The Velvet Underground biography
When the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, Lou Reed and John Cale reformed the Velvet Underground for the last time, with Maureen Tucker in tow. Doug Yule was absent. At the ceremony, the band was inducted by singer/poet Patti Smith, and the trio performed "Last Night I Said Goodbye to My Friend", written in tribute to Morrison.
The Velvet Underground continues to exist as a New York-based partnership managing the financial and back catalog aspects for the band members, but no performances will be forthcoming.
In December 2009, to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the band's formation, Reed, Tucker and Yule (with Cale not present) gave a rare interview at the New York Public Library.
In January 2012, the surviving members of the band initiated legal action against the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts over unauthorised use of the debut album's banana design.
The Velvet Underground have been considered among the most influential bands in rock history. Their legacy has stretched into alternative and experimental rock. Artists who have acknowledged their influence include David Bowie, the Dream Syndicate, R.E.M., The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Cars, The Strokes, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Roxy Music, Beck, The Fall, Pixies, Can, Kraftwerk, Neu!, Faust, Glenn Danzig, Nirvana, Pavement, Joy Division, Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine and Crystal Castles. Their first four albums were included in Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. They were ranked the 19th best artist by the same magazine and the 24th greatest artist in a poll by VH1. In 1996 they were inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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