NEWSMAKERS

NEWSMAKERS

Wife: Lou Reed recovering after having liver transplant

LONDON

Rock icon Lou Reed is recovering after a life-saving liver transplant in the U.S., according to an interview with his wife published Saturday in a British newspaper.

Laurie Anderson told the Times of London that Reed “was dying” before the operation several weeks ago at Ohio’s Cleveland Clinic.

She said 71-year-old Reed isn’t back to full strength, but “he’s already working and doing t’ai chi.”

Anderson praised the Cleveland facility, one of the leading transplant centers in the U.S.

Reed, who has spoken of his past alcohol and drug use, co-founded influential 1960s group The Velvet Underground, whose songs included “Heroin” and “I’m Waiting for the Man.”

His solo works include “Walk on the Wild Side” and “Perfect Day.”

Associated Press