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Get to Know Lou Reed's 3 Wives Including the Last One Who Still Feels His Presence

Oyin Balogun
Mar 13, 2021
07:55 A.M.

Lou Reed lived from 1942 to 2013, and within those 71 years, he was married to three incredible women who have different thoughts and opinions about the late artist.

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Known for his eccentricity and style, Lou Reed was an American singer, poet, and songwriter who was with the rock band Velvet Underground. He had a career that spanned almost five decades.

Although Velvet Underground was not a commercial success during its existence, Reed's influence was felt. Reed left the band at some point to focus on his solo career.

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He also participated in the reformation of the Velvet Underground in the 1990s and made several albums. This earned him an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, once as a member of the Velvet Underground in 1996 and as a solo act in 2015.

Reed was also married three times, first to Bettye Kronstad, who he married and divorced within a year.

The second was Sylvia Morales, who he was married to from 1980 to 1990, and his last wife was Laurie Anderson, whom he married in 2008 and was with till his death in 2013.

Reed was also married three times, first to Bettye Kronstad, who he married and divorced within a year, then to Sylvia Morales from 1980 to 1990. His last wife was Laurie Anderson, whom he married in 2008 and was with till his death in 2013.

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LAURIE ANDERSON

An avant-garde artist, Laurie Anderson, who once said minimalist composers inspired her as a young artist who lived in New York City, might have been Reed's last wife, but the pair shared an immeasurable bond.

Although she said the term "husband and wife" might not be the ideal term to describe her and Reed, their love was a beautiful, painful and dazzling one. Speaking about his death, Anderson said:

"I miss him enormously, but there's no point in being sad. I see him all the time, he's always here, a continued, really powerful presence."

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In her tribute to Reed, Anderson said although both of them did not hit things off immediately, their connection was a deep one that spanned many years.

Her book was met with the same criticism Sounes's book was met with as it came out after Reed had died

Watching him struggle with liver disease and seeing him die made her realize that what they shared was truly divine. Upon his passing, Reed left everything he owned to her and his family.

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SYLVIA MORALES

Morales is the second wife of Reed, whom he married from 1980 to 1990. She was his longtime wife and manager. Amazingly, Morales enjoys the quietness that comes with a private life but had to break her almost 18-year media silence to defend Reed.

When Howard Sounes wrote a controversial biography about Reed, Morales revealed that the person described in the book was not the same person she knew.

 Lou Reed and wife Sylvia Morales attend Lou Reed Concert Party on October 17, 1984 | Photo: Getty Images

Lou Reed and wife Sylvia Morales attend Lou Reed Concert Party on October 17, 1984 | Photo: Getty Images

Having been with Reed for almost 18 years (of which they were married for 10), Morales said he never assaulted or physically harmed her, as Sounes claimed in his book.

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She dispelled the rumor that Reed was mentally ill and said that although he was not religious, he was proud of his Jewish heritage. Morales also said that despite his heavy addictions, Reed agreed to free himself from addiction around 1979.

Lou Reed and wife Sylvia Morales attend Party Hosted by Ahmet Ertegun on January 17, 1989 at Mortimer's Restaurant | Photo: Getty Images

Lou Reed and wife Sylvia Morales attend Party Hosted by Ahmet Ertegun on January 17, 1989 at Mortimer's Restaurant | Photo: Getty Images

BETTYE KRONSTAD

Kronstad is Lou Reed's first wife; the pair got married in 1973 and divorced that same year. Kronstad's marriage to Reed was filled with lots of highs and lows that saw Kronstad accuse Reed of hitting her.

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She said their relationship was not love at first sight, but they got more comfortable with each other and dated for a couple of years before moving in together and getting married.

According to her, Reed started becoming famous during their marriage, and fame sort of changed him. In 2016, Kronstad said she had never come across a book that described Reed the way she knew him.

Because of this, she tried to do so in her book, "Perfect Day." The book was a tell-all that talked about her marriage, their fights, and their ultimate divorce.

Her book was met with the same criticism Sounes's book was met with as it came out after Reed had died, with many thinking that some of the information given was inaccurate.

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