Musician Lou Reed dies aged 71

The Vatican's culture representative, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, has tweeted a verse from Lou Reed's song 'Perfect Day' in tribute to the US singer who died on Sunday.

The song has been interpreted as a reference to drug-taking, but the 71-year-old minister, who is the same age as Mr Reed was when he died, later clarified that he was not condoning any references to drugs.

Music mogul Simon Cowell said he was "so sad" to hear that musician Lou Reed had died, calling the star "a legend".

He wrote on Twitter:

Read: Musician Lou Reed dies aged 71

Lou Reed, who died today, shot to prominence as a founding member of the seminal rock band The Velvet Underground in 1965.

The group became known for their fusion of art and music, including collaborations with the godfather of Pop Art, Andy Warhol.

Classic tracks such as Sunday Morning and I'm Waiting for the Man have seen them regularly cited as one of the greatest influences on contemporary rock music.

Reed's second solo album Transformer, co-produced by David Bowie, contained the hit singles Walk on the Wild Side and Perfect Day.

He went on to release more than 20 solo albums, the last being 2011's 'Lulu', and performed live until he became ill with liver failure earlier this year.

Watch a live performance of one of Lou Reed's best-known records 'Walk on the Wild Side', from his acclaimed 1972 album Transformer:

More: Musician Lou Reed dies aged 71

Lou Reed's literary agent said the rock star died of a liver-related ailment, the Associated Press has reported.

The Velvet Underground singer underwent a liver transplant in May.

Celebrities from across the world of entertainment have taken to Twitter to mourn the death of legendary musician Lou Reed, who died "a few hours ago", his UK publicist confirmed to ITV News.

Hollywood actors Samuel L Jackson and John Cusack and comedian Ricky Gervais were among those to pay tribute:

Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones lead the world of music's tributes to Lou Reed, who has died aged 71, his agent reportedly confirmed to the Guardian newspaper.

Influential US musician Lou Reed, famous for hits including Walk on the Wild Side and Perfect Day, has died aged 71, Rolling Stone magazine has reported.