The Life of Lou Reed : Notes From the Velvet Underground

**An illuminating biography of Lou Reed, featuring interviews with over 140 people who knew him intimately, plus previously unpublished photographs.** As band leader of the Velvet Underground and later a successful solo artist, Reed was much more than what the general public came to know as the grumpy New Yorker in black who sang "Walk on the Wild Side." To his dedicated admirers, he was one of the most innovative and intelligent songwriters of modern times—a natural outsider who lived a tumultuous and tortured life. In the course of his deep research into Reed's life, from a humble upbringing on Long Island to death from liver disease in 2013, Howard Sounes interviewed more than 140 people who knew the artist intimately—some of whom have not spoken publicly about him before. With new revelations from former wives and lovers, family members, fellow band members and celebrities, and music industry figures, this book offers an updated, unfettered look at Reed's creative process, his mental health problems, his bisexuality, his three marriages, and his addictions to drugs and alcohol. Featuring previously unpublished photographs of some of Reed's most private moments, this is the definitive account of one of rock 'n' roll's most complicated and brilliant prophets. "Compelling . . . Sounes takes pride in carefully debunking the myths that have crept in from Reed's own fictionalizations." —__The Sunday Telegraph__ "Controversial . . . Sounes' book pushes the standard Reed narrative." —__New York Times__ "A measured chronicle of the life and music of Lou Reed . . . Sounes proves to be an amiable narrator who successfully reveals Reed as an innovative, influential musician." —__Publishers Weekly__ "A walk on the dark side." —__Independent__ "A must read . . . Sounes chronicles Reed's turbulent, and often brutal, relationships with men and women . . . and the wayward talent that produced such classics as 'Walk On The Wild Side.'" —__Daily Mail__ Fifty years after the concerts captured on the legendary album 1969: The Velvet Underground Live comes this illuminating biography of Lou Reed. As band leader of the Velvet Underground and later a successful solo artist, Reed was much more than what the general public came to know as the grumpy New Yorker in black who sang 'Walk on the Wild Side.' To his dedicated admirers, he was one of the most innovative and intelligent songwriters of modern times'a natural outsider who lived a tumultuous and tortured life. In the course of his deep research into Reed's life, from a humble upbringing on Long Island to death from liver disease in 2013, Howard Sounes interviewed more than 140 people who knew the artist intimately'some of whom have not spoken publicly about him before. With new revelations from former wives and lovers, family members, fellow band members and celebrities, and music industry figures, this book offers an updated, unfettered look at Reed's creative process, his mental health problems, his bisexuality, his three marriages, and his addictions to drugs and alcohol. Featuring previously unpublished photographs of some of Reed's most private moments, this is the definitive account of one of rock 'n' roll's most complicated and brilliant prophets Lou Reed, who died in 2013, was best known to the general public as the grumpy New Yorker in black who sang 'Walk on the Wild Side'. To his dedicated admirers, however, he was one of the most innovative and intelligent American song writers of modern times, a natural outsider who lived a tumultuous and tortured life. In this in-depth, meticulously researched and very entertaining biography, respected biographer Howard Sounes examines the life and work of this fascinating man, from birth to death, including his time as the leader of The Velvet Underground - one of the most important bands in rock'n'roll. Written with a deep knowledge and understanding of the music, Sounes also sheds entirely new light on the artist's creative process, his mental health problems, his bisexuality, his three marriages, and his addictions to drugs and alcohol. In the course of his research, Sounes has interviewed over 140 people from every part of Lou Reed's life - some of whom have not spoken publicly about him before - including music industry figures, band members, fellow celebrities, family members, former wives and lovers. This book brings Lou Reed and his world alive