Complex sentence: Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed (March 2,1942--October 27,2013) was an American musician, singer and songwriter-he was the guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of the Velvet Underground-his solo career spanned five decades.
Split into simpler sentences: Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed (March 2,1942--October 27,2013) was an American musician, singer and songwriter. He was the guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of the Velvet Underground, and his solo career spanned five decades.