Holly Woodlawn, Inspiration for Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side", Has Died

Image via Holly Woodlawn's Facebook

Holly Woodlawn, the actress, transgender icon, and inspiration for Lou Reed's "Walk On The Wild Side" has died, Billboard reports. She was 69 years old.

In addition to being one of Andy Warhol's muses, Woodlawn was immortalized in the opening lyrics of Reed's song, which famously begins: "Holly came from Miami, F-L-A/ Hitchhiked her way across the U.S.A/ Plucked her eyebrows on the way/ Shaved her legs, and then he was a she/ She said, 'hey babe, take a walk on the wild side'."

The Holly in reference is Holly Woodlawn, who was inspired by Holly Golightly, Audrey Hepburn's character in Breakfast at Tiffany's. The last name, "Woodlawn", came from the Number 4 Subway train to Woodlawn. According to the Hollywood Reporter: "We were watching this episode of I Love Lucy,'' the actress said in 2000. "And behind her was this sign on the No. 4 train, 'Woodlawn,' and we said: 'That's it. Holly...Wood. Holly Woodlawn.'''

Woodlawn appeared in the films Trash (1970), Women in Revolt (1972), Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss (1998) and others. According to songwriter Desmond Child, she also once stole a Christmas tree with Lou Reed. According to a tribute on his Facebook page, Holly gave him the rundown on how she and Reed had stolen the tree:

While the stand is still open you go and eye the one you want then come back a couple hours later when the coast is clear after the vendor ties up all trees and heads home and the coast is clear. Then you grab it from the base at the bottom and pull it out from under the ropes, hoist it up on one of your shoulders then you run like crazy.

"Holly has had an amazingly notorious and yet difficult life..." he added of the actress, who died after a long battle with brain and liver cancer. "She certainly made her '15 minutes' last a very long time."

Listen to "Walk On The Wild Side":

via Molly Beauchemin