Lou Reed recovering after liver transplant

Rock icon Lou Reed is recovering after a lifesaving liver transplant in Ohio, according to an interview with his wife published yesterday in a British newspaper.

Laurie Anderson told the Times of London that Reed, 71, "was dying" before the operation several weeks ago at Cleveland Clinic, The Associated Press reports.

She said Reed isn't back to full strength, but "he's already working and doing tai chi. I don't think he'll ever totally recover from this, but he'll certainly be back to doing [things] in a few months. I'm very happy. It's a new life for him."

Anderson, a musician and performance artist, praised the facility -- one of the leading transplant centers in the United States.

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." Solo works include "Walk on the Wild Side." Reed had earlier canceled a series of dates planned for April.

Reed graduated from Freeport High school in 1959. The couple own a home in East Hampton.