Bono and Bowie honour Reed

Bono and David Bowie were among friends, students and fans who left rocker Lou Reed visibly touched as he was honoured by New York's Syracuse University.

Bowie and Bono joined in a 'Lou' chant when the former Velvet Underground frontman was handed the George Arents Pioneer Medal For Excellence In The Arts from his alma mater last week.

Reed, who was an undergraduate at the college in the early 1960s, has also been named in a new scholarship for creative writing undergraduates.

"Everyone knows you can't do anything with an English degree," he said.