Lou Reed

Lou Reed, photographed at the opening of his photography exhibit at the Gallery at Hermes on Jan. 19, 2006 in New York. Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images hide caption

Clockwise from upper left: Sylan Esso, Lou Reed, NoSo, Death Cab for Cutie, Tess Parks Courtesy of the arists hide caption

Paul Morrissey, Andy Warhol, Lou Reed and Moe Tucker from archival photography in a split-screen frame from "The Velvet Underground." Apple TV+ hide caption

Lou Reed performs in New York City in 2004. "I wanted to write a book that took Lou ... seriously," says biographer Anthony DeCurtis. Peter Kramer/Getty Images hide caption

Lou Reed performs in Sweden in 1977. The musician's widow, Laurie Anderson, is donating his personal archive of recordings, photos and business records to the New York Public Library. AFP/Getty Images hide caption

Prince & The Revolution's Purple Rain. Amazon.co.uk hide caption

Top row, left to right: Laura Marling, Lorde, Mike Milosh of Rhye; middle row: Ty Segall, James Blake, Valerie June; bottom row: Khaela Maricich and Melissa Dyne of The Blow, Earl Sweatshirt, Lou Reed. Courtesy of the artists hide caption

Top row, left to right: Laura Marling, Valerie June, Mike Milosh of Rhye; bottom row: Ty Segall, James Blake, Earl Sweatshirt. Courtesy of the artists hide caption

"[Lou Reed] really saw the beauty of life, and wanted to be a person who could live in that beauty as often as possible," longtime publicist Bill Bentley says. Karl Walter/Getty Images hide caption

Lou Reed. Jean Baptiste Mondino/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Lou Reed onstage in London in 1975 playing a transparent, Plexiglass guitar. Reed died Sunday. He was 71. Denis O'Regan/Getty Images hide caption

Lou Reed, from a live performance at Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club in 2008. Joel Didriksen/kingpinphoto flickr hide caption