Maxwell Shultz
Connector Contributor

“Holly came from Miami, F.L.A.
Hitch-hiked her way across the USA…”

I had feared that many people would not remember the rest of the story. In case you were wondering, she plucked her eyebrows, shaved her legs, and then he became a she.

These are the words of a brilliant musician who passed away this past October. Lou Reed was the front man for The Velvet Underground, he was also a solo artist, a producer and a generally well-rounded musician. After his passing, I had thought that Lou Reed would get a small line on that next day’s news and maybe a brief article in a few newspapers. I thought that would be the end of it. I believed that he would be another musician to pass on without much notice.

I have been pleasantly surprised to see how well the media has addressed his death. For example, in the Grammys’ tribute video for those famous people who passed away in 2013, Lou Reed was one of the most prominent people displayed. A speaker at the show also gave him a bit of a verbal tribute. In other award shows’ tribute videos, I have seen Lou Reed not in the middle of the video, in a slide with three or four other people whom I’ve likely never heard of. Typically he was placed right before Nelson Mandela, who was arguably the most devastating passing in 2013! It says something about his impact on the world of music as we’ve come to know it.

Even with this being said, it is likely that people will remember a select portion of Mr. Reed’s hit songs and only those songs. The general public may not even recall his name. Everyone knows “Walk on the Wild Side” and most people know a few others. But there was much more to this man. Lou Reed was a magnificent man who helped others, such as David Bowie, get their start. Lou Reed was also a part of Andy Warhol’s group of strange friends, as were the rest of the Velvet Underground, Bowie and many other notable characters of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Whether or not you realize it, Lou Reed impacted much of today’s music.

Regardless of the memory of his name, his impact will remain for a long time. Hopefully, with the media’s coverage of his death, he will once again become a household name, as he may have been in the mid 1970s.

Rest in peace and linger on, Lou Reed.