'He was dying': Rocker Lou Reed, 71, recovering after undergoing lifesaving ...

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'He was dying': Rocker Lou Reed, 71, recovering after undergoing lifesaving ...

By Kimberley Dadds

PUBLISHED: 19:09 EST, 31 May 2013 | UPDATED: 19:21 EST, 31 May 2013

American rocker Lou Reed is currently recovering after undergoing a lifesaving operation for a liver transplant, his wife has revealed.

The Walk On The Wild Side hitmaker, who is renowned for his previous drink and drug problems, was 'dying' early last month but is now on the mend after successfully undergoing surgery.

His wife Laurie Anderson told The Times newspaper: 'It's as serious as it gets. He was dying. You don't get it for fun. (It was) a big surgery which went very well.'

Recovering: Rocker Lou Reed was close to death last month, his wife has revealed, but he's now recovering after undergoing a lifesaving liver transplant operation

He was taken in to the Mayo Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio for the surgery after opting against the 'dysfunctional' hospitals in New York he could have gone to instead.

And it seems Laurie, who has been with Reed for 21 years and married for the last five, was pleased with the service they received now he is on the road o recovery.

She added to the Times that the 'clinic is massive' ad have the 'best results for heart, liver and kidney transplants'.

Health scare: The 71-year-old mysteriously cancelled five concert dates in April, around the time of his operation

And she admits she 'awestruck' with the procedure as she watched on as Lou was taken off life support and see the donor placed in to his body.

The Velvet Underground star had cancelled five concert dates in April, which included two sets at California's infamous Coachella music festival.

The reason for the last minute cancellations was given as 'unavoidable complications' but it now appears it could have been down to health issues.

Although it seems Reed has received the treatment he needs.

Rock star: Lou Reed (far right) is pictured in his hey day in 1972 alongside David Bowie and Iggy Pop

Laurie revealed: 'This is no longer an operation that is life threatening. They put (the new liver) in immediately and it stated working immediately.'

Although she added that she didn't think he 'would ever' recover from the health scare, but he wold no doubt be back to working on some music in the next few months.

Throughout his career, Reed has catalogued all about his drink and drug demons.

He even wrote ad sang about it in depth, particularly with his 1964 Velvet Underground track, Heroin, in which he sang: 'Heroin, it's my wife and my life.'