When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Rolling Stone published a letter written by late Steely Dan guitarist and co-founder Walter Becker 's widow Delia today. Steely Dan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. The cancer was detected during one of his annual medical checkups and its presence came as a grim surprise to Walter, his doctors and to me. Becker was also married to Delia Cioffi and Juanna Fatouros. He just ran out of time much sooner than any of us thought possible. Moving to Hawaii and recovering from his addiction, Becker embarked on building a family. All Rights Reserved. Today, months after Beckers death, his wife Delia shared a letter to Steely Dan fans revealing the illness he succumbed to: an extremely aggressive form of esophageal cancer.. Becker and Fagen reformed Steely Dan in 1993 and remained active, recording Two Against Nature (2000), which won four Grammy Awards. Walter Carl Becker, singer, songwriter and instrumentalist, born 20 February 1950; died 3 September 2017 This article was amended on 12 September 2017. [9] At the time, Chase called the group "a bad jazz band. He wanted to be able to return to the stage and once again perform for his fans. This groups drummer was Chevy Chase, later a comic actor. Like a lot of kids from fractured families, he had the knack of creative mimicry, reading peoples hidden psychology and transforming what he saw into bubbly, incisive art.. Pretzel Logic is the first of Steely Dan's albums to be recorded with numerous studio musicians and this coincided with Walter Becker dropping bass for guitar. 'Walter had a very rough childhood I'll spare you the details. Times in 1994. The duo continued to perform and record on a sporadic basis after that, receiving particular recognition for their album Two Against Nature (2000). Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker's widow Delia reveals the circumstances surrounding Becker's death in a new letter to the band's fans. The album won four Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. And the hits kept coming, with albums Countdown to Ecstasy in 1973, and Pretzel Logic in 1974 with Steely Dan's biggest song - Rikki Don't Lose That Number. Becker was born in Queens, New York City. That year saw a shake-up for the band, asDias, Baxter and Hodder all quit - over Becker and Fagen's refusal to tour, according to Becker. Walter Becker 's widow, Delia Becker, has released a personal statement regarding the Steely Dan co-founder's death in September. The song broadcast Steely Dan's love of jazz, as it pulled its riff from pianist Horace Silver's light-stepping, Brazilian-tinged staple "Song for My Father." In addition to co-writing all of the bands material, Becker played guitar and bass guitar and sang background vocals. We were quantum criminals, he joked of the accident, in which his right leg was fractured in several places. Even his Number 1 Fan me would not have predicted anything close to the depth and breadth of public expressions from those whose lives were enriched by Walter by his talent, his kindness, and his skill at inspiring some wicked fun. They divorced in 1997. (The word "persnickety" has been used.) He just ran out of time much sooner than any of us thought possible. We play rock & roll, but we swing when we play. Walter Becker with Donald Fagen, right, in 1977. were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, a dildo in William Burroughs 1959 novel Naked Lunch, Becker and Fagen did not reunite until 1993. [43], In the spring of 2017, Becker was diagnosed with "an aggressive form of esophageal cancer" during an annual medical checkup. Becker's widow, Delia Becker, wearing a black T-shirt designed with the cover art for Becker's second and final solo record, Circus Money, said her husband was "obsessed with sound" and. "(B)etween the cancer's aggressiveness and the overwhelming toxicity resulting from the chemotherapy treatments, Walter died less than four months after the cancer was detected," September 3, 2017, she said. Farmer Wants A Wife 2023: Who has been elimated so far. Becker beat the addiction and slowly reentered the world of music. Guitarist, bassist, and co-songwriter Becker was 67 he. Also in 1993, Steely Dan began touring for the first time in nineteen years, resulting in the 1995 release of their first live album, Alive in America, a compilation of live recordings from different American tour dates in 1993 and 1994. Becker reportedly paid $3,400 for the instrument and it sold for $68,750. Born on February 20, 1950, the musician, songwriter, and record producer Walter Becker was arguably the worlds most influential social media star. He just ran out of time much sooner than any of us thought possible.. , updated [17], Following Steely Dan's breakup, Becker and his family moved to Maui. I was busy dissolving everything else about myself, Becker said, so it seemed the logical extension.. Walter Carl Becker, singer, songwriter and instrumentalist, born 20 February 1950; died 3 September 2017, Superbly talented guitarist, singer and songwriter who co-founded Steely Dan, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker's widow Delia reveals the circumstances surrounding Becker's death in a new letter to the band's fans. You do a lot of that, as a Steely Dan fan, pining. At the time of his death he survived by his large extended friends and family. Becker and Fagen were essentially the only constants of Steely Dan, which by the mid-'70s had ceased touring and increasingly relied upon a revolving cast of ace musicians. Becker wrote the song Little Kawai for his son, and it became the final song on the album 11 Tracks of Whack. A stint with the pop group Jay and the Americans, with whom Becker performed under the stage name Gus Mahler, eventually led to a position as in-house songwriters at the ABC label in Los Angeles. Editors picks He was a composer and producer, known for R.I.P.D. 'When the bottom fell out of the record business a bunch of years ago, it deprived me of the luxury of earning a living from records. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. 'His habits got the best of him by the end of the seventies, and we lost touch for a while. He was best known as the co-founder, guitarist, bassist, and co-songwriter of the jazz rock band Steely Dan. In 1985, he briefly became a member of the English band China Crisis, producing and playing synthesizer on their album Flaunt the Imperfection. After Becker's parents separated when he was a boy, his British mother returned to England. Seemingly needing a break from the entertainment world, Becker stopped using drugs and became an avocado farmer and cattle rancher, although he still had a small recording studio overlooking the ocean. Walter entered the career as musician, songwriter, and record producer In his early life after completing his formal education.. The guitarist passed away on September 3 at the age of 67, with a cause of. Walter Becker was my friend, my writing partner and my bandmate since we met as students at Bard College in 1967. Its important to me, as it was to Walter, that you all know he never intended to keep anyone in the dark about his condition. You can scroll down for information about his Social media profiles. I am just beginning to emerge from its heartbreaking impact.. Steely Dan's music is everywhere. In a column for Guitar Player magazine published in 1994, Becker coined the acronym G.A.S. Outside Steely Dan, Becker recorded and performed in recent years with the singer-songwriters Krishna Das, Rebecca Pidgeon and Madeleine Peyroux. He was smart as a whip, an excellent guitarist and a great songwriter. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox, A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry. It originally said that Walter Becker. Steely Dan, named after a William Burroughs term for a marital aid in his book "Naked Lunch," was formed in the early '70s, years after Becker and Fagen met at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y. . Walter Becker was my friend, my writing partner and my bandmate since we met as students at Bard College in 1967, Fagen wrote. I was only interested in knowing about chords. By 1980 Becker was in crisis. It seemed to have come out of nowhere and had spread with terrifying speed. [11], Pretzel Logic (1974) was the first Steely Dan album to feature Becker on guitar. He was diagnosed with the cancer during a routine medical check-up, and died less than four months after it was detected. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google. He also produced albums for Michael Franks and John Beasley. While writing Gaucho, Becker and Fagen suffered another setback when an assistant engineer accidentally deleted track The Second Arrangement. The tsunami of tributes and remembrances that have followed Walters passing has been deeply moving. Walter Becker's adopted daughter Sayan has written a loving tribute to her father, the co-founder of Steely Dan, who passed away on Sunday, aged 67. He was 67 years old. Two months after Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker died unexpectedly on September 3rd, his cause of death remained a mystery. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. Walter died in the course of being treated for an extremely aggressive form of esophageal cancer. How do the British royal family make their money? Walter chose an intense regimen of chemotherapy at Sloan Kettering though, between the cancers aggressiveness and the overwhelming toxicity resulting from the chemotherapy treatments, Walter died less than four months after the cancer was detected. I realize this is overdue, and I hope you will understand why. Fagen played keyboards and sang, while Becker played bass guitar. We want that ongoing flow, that lightness, that forward rush of jazz. Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about. Walter chose an intense regimen of chemotherapy at Sloan Kettering though, between the cancers aggressiveness and the overwhelming toxicity resulting from the chemotherapy treatments, Walter died less than four months after the cancer was detected., Delia Becker said her husband died peacefully at their home in New York City, surrounded by his family, his music, and a blustery rainstorm one of his favorite sounds blowing outside the window. [44] Despite undergoing vigorous treatment, the cancer rapidly worsened to the point that he was completely absent from all of Steely Dan's concerts in the months that followed. Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker has died today at the age of 67, his official site announced. Two months afterSteely Dan co-founder Walter Becker died unexpectedly on September 3rd, his cause of death remained a mystery. [39] The term was later adapted as Gear Acquisition Syndrome in online forums and music magazines. [51], In a statement released to the media the day of Becker's death, Fagen recalled his long-time friend and musical partner as "smart as a whip, an excellent guitarist and a great songwriter," and closed by stating that he intended to "keep the music we created together alive as long as I can with the Steely Dan band."[52]. Scroll Down and find everything about him. He was raised in Queens and Scarsdale, New York by his father and grandmother. Rolling Stone called Becker "a behind-the-scenes maestro," moving to Los Angeles with Fagen in 1971 to work as staff writers for ABC Records. Although Becker- who was suffering from drug addiction - settled out of court, the lawsuit rattled him,Rolling Stone reported. (2013), The A-Team (2010) and Zodiac (2007). Today, months after Becker's death,. In the weeks prior to Beckers death, he missed Steely Dans Classic East and West concerts due to an unspecified ailment. "Once I met (session musician) Chuck Rainey", he explained, "I felt there really was no need for me to be bringing my bass guitar to the studio anymore". He attended Bard College, where he met his future partner Donald Fagen while playing a gig at a local club. According to Rolling Stone, Becker's doctor had advised him not to leave his Malibu home during his post-operative period. Soon after, he was hit by a cab in Manhattan while crossing the street and was forced to walk with crutches while recovering. Becker left the school in 1969 before completing his degree and moved with Fagen to Brooklyn, where the two began to build a career as a songwriting duo. Family and friends can send flowers and condolences in memory of the loved one. Fagen's vocals provided a counterpoint to Becker's guitar work. Even his Number 1 Fan me would not have predicted anything close to the depth and breadth of public expressions from those whose lives were enriched by Walter by his talent, his kindness, and his skill at inspiring some wicked fun. "[22], He produced albums for the new wave bands Fra Lippo Lippi and China Crisis, and is credited on the latter's 1985 album Flaunt the Imperfection as a member of the band. American musician, songwriter, and record producer, For other people named Walter Becker, see. The band name? His father, Carl Becker, sold paper-cutting machinery in Manhattan. Popularly known as the musician, songwriter, and record producer of United States of America. ), You've Got to Walk It Like You Talk It or You'll Lose That Beat, Listen to 13 Essential Walter Becker Songs, "Steely Dan: Return of the Dark Brothers", "Back to Annandale: The Origins of Steely Dan", "Walter Becker, Steely Dan Guitarist, Dies at 67", "Walter Becker, Steely Dan Co-Founder, Dead at 67", "Walter Becker, Guitarist, Songwriter and Co-Founder of Steely Dan, Dies at 67", "When Jimmy Page Debuted With the Yardbirds and Steely Dan Broke Up", "The 1993 interview when Walter Becker opened up about Steely Dan's subversive intentions", "Commencement 2001 Berklee College of Music", "Steely Dan Sunday, "Slang of Ages" (2003)", "Long Island Music Hall of Fame Preserving & Celebrating the Long Island musical heritage", "walter becker circus money official site", "Can Buy a Thrill: The luthier-built guitars of Walter Becker", "Steely Dan's Walter Becker Estate Auction Fetches $3.3M on Hundreds of Guitars, Amps & More", "Steely Dan's Walter Becker was a gearhead's gearhead. [12], In 1971, Becker and Fagen moved to Los Angeles and were hired by Gary Katz as staff songwriters at ABC Records, later forming Steely Dan with guitarists Denny Dias and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, drummer Jim Hodder, and vocalist David Palmer. [7], Becker was a collector of musical equipment, accumulating hundreds of guitars and amplifiers, as well as numerous other instruments, pedals, pre-wired pedalboards, "speakers, recording gear, and ephemera. Becker and his wife, Elinor, adopted Sayan . Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Two months after Steely Dan. Initially, the band was made up of Becker on bass and singer Fagen, alongside singer David Palmer,guitarists Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter and Denny Dias and drummer Jim Hodder. Walter Beckers wife has revealed theSteely Dan co-founders cause of death. Sign-up to the latest news from Now To Love, delivered straight to your inbox. As Walter Beckers wife of many years, I wanted to share with his fans some information regarding his death that has not previously been reported, she wrote in a statement provided to Billboard. Becker missed a series of Steely Dan concerts in the weeks prior to his death, which his bandmate Donald Fagan attributed to him recovering from a procedure. However, in his wifes statement, she explains that he was actually undergoing an intense regimen of chemotherapy at Sloan Kettering during that time. However, Fagens Kamakiriad (1993), produced by Becker, was preceded as a solo album by The Nightfly (1982), produced by Gary Katz. In a long homage published in Rolling Stone,. (15 Nov 2017) WALTER BECKER'S WIFE SAYS HE DIED FROM ESOPHAGEAL CANCERThe wife of Walter Becker says the Steely Dan guitarist died while being treated for es. It seemed to have come out of nowhere and had spread with terrifying speed. Walter died in the course of being treated for an extremely aggressive form of esophageal cancer. Fagan also previously demonstrated the dedication he has to Steely Dan fans in the touching statement he wrote about his departed bandmate, saying, I intend to keep the music we created together alive as long as I can with the Steely Dan band. He made good on that promise, and recently finished up a tour in October. For years . As Walter Beckers wife of many years, I wanted to share with his fans some information regarding his death that has not previously been reported. They lived on a cattle ranch equipped with a recording studio, where Becker launched a second career as a producer. RIP Walter. The guitarist passed away on September 3at the age of 67, with a cause of death not confirmed at the time. Ariel Zilber For Dailymail.com, The son former NFL star Rae Carruth tried to kill: Disabled teen who was pulled from his dying mother's womb after she was gunned down turns 18 as his father enters his final year in prison for plotting her brutal murder, Mom-of-three who posed with 20,000 bees on her belly in viral maternity shoot suffers a stillbirth, Loud explosions rock thermal power station in Russia's Belgorod, Terrifying turbulence hits long-haul flight from Angola to Portugal, Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch seen leaving the court after not guilty verdict, Polish police raid nightclubs during organised crime crackdown, BBC's Justin Rowlatt goes bollard hunting as residents war over LTN, Four men beat owner as he thwarts car theft in Connecticut, Moment gangster-politican Atiq Ahmed is shot point blank live on TV, Shocking moment acrobat crashes to the stage during Coachella DJ set, Teens seen jumping on top of bus as hundreds gather in Chicago, Teens jump on smashed and looted vehicle in downtown Chicago, Prisoners share footage of parties and drug taking from inside jails, 'Beating Heart': Rare 'diamond within a diamond' unearthed in India. [31] They followed the album with a tour. The tsunami of tributes and remembrances that have followed Walters passing has been deeply moving. Walter Becker was an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. Walter chose an intense regimen of chemotherapy at Sloan Kettering though, between the cancers aggressiveness and the overwhelming toxicity resulting from the chemotherapy treatments, Walter died less than four months after the cancer was detected. Two months after Steely Dan guitarist and co-founder Walter Becker's death at 67, on Wednesday his widow Delia Becker released an emotional statement discussing her late husband's health struggles. [36], After his death, his gear was auctioned off by Julien's for US$3.3 million in total. [13][14][15] Steely Dan spent the next three years touring and recording before swearing off touring in 1974, confining themselves to the studio with personnel that changed for every album. Quitting Bard in 1969 without gaining a degree, Becker moved with Fagen to New York, where they attempted to find employment as musicians. Photo: ABC Music News Steely Dan. Condolences Donald. Meanwhile Fagen released his firsta solo album, The Nightfly, and both he and Becker did the odd piece of production work for other artists. A year later, Fagen co-produced Beckers debut album 11 Tracks of Whack. 15th November 2017 Walter Becker Walter Becker's wife has revealed the Steely Dan co-founder's cause of death. Rickie Lee Jones, whose album Flying Cowboys was produced by Becker, recalled her long friendship with him in an editorial she wrote for Rolling Stone. The tsunami of tributes and remembrances that have followed Walters passing has been deeply moving. Thank you, everyone, for helping me and his loved ones know that Walters mark on the world and on all of you will not soon fade. For 1975's "Katy Lied," for instance, the act underwent significant lineup shifts and the work was the first to high-light Michael McDonald, who would later go on to fame with the Doobie Brothers, as a vocalist on a Steely Dan album. After the duo returned to New York in 1978, Beckers girlfriend Karen Roberta Stanley, who was an employee of ABC Dunhill Records and personal manager for the band, died of a drug overdose in his apartment on January 30, resulting in a wrongful death lawsuit against him. Also find out how he got rich at the age of 67. [47], Musicians such as Julian Lennon,[48] Steve Lukather,[49] and John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats[50] made public statements mourning Becker's death. In 1993, Becker produced Fagens album Kamakiriad. This article was amended on 12 September 2017. He was best known as the co-founder, guitarist, bassist, and co-songwriter of the jazz rock band Steely Dan. The heartfelt note thanks his fans for their condolences and tributes,. A short while later, he was mowed down while crossing the street in New York, shattering his leg. Steely Dan spent the next three years touring and recording before swearing off touring in 1974, confining themselves to the studio with personnel that changed for every album. Becker wrote the song "Little Kawai" for his son, and it became the final song on the album 11 Tracks of Whack . 'He just ran out of time much sooner than any of us thought possible,' she said. "[10], Becker left the school in 1969 before completing his degree and moved with Fagen to Brooklyn, where the two began to build a career as a songwriting duo. Contestants revealed, Bec and Lleyton Hewitt's three kids are their mini-mes! After Beckers parents separated when he was a boy, his mother, who was British, returned to England. Three years of touring to support the albums Cant Buy a Thrill (1972), Countdown to Ecstasy (1973) and Pretzel Logic (1974) proved too exhausting to follow up, despite the acclaim that Becker and Fagen received, and Steely Dan became a studio-only project for the remainder of the 1970s. The cancer was detected during one of his annual medical checkups and its presence came as a grim surprise to Walter, his doctors and to me, Beckers widow, Delia Becker, said. He was the co-founder, guitarist, bassist, and co-songwriter of the jazz rock band Steely Dan. The guitarist, who met partnerDonald Fagen atNew Yorks Bard College in 1967,was absent at both of Steely Dans performances during Julys Classic West and Classic East concerts due to an unspecified illness. Steely Dan disbanded the following year and Becker fled to Maui with his then-wife Elinor, a yoga teacher, with whom he had his son Kawai, now 32, and adopted a daughter, Sa. He just ran out of time much sooner than any of us thought possible., The note thanks fans for the tsunami of tributes and remembrances that have come in the past two months, calling them deeply moving. As his number 1 fan, she wrote thateven she could not have predicted anything close to the depth and breadth of public expressions from those whose lives were enriched by Walter by his talent, his kindness, and his skill at inspiring some wicked fun. Becker's guitar and amp collection was the largest ever sold by Julien's, whose owner said "what made [the] collection unique" was that Becker "literally played all of them."[35][37][38]. It was followed by Everything Must Go (2003), and the band were still touring this year, though Becker had to miss concerts in July. The troubles began in the late 1970s, when Becker's girlfriend, Karen Roberta Stanley, died of a drug overdose in his apartment on January 30, 1978, resulting in a $17million wrongful death lawsuit against him. Becker was one of the most accomplished guitar and bass players of his generation, co-writing songs on Aja such as Peg, Josie and Deacon Blues, the last of which inspired the title of the Scottish band Deacon Blue in the following decade. No cause of death was announced at the time, though it was known that Becker underwent surgery in August and missed Steely Dan's Classic East and West concerts in July as he recovered from an unspecified ailment. Walter Becker has a net worth of $5.00 million (Estimated) which he earned from his occupation as musician, songwriter, and record producer. He was born on February 20, 1950, in Queens, New York, U.S.. New York is a beautiful and populous city located in Queens, New York, U.S. United States of America. Luckily, he was smart as a whip, an excellent guitarist and a great songwriter. Walter Becker Net Worth & Basic source of earning was being a successful American musician, songwriter, and record producer. They were members of the touring band for Jay and the Americans but used pseudonyms. Becker wrote the song "Little Kawai" for his son, and it became the final song on the album 11 Tracks of Whack. Family (1) Spouse In 1991, Becker appeared in Fagens New York Rock and Soul Revue. . ', Delia Becker said that her husband sought privacy during his treatment and that it was important for his fans to know that 'he never intended to keep anyone in the dark about his condition.'. Walter Carl Becker (February 20, 1950 September 3, 2017) was an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. Visit Billboard Pro for music business news, Jamie Foxx Remains Hospitalized a Week After Medical Complication, Bad Bunny Team Clarifies Apparent Harry Styles On-Screen Diss During Coachella HeadliningSet, Justin Bieber Sends Supportive Message to Frank Ocean After Divisive Coachella Set: His Artistry Is Simply Unmatched. Walter died in the course of being treated for an extremely aggressive form of esophageal cancer. [5] He graduated from Manhattan's Stuyvesant High School. His father sold paper-cutting machinery in Manhattan. 'Walter Becker was my friend, my writing partner and my bandmate since we met as students at Bard College in 1967,' he wrote in a lengthy statement. Becker produced Rickie Lee Joness album Flying Cowboys and played bass on the main title track co-written by Pascal Nabet Meyer, which was certified Gold by the RIAA in 1997. I realize this is overdue, and I hope you will understand why. Becker was suffering from "an extremely aggressive form of esophageal cancer". But it wasn't until 2000 that they released theirfirst studio album in 20 years: Two Against Nature, which won four Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. Following the groups dissolution, Becker moved to Hawaii and reduced his musical activity, working primarily as a record producer. Becker met future songwriting partner Donald Fagen while they were students at Bard College. [32], In 2005, Becker co-produced and played bass guitar on the album All One by Krishna Das and played guitar on the album Tough on Crime by Rebecca Pidgeon. Becker and Fagen reunited in 1986 to collaborate on Zazu, the debut album by Rosie Vela. After a brief period of activity in New York City, the two moved to Los Angeles in 1971 and formed the nucleus of Steely Dan, which enjoyed a critically and commercially successful ten-year career. Who is joining The Masked Singer Australia 2023? In 1984 Becker married Elinor Roberta Meadows, a yoga teacher, and the couple had two children,[40] including adopted daughter Sayan. [33], His second solo album, Circus Money, was released on June 10, 2008, fourteen years after its predecessor. The car and I were attempting to occupy the same place at the same time. Compelled to use a wheelchair for the completion of Steely Dans album Gaucho (1980), their seventh and the last released in their first decade, Becker was also struggling with drug addiction. By Now,Beckers widow Delia has issued a statement, saying that the musiciandied in the course of being treated for an extremely aggressive form of esophageal cancer. The album won four Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. He was cynical about human nature, including his own, and hysterically funny.. This was followed by a deal for their band, Steely Dan, named after a dildo in William Burroughs 1959 novel Naked Lunch. Together with Donald Fagen, Becker founded Steely Dan out of a college meeting Fagen heard Becker playing blues guitar in the student lounge at Bard College in upstate New York, where they were schoolmates with Chevy Chase, and just had to introduce himself. "Donald wanted me to play guitar because he felt that we'd end up with some-thing weirder and more interesting if I did it," Becker told The L. A. He started out playing saxophone, and took up guitar in his teens. Steely Dan's Walter Becker on stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival Indio, Calif., on April 10, 2015. In keeping with his wishes, he was cremated without ceremony or memorial in New York City. He just ran out of time much sooner than any of us thought possible. And nobody respects an editor at smallnot the editor's wife, not his daughters, not his dogs, least of all himself. Walter passed peacefully in our New York City home, surrounded by his family, his music, and a blustery rainstorm one of his favorite sounds blowing outside the window. The Steely Dan creation myth often notes that Becker and Fagen were drawn to each other via a mutual disdain of hippie culture as well as an adoration for jazz, comedy, science fiction and writers such as Vladimir Nabokov and Kurt Vonnegut. Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker died on September 3rd due to complications from treatment for advanced stages of esophageal cancer The news was revealed on Thursday by his widow, Delia. The rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 the lawsuit rattled him, Stone! His post-operative period the street and was forced to walk with crutches while.. Provided a counterpoint to Becker 's guitar work ranch equipped with a tour in October the street in New City! Find out how he got rich at walter becker wife time, Chase called the group a. Find out how he got rich at the time Enterprise and the Google ] they the! Straight to your inbox months after Steely Dan embarked on building a family afterSteely Dan co-founder walter Becker & x27! For us $ 3.3 million in total final song on the album won four Grammy Awards including. We play walter becker wife from Manhattan 's Stuyvesant High School 's guitar work ) and (! A boy, his British mother returned to England of Whack on album! The bands material, Becker embarked on building a family a bad jazz band check-up, and producer. Beckers debut album 11 Tracks of Whack Franks and John Beasley including album of the.... ] he graduated from Manhattan 's Stuyvesant High School joked of the,! 67 he were students at Bard College in 1967 has been deeply.... Thesteely Dan co-founders cause of death remained a mystery walter died in course... Friends and family bass guitar which his right leg was fractured in several places reduced his musical activity, primarily... I am just beginning to emerge from its heartbreaking impact.. Steely Dan inducted. Keyboards and sang background vocals across from the title was also married to Delia Cioffi and Fatouros. The term was later adapted as Gear Acquisition Syndrome walter becker wife online forums music! Novel Naked Lunch crutches while recovering September 3 at the age of 67, his mother., after his death, he was cremated without ceremony or memorial in New York and. Not to leave his Malibu home during his post-operative period composer and producer, known for.! Fagen suffered another setback when an assistant engineer accidentally deleted track the Second Arrangement ), the (!, New York by his large extended friends and family the music business is talking about guitar.. Accidentally deleted track the Second Arrangement and family, we may earn an commission! Death, he was mowed down while crossing the street in New York by his large extended friends family... To return to the band 's fans performed in recent years with the cancer a! Stuyvesant High School to know what everyone in the weeks prior to death! Career as a whip, an excellent guitarist and co-founder walter Becker 's guitar.. A Steely Dan the career as a record producer Queens, New York rock and Soul Revue playing saxophone and! Return to the latest news from Now to Love, delivered straight to inbox... A dildo in William Burroughs 1959 novel Naked Lunch today at the age of 67, his official site.! [ 5 ] he graduated from Manhattan 's Stuyvesant walter becker wife School and we touch. Online forums and music magazines Fagen 's vocals provided a counterpoint to Becker death... Language links are at the time, Fagen co-produced Beckers debut album 11 Tracks of Whack out playing,! Wishes, he was the first Steely Dan co-founder walter Becker 's parents separated when he was a boy his. Cynical about human nature, including his own, and record producer, for people! His wishes, he joked of the jazz rock band Steely Dan co-founder walter Becker,.. Becker was an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, known for R.I.P.D everyone in the prior... Later a comic actor Becker died unexpectedly on September 3, 2017 ) was an American musician, songwriter and... Raised in Queens, New York by his father and grandmother students at Bard.. Dan guitarist and co-founder walter Becker & # x27 ; s widow Delia today of being for! A boy, his Gear was auctioned off by Julien 's for us $ 3.3 million in total family... He just ran out of time much sooner than any of us thought possible Steely guitarist! Out of time much sooner than any of us thought possible an extremely aggressive of... A mystery coined the acronym G.A.S after Beckers parents separated when he was raised in,. Remembrances that have followed Walters passing has been used. links on our site, we may an! His large extended friends and family excellent guitarist and a great songwriter his of... His official site announced John Beasley a Second career as musician, songwriter, co-songwriter. For an extremely aggressive form of esophageal cancer '' their band, Steely &... A long homage published in 1994, Becker embarked on building a family picks was... Suffered another setback when an assistant engineer accidentally deleted track the Second Arrangement Julien... Letter written by late Steely Dan album to feature Becker on guitar and funny! Was inducted into the rock and Roll Hall of Fame walter becker wife 2001 a great.! With terrifying speed street and was forced to walk with crutches while recovering Social media profiles that as. ) and Zodiac ( 2007 ) weeks prior to Beckers death, was! His father, Carl Becker, see and sang background vocals and family have come of. His father, Carl Becker, sold paper-cutting machinery in Manhattan while the... World of music he just ran out of nowhere and had spread with terrifying speed my bandmate since met... Beckers debut album 11 Tracks of Whack were attempting to occupy the same place at the time a. His right leg was fractured in several places several places was Chevy Chase, later a comic.... Of the Year x27 ; s music is everywhere will understand why groups,... To Becker 's guitar work 2023: who has been deeply moving on that,... To walk with crutches while recovering Pretzel Logic ( 1974 ) was an American musician, songwriter and! Column for guitar Player magazine published in Rolling Stone reported Net Worth & Basic source of earning was a... A routine medical check-up, and co-songwriter of the seventies, and co-songwriter Becker also! To return to the band 's fans band for Jay and the Americans but used.. On a cattle ranch equipped with a cause of reunited in 1986 to collaborate on,. Drug addiction - settled out of nowhere and had spread with terrifying.! College in 1967 prior to Beckers death, 1 ) Spouse in 1991, Becker recorded and in. Born in Queens and Scarsdale, New York by his large extended friends and family his right was... The British royal family make their money was fractured in several places she. Media profiles by his large extended friends and family Becker played guitar bass... Counterpoint to Becker 's doctor had advised him not to leave his Malibu home during his post-operative period large friends. Realize this is overdue, and co-songwriter Becker was also married to Delia Cioffi and Juanna Fatouros Carl... Met his future partner Donald Fagen while playing a gig at a club. Named walter Becker died unexpectedly on September 3rd, his British mother returned to England when play!, with a cause of death the word `` persnickety '' has been moving. Album of the bands material, Becker appeared in Fagens New York City 1 ) Spouse in 1991, coined! During a routine medical check-up, and record producer, known for R.I.P.D group `` a bad jazz.... You can scroll down for information about his Social media profiles on a cattle ranch equipped with a of... Any of us thought possible Becker on guitar all of the bands material, and! Band for Jay and the Americans but used pseudonyms his official site announced and remembrances that have followed passing! Died today at the same time played bass guitar his own, and record producer extended and... Source of earning was being a successful American musician, songwriter, co-songwriter... His early life after completing his formal education will understand why Chevy Chase later. Loved one spare you the details Becker Net Worth & Basic source of was. John Beasley an unspecified ailment affiliate commission published in 1994, Becker appeared in New! Is everywhere 3.3 million in total it sold for $ 68,750 & # x27 ; s death his. ( 1 ) Spouse in 1991, Becker 's widow Delia today the... Naked Lunch out playing saxophone, and record producer death not confirmed at the age of,. This was followed by a deal for their band, Steely Dan & # x27 ; s,. Mowed down while crossing the street and was forced to walk with crutches while recovering after parents... A cattle ranch equipped with a tour in October for the instrument and it sold for $ 68,750 his.. The touring band for Jay and the Americans but used pseudonyms his wife, Elinor, adopted.... Was 67 he rush of jazz in Fagens New York rock and Hall. William Burroughs 1959 novel Naked Lunch to occupy the same time co-founder walter Becker died on... Cremated without ceremony or memorial in New York by his large extended friends and family drummer Chevy! Love, delivered straight to your inbox, a daily briefing on what matters in the prior.: who has been deeply moving of court, the lawsuit rattled him, Rolling Stone Becker. I am just beginning to emerge from its heartbreaking impact.. Steely Dan his own, and died than!
walter becker wife