Walter Becker

Walter Becker, born on February twentieth, nineteen fifty, was a prominent American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known as the co-founder of the influential jazz rock band Steely Dan. His journey in music began at Bard College, where he met his future collaborator, Donald Fagen. This partnership would prove to be pivotal in shaping the sound of Steely Dan.

In nineteen seventy-one, Becker and Fagen relocated to Los Angeles, where they formed the core of Steely Dan. The band enjoyed a decade of critical and commercial success, becoming a staple in the jazz rock genre. After the group disbanded, Becker chose to step back from the limelight, moving to Hawaii and focusing primarily on record production.

In nineteen eighty-five, he briefly joined the English band China Crisis, contributing as a producer and synthesizer player on their album, Flaunt the Imperfection. However, it was in nineteen ninety-three that Becker and Fagen reunited to reform Steely Dan, leading to the release of Two Against Nature in two thousand, which garnered four Grammy Awards.

Becker also pursued a solo career, releasing two albums: 11 Tracks of Whack in nineteen ninety-four and Circus Money in two thousand eight. His life was tragically cut short when he passed away on September third, two thousand seventeen, after a brief battle with esophageal cancer. Throughout his career, Becker and Fagen remained the only constant members of Steely Dan, contributing to every studio album.