Czech VIP Asks for, Gets Performance From Lou Reed
At Czech President Vaclav Havel’s special request, Velvet Underground rocker Lou Reed was performing at Wednesday night’s White House state dinner.
In a statement, Havel called Reed “one of the fathers of the American underground” and said the “new type of American self-realization” that he helped create affected the Czech people as well.
Havel and Reed, personal friends, have known each other since 1990, when Reed interviewed Havel for Rolling Stone magazine. They met again in July, when Reed was in Prague for a film festival, and Reed played host to the playwright-president when he traveled to New York.
Reed was scheduled to perform a 20-minute set in the East Room for Havel, President Clinton, their wives and guests after the black-tie dinner.
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