Mr. Salty

From The Associated Press:

Lou Reed's Liver Transplant Went Well; Wife Says He's Recovering After Nearly Dying

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.

"I don't think he'll every totally recover from this, but he'll certainly be back to doing (things) in a few months," she said.

"I'm very happy. It's a new life for him."

Anderson, a musician and performance artist, praised the Cleveland facility – one of the leading transplant centers in the U.S. – and said hospitals in the couple's hometown of New York were "dysfunctional."

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

Solo works include "Walk on the Wild Side" and "Perfect Day."

Reed had earlier canceled a series of dates planned for April. His management didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Antipodean

Hope he gets well soon, one of my all time favorite artists, and I'm one of the 10 people on the planet that didn't think "Lulu" was all that bad.

astrochimp

Get well soon Lou.

Supermallet

I didn't realize he and Laurie Anderson actually tied the knot. Good for them. And I'm glad he's going to be okay.

Nick Danger

I'm a fan of both Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson. But I don't like this. He's a guy in his 70s who deliberately blew up his liver through decades of smoking, drinking, and drugs.

On the other hand, I used to date a woman in her 30s who had gotten hepatitis C while she was a dental assistant in the Army. She hoped to get a new liver, but honestly didn't expect to live long enough to see her teenage daughters graduate from college.

But Lou, because he was a big rock star, got to stroll to the top of the waiting list.

auto

How do you know he wasn't waiting for years?

Hope he gets better soon. Will be a sad day when he's gone.

Mr. Salty

The smoking (does that have anything to do with liver problems?), drinking and drugs were deliberate. The liver damage undoubtedly was not.

And I concur with auto. You have no idea how long Reed has been sick or waiting for a liver.

Decker

Hope he's doing well. New York is one of my favorite albums. It's mind-blowing.

The Antipodean

Assume much? Back up your conspiracy theory with some evidence first.

arminius

He's 71, it should have gone to someone younger.

Traxan

Meanwhile, 49-year-old Jeff Hanemann never made it to his 50th.

Mr. Salty

It should have gone to the best match with the greatest need.

rexinnih

Any-whoo - wish Lou a quick recovery.

ResIpsa

Ah, but it never does, comrade, it never does.

Mr. Salty

Again, in this case, evidence?

EddieMoney

It's a natural reaction to collaborating with Metallica.

CRM114

So happy I got to see Lou in 2000 touring for his last great album, Ecstasy. I still think it was the loudest concert I've ever been to in my life.