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 and 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.