RIP Walter Becker

This comes as a complete shock. I just saw him with Steely Dan earlier this summer and they killed it, as usual. Another HUGE loss to the music world.

http://www.walterbecker.com/

These boys could groove for fun...one of my favourite bunch of musicians.

Thoughts for his family.

Godspeed.

Yes, very sad, John. Ironically, I saw Donald Fagan and his young band "The Nightflyers" just last night. They were awesome. So much energy. Totally sunk the "yacht rock"moniker unfairly placed on Steely Dan. Bizarre to think that soon after that show Donald received the news about Walter. RIP, Walter.

I saw Steely Dan a dozen or so years ago at The Beacon in NYC. Walter was still touring with the band and it was perhaps the best show I've seen in 50 odd years of concert going. Maybe its because I liked and respected the music so much and maybe it was because they were so damn good. They were the only band whose songs were simply too hard for me to learn. I used to think I could play guitar until the 70's when Walter and Donald came along. Back then, you had to learn by listening to the record 1000 times. There were no tabs, no You Tube, no internet. You figured songs out by ear and I couldn't do it with these guys. That's when I found out I needed a different career path. The complexity and originality of Becker and Fagen was far beyond anything we had heard since John Paul George and Ringo changed everything a decade earlier. These guys, as far as I'm concerned took it to the next level. I'm a cynical old guy and I don't wax lyrical about many talents but Walter Becker was brilliant. There are only two bands I own the entire collection of. The Beatles and Steely Dan. We will all miss you terribly.

Oh man this is a shock, Steely Dan have been such an inspiration to me since I first heard Can't Buy a Thrill. Seeing them perform live a couple of times ranks among the best concerts I've been to.

RIP Walter :dang

Got to interview Walter many years ago for our NZ Musician magazine, just a gem of a man and a really humble guy.
Such a sad loss and condolences to the family.

A guitarists guitarist and true gentleman:salude

RIP Walter & Thanks for the memories !

I got into Steely Dan late, but am a huge fan

sad news

RIP

Aja is real close to being perfect.

They're being pretty tight-lipped about all of this, but apparently he was very ill in the months prior to the tour and he went in for a surgical procedure. After that is unknown. Complications maybe. He also had a daughter who spoke of his extreme intelligence and wit.