Most musicians aren't that kind of household name. I'm pretty sure Lou Reed was happy with the fame he both deserved and earned, and I believe listening to his music that he achieved the artistic dream of shitting exactly where he wanted to.
When everyone else was playing acid-rock, talking flower power, masturbating over pictures of Paul McCartney, and generally being hippies -- Lou was keeping it real singing about Drag Races whilewearingdrag. Shit just doesn't get any more real than that!
Edit: Another man who's name you probably don't know but whose songs you've rocked the fuck out to: John Kay. He didn't have the lifelong career that Reed did, but when he was young he burned brightly.