Photo: LouReed.com
The last photograph ever taken of rock icon Lou Reed has been unveiled. See it in full below.
The Velvet Underground turn solo legend died on Sunday, aged 71 of liver failure. Friends, fellow musicians and music lovers around the world have since come out in mourning to pay their respects.
Now, Lou Reed's close friend and manager, Tom Sarig, has done the same - by posting an emotional message featuring the final photograph of the star on Reed's official website.
“Just a couple of weeks ago Lou did a photo session intended to become a print ad for his friend Henri Seydoux’s French audio headphones company Parrot," said Sarig. "The renowned photographer Jean Baptiste Mondino took the shots, and this was the very last shot he took. Always a tower of strength.”
Yesterday, Lou Reed's cause of death has been confirmed as liver disease by the musical icon's doctor. The New York Times reports that Dr Charles Miller, of the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio where Reed surgery earlier this year and was being treated recently, stated that it was his liver condition that caused his death.
Reed came to widespread attention and acclaim with his work with The Velvet Underground, who were formed in 1964. Reed quit the band in 1970 and enjoyed a hugely successful solo career in the years that followed. With The Velvet Underground he released four studio albums between 1967 and 1970, but appeared on another eight releases after his departure.
As a solo artist, he released an epic 20 albums, beginning with his self-titled debut in 1972 and most recently, Hudson River Wind Meditations in 2007, although he collaborated with Metallica in 2011 on their joint release, Lulu. He was best known for tracks including 'Walk On The Wild Side' and 'Perfect Day' - which has been covered numerous times.
Below: 15 of Lou Reed's most awesome quotes
