Walter Becker - 1950 - 2017

The steely Dan guitarist died on 3 september 2017, aged 67. His work in the pioneering jazz-rock band leaves behind a legacy of studio perfection and a string of beloved albums

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At the time of going to press no cause had been attributed to the death of Walter Becker on 3 September. The news broke initially on Becker’s website, sending shock waves across social media, many believing that the lack of any accompanying information indicated a hoax. Sadly, this was not the case as his band mate and friend, Donald Fagen, issued a heartfelt statement confirming the news later the same day.

“Walter Becker was my friend, my writing partner and my band mate since we met as students at Bard College in 1967,” he said, referring to the facility at Annandale which features in the Steely Dan song, My Old School.

After leaving college in 1969 and moving to Brooklyn to try their hands at songwriting in the famous Brill Building in Manhattan, whilst playing in bands together in the locale, the pair decided that their joint futures lay in relocating to LA in 1971, which is where the nucleus of Steely Dan was formed.