." In 1991, Reed and Cale got back together for "Songs For Drella," a Warhol tribute. A Velvet Underground reunion followed.

Most recently, after performing with Metallica at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 25th Anniversary Concert, the rockers collaborated on an album together. The album, "Lulu," was released in 2011 and would be the last record Reed recorded prior to his death.

Now, Reed is considered a rock and roll legend whose songs have been covered by everyone from U2 to Duran Duran, David Bowie, R.E.M and others. Fans of the famous rocker quickly took to Twitter to shares their reactions to his death: