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Walter Carl Becker (February 20, 1950 – September 3, 2017) was an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He was the co-founder, guitarist, bassist, and co-songwriter of the jazz rock band
Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band founded in 1971 in New York by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Initially the band had a stable lineup, but in 1974, Becker and Fagen retired from liv ...
.Russonello, Giovanni,
Listen to 13 Essential Walter Becker Songs

New York Times
2017-09-04. Accessed 2019-05-29.
Becker met future songwriting partner
Donald Fagen Donald Jay Fagen (born January 10, 1948) is an American musician best known as the co-founder, lead singer, co-songwriter, and keyboardist of the band Steely Dan, formed in the early 1970s with musical partner Walter Becker. In addition to his ...
while they were students at
Bard College Bard College is a private liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. The campus overlooks the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains, and is within the Hudson River Historic District—a National Historic Landmark. Founded in 1860, ...
. 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. Following the group's dissolution, Becker moved to Hawaii and reduced his musical activity, working primarily as a record producer. In 1985, he briefly became a member of the English band China Crisis, producing and playing synthesizer on their album ''
Flaunt the Imperfection ''Flaunt the Imperfection'' is the third studio album by English new wave group China Crisis, released in 1985. The album was produced by Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker, who is credited as an official member of China Crisis on the recor ...
''. Becker and Fagen reformed Steely Dan in 1993 and remained active, recording '' Two Against Nature'' (2000), which won four
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
s. Becker released two solo albums, '' 11 Tracks of Whack'' (1994) and '' Circus Money'' (2008). Following a brief battle with
esophageal cancer Esophageal cancer is cancer arising from the esophagus—the food pipe that runs between the throat and the stomach. Symptoms often include difficulty in swallowing and weight loss. Other symptoms may include pain when swallowing, a hoarse voi ...
, he died on September 3, 2017.


Early life and career (1950–1971)

Becker was born in
Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
,
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. After Becker's parents separated when he was a boy, his British mother returned to England. Becker was made to believe that his mother was deceased by his father and grandmother; 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. He was raised in Queens and Scarsdale, New York by his father and his grandmother. His father, Carl Becker, sold paper-cutting machinery in Manhattan. He graduated from Manhattan's
Stuyvesant High School , motto_translation = For knowledge and wisdom , address = 345 Chambers Street , city = New York , state = New York , zipcode = 10282 , country ...
. After starting out on saxophone, he switched to guitar and received instruction in
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the ...
technique from neighbor
Randy California Randy Craig Wolfe (February 20, 1951 – January 2, 1997), known as Randy California, was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter, and one of the original members of the rock group Spirit, formed in 1967. Life and career California was b ...
, who later formed the band Spirit. Donald Fagen overheard Becker playing guitar at a campus café when they were both students at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. In an interview many years later, Fagen said, "I hear this guy practicing, and it sounded very professional and contemporary. It sounded like, you know, like a black person, really." They formed the band Leather Canary, which included fellow student
Chevy Chase Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor and writer. He became a key cast member in the first season of '' Saturday Night Live'', where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment became a staple of the ...
on drums. At the time, Chase called the group "a bad jazz band." 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. They were members of the touring band for Jay and the Americans but used pseudonyms. They also composed music for the soundtrack to '' You've Got to Walk It Like You Talk It or You'll Lose That Beat'', a film starring
Richard Pryor Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor Sr. (December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He reached a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style, and is widely regarded as on ...
that was released in 1971.


With Steely Dan (1971–1981)

In 1971, Becker and Fagen moved to Los Angeles and were hired by Gary Katz as staff songwriters at
ABC Records ABC Records was an American record label founded in New York City in 1955. It originated as the main popular music label operated by the Am-Par Record Corporation. Am-Par also created the Impulse! jazz label in 1960. It acquired many labels bef ...
, later forming Steely Dan with guitarists Denny Dias and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, drummer Jim Hodder, and vocalist David Palmer. Fagen played keyboards and sang, while Becker played bass guitar. 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 addition to co-writing all of the band's material, Becker played guitar and bass guitar and sang background vocals. '' Pretzel Logic'' (1974) was the first Steely Dan album to feature Becker on guitar. "Once I met (session musician)
Chuck Rainey Charles Walter Rainey III (born June 17, 1940) is an American bass guitarist who has performed and recorded with many well-known acts, including Aretha Franklin, Steely Dan, and Quincy Jones. Rainey is credited for playing bass on more than 1,0 ...
", he explained, "I felt there really was no need for me to be bringing my bass guitar to the studio anymore". Despite the success of '' Aja'' in 1977, Becker suffered from setbacks during this period, including an addiction to narcotics. After the duo returned to New York in 1978, Becker's 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, 1980, resulting in a wrongful death lawsuit against him. Soon after, he was hit by a cab in Manhattan while crossing the street and was forced to walk with crutches while recovering. His exhaustion was made worse by commercial pressure and the complicated recording of the album ''
Gaucho A gaucho () or gaúcho () is a skilled horseman, reputed to be brave and unruly. The figure of the gaucho is a folk symbol of Argentina, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, and the south of Chilean Patagonia. Gauchos became greatly admired and ...
'' (1980). Becker and Fagen suspended their partnership in June 1981.


Work in record production (1981–1993)

Following Steely Dan's breakup, Becker and his family moved to
Maui The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, whic ...
. Becker ceased using drugs, stopped smoking and drinking, and became an "avocado rancher and self-styled critic of the contemporary scene." He produced albums for the new wave bands
Fra Lippo Lippi Filippo Lippi ( – 8 October 1469), also known as Lippo Lippi, was an Italian painter of the Quattrocento (15th century) and a Carmelite Priest. Biography Lippi was born in Florence in 1406 to Tommaso, a butcher, and his wife. He was orph ...
and China Crisis, and is credited on the latter's 1985 album ''
Flaunt the Imperfection ''Flaunt the Imperfection'' is the third studio album by English new wave group China Crisis, released in 1985. The album was produced by Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker, who is credited as an official member of China Crisis on the recor ...
'' as a member of the band. He also produced albums for Michael Franks and John Beasley. Becker produced
Rickie Lee Jones Rickie Lee Jones (born November 8, 1954) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and author. Over the course of a career that spans five decades, she has recorded in various musical styles including rock, R&B, pop, soul, and jazz. A two ...
's album ''
Flying Cowboys ''Flying Cowboys'' is an album by Rickie Lee Jones that was released in September 1989 and produced by Walter Becker of Steely Dan. Background After the release of '' The Magazine'' in 1984, Jones retreated from the limelight. She married Pas ...
'' and played bass on the main title track co-written by Pascal Nabet Meyer, which was
certified Gold Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
in 1997. Becker and Fagen reunited in 1986 to collaborate on '' Zazu'', the debut album by
Rosie Vela Roseanne Vela (born December 18, 1952) is an American model, singer and songwriter. Early life, education and modeling career Roseanne Vela was born on December 18, 1952 in Galveston, Texas. Her family later moved to Arkansas, where she attended ...
. In 1991, Becker appeared in Fagen's
New York Rock and Soul Revue The New York Rock and Soul Revue was a musical project which evolved from a series of concerts and musical shows produced by Libby Titus (future wife of Donald Fagen) that lasted from 1989 to 1992. The project was led by Donald Fagen (soloist and c ...
.


Steely Dan reformation (1993–2017)

In 1993, Becker produced Fagen's album ''
Kamakiriad ''Kamakiriad'' is the second solo album by Steely Dan artist Donald Fagen, released in 1993. It was his first collaboration with Steely Dan partner Walter Becker since 1986, on Rosie Vela's album '' Zazu''. Becker played guitar and bass and pro ...
''. A year later, Fagen co-produced Becker's debut album '' 11 Tracks of Whack''. 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. In 2000 they released '' Two Against Nature'', their first album of new material in twenty years. The album won four Grammy Awards, including
Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to: Awards * ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia * Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK * Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US * Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA * Lati ...
. In 2001 they were inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and ...
and received honorary doctorates from the
Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...
, which they accepted in person. In 2003, they released the album '' Everything Must Go'' with Becker singing lead vocal on "Slang of Ages". They followed the album with a tour. 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 Rebecca Pidgeon (born October 10, 1965) is an American actress who has appeared on stage and in feature films, and a singer, songwriter and recording artist. She is married to American playwright David Mamet. Early life Pidgeon was born to Engl ...
. He co-wrote " I'm All Right" from the album '' Half the Perfect World'' (2006) by
Madeleine Peyroux Madeleine Peyroux (born April 18, 1974) is an American jazz singer and songwriter who began her career as a teenager on the streets of Paris. She sang vintage jazz and blues songs before finding mainstream success in 2004 when her album ''Carele ...
, and "
You Can't Do Me "You Can't Do Me" was the first single of Madeleine Peyroux Madeleine Peyroux (born April 18, 1974) is an American jazz singer and songwriter who began her career as a teenager on the streets of Paris. She sang vintage jazz and blues songs b ...
" and the title track from her album '' Bare Bones'' (2009). He was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2008. His second solo album, '' Circus Money'', was released on June 10, 2008, fourteen years after its predecessor. The songs were inspired by
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
and other styles of
Jamaican music The music of Jamaica includes Jamaican folk music and many popular genres, such as mento, ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub music, dancehall, reggae fusion and related styles. Reggae is especially popular through the international fame of Bob Marley. ...
.


Instruments and equipment

Becker was a collector of musical equipment, accumulating hundreds of guitars and
amplifiers An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp is an electronic device that can increase the magnitude of a signal (a time-varying voltage or current). It may increase the power significantly, or its main effect may be to boost th ...
, as well as numerous other instruments, pedals, pre-wired pedalboards, "
speakers Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** I ...
, recording gear, and ephemera." In concert, he often played custom-built guitars modeled after Stratocasters. After his death, his gear was auctioned off by Julien's for in total. Becker's guitar and amp collection was the largest ever sold by Julien's, whose owner said "what made hecollection unique" was that Becker "literally played all of them." In a column for ''
Guitar Player ''Guitar Player'' is an American popular magazine for guitarists, founded in 1967 in San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and politica ...
'' magazine published in 1994, Becker coined the
acronym An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...
G.A.S. ("Guitar Acquisition Syndrome"), denoting the uncontrolled accumulation of music gear.Walter Becker: "The Dreaded G.A.S.", in: ''Guitar Player'', April 1994, p. 15. The term was later adapted as Gear Acquisition Syndrome in online forums and music magazines.


Personal life

In 1984 Becker married Elinor Roberta Meadows, a
yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...
teacher, and the couple had two children, including adopted daughter Sayan. They divorced in 1997. Becker wrote the song "Little Kawai" for his son, and it became the final song on the album ''11 Tracks of Whack''. Becker was also married to Delia Cioffi and Juanna Fatouros.


Illness and death

In the spring of 2017, Becker was diagnosed with "an aggressive form of
esophageal cancer Esophageal cancer is cancer arising from the esophagus—the food pipe that runs between the throat and the stomach. Symptoms often include difficulty in swallowing and weight loss. Other symptoms may include pain when swallowing, a hoarse voi ...
" during an annual medical checkup. 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. He died from the disease on September 3, 2017, at the age of 67, at his home in
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
,
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. At the time of his death, no cause or other details were announced, but a statement released in November by Becker's widow, Delia Becker, detailed his struggle with the disease. Musicians such as Julian Lennon,
Steve Lukather Steven Lee Lukather (born October 21, 1957) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer, best known as the sole continuous founding member of the rock band Toto. His reputation as a skilled guitarist led to a stea ...
, and John Darnielle of
the Mountain Goats The Mountain Goats are an American band formed in Claremont, California, by singer-songwriter John Darnielle. The band is currently based in Durham, North Carolina. For many years, the sole member of the Mountain Goats was Darnielle, despite th ...
made public statements mourning Becker's death.
Rickie Lee Jones Rickie Lee Jones (born November 8, 1954) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and author. Over the course of a career that spans five decades, she has recorded in various musical styles including rock, R&B, pop, soul, and jazz. A two ...
, whose album ''
Flying Cowboys ''Flying Cowboys'' is an album by Rickie Lee Jones that was released in September 1989 and produced by Walter Becker of Steely Dan. Background After the release of '' The Magazine'' in 1984, Jones retreated from the limelight. She married Pas ...
'' was produced by Becker, recalled her long friendship with him in an editorial she wrote for ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
''. 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."


Discography


Studio albums

* '' 11 Tracks of Whack'' (1994) * '' Circus Money'' (2008)


As sideman or producer

* 1969 ''Alias Boona'', Terence Boylan * 1974 ''First Grade'',
Thomas Jefferson Kaye Thomas Jefferson Kontos (1940 – September 16, 1994), better known as Thomas Jefferson Kaye, was an American record producer, singer-songwriter and musician. He collaborated with The Shirelles, Loudon Wainwright III, and Gene Clark, and also rec ...
* 1985 ''
Flaunt the Imperfection ''Flaunt the Imperfection'' is the third studio album by English new wave group China Crisis, released in 1985. The album was produced by Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker, who is credited as an official member of China Crisis on the recor ...
'', China Crisis * 1986 '' Zazu'',
Rosie Vela Roseanne Vela (born December 18, 1952) is an American model, singer and songwriter. Early life, education and modeling career Roseanne Vela was born on December 18, 1952 in Galveston, Texas. Her family later moved to Arkansas, where she attended ...
* 1987 '' Light and Shade'',
Fra Lippo Lippi Filippo Lippi ( – 8 October 1469), also known as Lippo Lippi, was an Italian painter of the Quattrocento (15th century) and a Carmelite Priest. Biography Lippi was born in Florence in 1406 to Tommaso, a butcher, and his wife. He was orph ...
* 1989 ''
Diary of a Hollow Horse ''Diary of a Hollow Horse'' is the fifth studio album by English new wave group China Crisis, released in 1989. It was released on CD, LP and Cassette. The original CD version features the bonus track "Back Home". Described as ''perhaps their ...
'', China Crisis * 1989 '' Blue Pacific'', Michael Franks * 1989 ''
Flying Cowboys ''Flying Cowboys'' is an album by Rickie Lee Jones that was released in September 1989 and produced by Walter Becker of Steely Dan. Background After the release of '' The Magazine'' in 1984, Jones retreated from the limelight. She married Pas ...
'',
Rickie Lee Jones Rickie Lee Jones (born November 8, 1954) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and author. Over the course of a career that spans five decades, she has recorded in various musical styles including rock, R&B, pop, soul, and jazz. A two ...
* 1993 ''
Kamakiriad ''Kamakiriad'' is the second solo album by Steely Dan artist Donald Fagen, released in 1993. It was his first collaboration with Steely Dan partner Walter Becker since 1986, on Rosie Vela's album '' Zazu''. Becker played guitar and bass and pro ...
'',
Donald Fagen Donald Jay Fagen (born January 10, 1948) is an American musician best known as the co-founder, lead singer, co-songwriter, and keyboardist of the band Steely Dan, formed in the early 1970s with musical partner Walter Becker. In addition to his ...
* 1994 ''Mose the Fireman'', John Beasley * 2005 ''All One'', Krishna Das * 2005 ''Tough on Crime'',
Rebecca Pidgeon Rebecca Pidgeon (born October 10, 1965) is an American actress who has appeared on stage and in feature films, and a singer, songwriter and recording artist. She is married to American playwright David Mamet. Early life Pidgeon was born to Engl ...
* 2009 ''Baritonality'', Roger Rosenberg * 2011 ''Fra Lippo Lippi'', Fra Lippo Lippi


References


External links

* * Companion media website - www.walterbeckermedia.com * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Becker, Walter 1950 births 2017 deaths Stuyvesant High School alumni Bard College alumni Record producers from New York (state) American rock guitarists American male guitarists American rock bass guitarists American male bass guitarists American male songwriters American people of British descent Grammy Award winners People from Forest Hills, Queens Deaths from esophageal cancer Deaths from cancer in New York (state) Jazz-rock guitarists 20th-century American guitarists 21st-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians