Michael Stipe, superfan, on the 'beautiful queerness' of the Velvet Underground
Michael Stipe first heard the Velvet Underground when, as an Army brat living in southern Illinois, he happened upon the band's music in the sale bin. Speaking by phone last week, he recalled: "I went to the local hardware store, which had a record section, and I found an 8-track tape of the Velvet Underground's 'Loaded' and an 8-track tape of the New York Dolls first album. I bought them for 99 cents each."
Not long after, he moved to Athens, Georgia, and
