Walter Becker

Walter Carl Becker (February 20, 1950 - September 3, 2017) was an American musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the co-founder, guitarist, bassist and a co-writing half of the duo which make up the rock band Steely Dan.

Becker was born in Queens, New York, grew up in Westchester County and Forest Hills, Queens, and is a graduate of Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, class of 1967. After starting out on saxophone, he switched to guitar and received instruction in blues technique from his neighbor Randy California of Spirit. Becker met his long-time musical partner Donald Fagen while attending Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. Becker and Fagen formed and played in a number of groups, their youthful career also included a stint with Jay and the Americans under pseudonyms prior to relocating to California and forming Steely Dan. Initially a full-fledged group and later distilled to the Becker-Fagen partnership augmented with numerous studio musicians, the band released seven successful albums in its initial ten-year career. In addition to co-writing all of the band's material, Becker played bass on many of the band's tracks, as well as providing guitar solos, rhythm guitar, occasional backing vocals and arrangements.