- Spent some weeks in a mental hospital in his teens, at his parents' insistence; his treatment included electroshock therapy and medication. Reed reflected on the experience later in songs, "Kill Your Sons" being one of them.
- Influenced a large list of artists such as David Bowie, Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Ian Hunter, R.E.M., Talking Heads, Sonic Youth, The Strokes and Julian Thome.
- Produced the album Metal Machine Music in response to RCA Records' demands for a quick follow-up to his top-ten LP Sally Can't Dance. The hour-plus of electronic noise was almost buried as a classical release, but instead was promoted as a pop album. The resulting backlash nearly ruined the label and Reed's reputation; both later issued apologies, while the album remains a musical enigma.
- Lived with Laurie Anderson beginning in 1995 prior to their marriage in 2008.
- In 1958 a 14 year-old Reed was part of a doo-wop band called The Shades and recorded a single, "So Blue" b/w "Leave Her For Me". Alan Freed played the single on his show; Reed commented later "I got royalties of 78 cents.".
- In early May 2013, Reed underwent liver transplant surgery.
- He was with the group The Velvet Underground until 1970; returned when they reformed in the 1990s.
- Attended Syracuse University.
- "Sweet Jane," "Rock and Roll," "Femme Fatale," "Walk on the Wild Side," and "Satellite of Love" are among his best-known songs.
- On November 22, 1974, Reed was performing the song "Heroin" at Winterland. In the middle of the song, Reed took out a hypodermic needle, a spoon, match, rubber hose, and injected something into his arm, although it is unknown as to whether or not it was heroin.
- Winner of the 2005 Ivor Novello Special International Award.
- His guitar in the early days of The Velvet Underground included a built-in electronic tremolo. Reed sometimes turned this up, and tuned all the strings to D; the resulting sound he called Ostrich guitar.
- Though he was often disparaging of The Beatles' music, he once referred to John Lennon's song Mother as one of the best he had ever heard.
- Resides in New York City.
- When he was age 11 his family moved to Freeport, NY.
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