Lou Reed has died at the age of 71. Rolling Stone has reported the news, saying that a cause of death has not yet been announced.

Reed was born in Brooklyn in 1943 and rose to prominence as guitarist, vocalist and songwriter with the Velvet Underground. The group would fail to find major commercial success during their playing years, although they are now considered a major influence on the history of rock music.

Reed left the group in 1970 and embarked on a solo career. His 1972 album Transformer, featuring the hit “Walk on the Wild Side” catapulted Reed into the realm of stardom.

Reed would continue recording and performing, and influencing countless musicians, for the next four decades and released his final full length album, Lulu, in collaboration with Metallica, in 2011.

Reed underwent a liver transplant in April 2013.