Lou Reed is remembered as one of music's "greatest gifts".
News the Velvet Underground rocker had died at the age of 71 was revealed Sunday to the shock of loyal fans.
Stars flooded social media shortly afterward to express their grief.
"#RIPLouReed," Justin Timberlake tweeted.
"noooooooooo notttttttttt LOU REED," Miley Cyrus lamented on the micro-blog.
Lou's influence was made clear across all genres of music, with hip-hop artists also chiming in.
"RIP Lou Reed. New York lost one of our greatest gifts today..." Russell Simmons added.
Questlove also expressed his disbelief.
"Awww damn....Lou Reed died?" he asked.
Hollywood's heavy hitters took to the micro-blog in remembrance as well.
Kevin Smith shared how greatly he was affected by the singer/songwriter.
"Mr LOU REED had himself a dream: Velvet the underground & change the music scene. Now he's up & gone away. #RIP Lou Reed, an un-Perfect Day," the filmmaker tweeted.
"May you forever walk on the wild side, Lou Reed. Terribly sad to hear of your passing," Elijah Wood wrote, while Susan Sarandon paid tribute, calling Lou one of New York's "originals".
"R.I.P. Lou Reed. Just met at the GQ Awards. The music of my generation. Still Relevant!" Samuel L. Jackson echoed.
News of Lou's death was confirmed by the director of the documentary Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Heart, who spoke with USA Today.
The legend had a liver transplant in May.
The cause of death has not yet been released.
