[6] His exhaustion was made worse by commercial pressure and the complicated recording of the album Gaucho (1980). 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. For me personally, his death was a devastating blow, as I know it was for many of you. The tsunami of tributes and remembrances that have followed Walters passing has been deeply moving. Steely Dan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. The band drifted after the release of 1980's "Gaucho," regularly citing fatigue, personal disagreements and drug abuse, but reunited in 1993. A judge found in his favour and the case was settled. 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. The guitarists Denny Dias and Jeff Skunk Baxter rounded out the bands first line-up, alongside the drummer Jim Hodder. The duo continued to perform and record on a sporadic basis after that, receiving particular recognition for their album Two Against Nature (2000). Early on, Becker largely played bass, and he said he was encouraged to focus on the guitar by Fagen. 'He just ran out of time much sooner than any of us thought possible,' she said. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google. It seemed to have come out of nowhere and had spread with terrifying speed. They divorced in 1997. He was cynical about human nature, including his own, and hysterically funny. '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. For me personally, his death was a devastating blow, as I know it was for many of you. Walter Becker was born on February 20, 1950 in Queens, New York City, New York, USA. Times in 1994. He attended Bard College, where he met his future partner Donald Fagen while playing a gig at a local club. Henry Diltz. In a statement, Becker's widow, Delia, explained that Becker's death came "in the course of being treated for an extremely aggressive form of esophageal cancer," says Vanity Fair. He just ran out of time much sooner than any of us thought possible. She thanked fans for the tsunami of tributes and remembrances that have poured out since his death. Neighbours is officially headed back for our screens, Bestselling book The Tattooist of Auschwitz to be adapted into television series. The band name? Fagen paid tribute to his bandmate as 'an excellent guitarist and a great songwriter.'. Hollywood actress joins the cast of the Neighbours revival. The guitarist passed away on September 3at the age of 67, with a cause of death not confirmed at the time. [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. Walter J. Becker Obituary. In the eighties, when I was putting together the NY Rock and Soul Review with Libby, we hooked up again, revived the Steely Dan concept and developed another terrific band. September 22, 2017. He wanted to be able to return to the stage and once again perform for his fans. He wanted to be able to return to the stage and once again perform for his fans. 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.. Meanwhile Fagen released his firsta solo album, The Nightfly, and both he and Becker did the odd piece of production work for other artists. Becker wrote the song "Little Kawai" for his son, and it became the final song on the album 11 Tracks of Whack. The pair reunited in 1993 for Fagen's second solo album, Kamakiriad, and Becker returned to New York. Becker and Fagen were often a study in contrasts themselves. Also find out how he got rich at the age of 67. He recorded albums by artists including Rickie Lee Jones, Michael Franks and China Crisis. And despite countless lineup changes over the years,Becker and Fagen remained the core of Steely Dan, turning out jazz funk meets rock n roll hits. [9] At the time, Chase called the group "a bad jazz band. We want to hear it. He co-wrote Im All Right from the album Half the Perfect World (2006) by Madeleine Peyroux and You Cant Do Me and the title track from her album Bare Bones (2009). 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. It's been universally agreed that our music is the best possible Muzak rock Muzak to play in the supermarket. The following year Stanleys mother attempted to sue Becker for $17m, claiming that he had introduced her daughter to cocaine, morphine, heroin and barbiturates. He was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2008. 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. "West of Hollywood: Humor as reparation in the life and work of Walter Becker." 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. The best Aussie MasterChef contestants of all time! 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. 22:52 BST 16 Nov 2017 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. In keeping with his wishes, he was cremated without ceremony or memorial in New York City. Although Becker- who was suffering from drug addiction - settled out of court, the lawsuit rattled him,Rolling Stone reported. Becker and Fagen reunited in 1986 to collaborate on Zazu, the debut album by Rosie Vela. "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". Steely Dan broke up and Becker retired to a farm in Hawaii, where eventually he built a recording studio of his own. This benefited their albums, with their most successful LP, Aja (1977), boasting a glittering, widescreen sound that greatly impressed critics. 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. Understandably, Walter wanted privacy during the course of his illness and he hoped for recovery. They lived on a cattle ranch equipped with a recording studio, where Becker launched a second career as a producer. They were members of the touring band for Jay and the Americans[11] but used pseudonyms. With his large number of social media fans, he often posts many personal photos and videos to interact with his huge fan base on social media platforms. By Becker, who has died at the age of 67 from an undisclosed illness, was born in the New York borough of Queens. In 2000 they released Two Against Nature, their first album of new material in twenty years. Becker wrote the song Little Kawai for his son, and it became the final song on the album 11 Tracks of Whack. 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. Walter Becker was born on February 20, 1950 in Queens, New York City, New York, USA. Becker was made to believe by his father and grandmother that his mother was deceased; however, sometime between his childhood and late adolescence, he discovered that she was living, and he maintained a rocky relationship with her from that point forward. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Walter J. Becker of Iron Ridge, Wisconsin, who passed away on February 26, 2023, at the age of 65, leaving to mourn family and friends. Delia Becker said that 'the tsunami of tributes and remembrances that have followed Walters passing has been deeply moving.'. 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. Guitarist, bassist, and co-songwriter Becker was 67 he died . He was 67 years old. [28] A year later, Fagen co-produced Becker's debut album 11 Tracks of Whack.[29]. 2023 Paste Media Group. [36], After his death, his gear was auctioned off by Julien's for US$3.3 million in total. The album won four Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. [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. In 1984 Becker married Elinor Roberta Meadows, a yoga teacher, and the couple had two children, including adopted daughter Sayan. 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. All Rights Reserved. In 2001 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received honorary doctorates from the Berklee College of Music, which they accepted in person. 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. In September, the world lost Walter Becker, co-founder, guitarist, bassist and co-songwriter of Steely Dan, but no cause of death was given at the time. In 2001 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received honorary doctorates from the Berklee College of Music, which they accepted in person. 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. 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. They were then prevented from releasing an album for the next two years after MCA prevented them from switching labels to Warner Bros. 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. Becker ceased using drugs,[18][19][20] stopped smoking and drinking,[21] and became an "avocado rancher and self-styled critic of the contemporary scene. Fagen played keyboards and sang, while Becker played bass guitar. Despite the success of Aja in 1977, Becker suffered from setbacks during this period, including an addiction to narcotics. 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. Outside Steely Dan, Becker recorded and performed in recent years with the singer-songwriters Krishna Das, Rebecca Pidgeon and Madeleine Peyroux. In 2003, they released the album Everything Must Go with Becker singing lead vocal on Slang of Ages. Not harsh, but they set the bar high.". He passed away less than four months after he was diagnosed. Walter Becker's daughter, Sayan Becker, shared a sweet and moving tribute to her father, the late co-founder of Steely Dan. '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. In 1984 Becker married Elinor Roberta Meadows, a yoga teacher, and the couple had two children, including adopted daughter Sayan. All Rights Reserved. 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. Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker has died today at the age of 67, his official site announced. Once they were recording their own music, their standards were legendary for their height. He was struck by a taxi in 1979 and was confined to a wheelchair for a time, while falling prey to drug addiction. [46] At the time of his death, no cause or other details were announced,[13] but a statement released in November by Becker's widow, Delia Becker, detailed his struggle with the disease. Perhaps with age he achieved some sense of perspective. Moving to Hawaii and recovering from his addiction, Becker embarked on building a family. 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. 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