Pioneering rock-’n’-roller Lou Reed dies at age 71

New York rock icon Lou Reed died on Sun., Oct. 27, at age 71. The cause was complications from a recent liver transplant. The epitome of Downtown cool, he was an oversized presence on the local arts and activist scene. Two years ago he embraced the Occupy Wall Street movement. Before that, he helped the community’s ultimately unsuccessful effort to fight the city’s plan for a three-district Sanitation megagarage at Spring and Washington Sts. Not only did he “walk on the wild side,” he walked fast, as seen in the Westbeth photo. “I have several of him moving around very fast! It’s why the photos of him are a blur,” said Sharon Woolums, who posed with him for a photo at Occupy.