Walter Becker, Steely Dan Guitarist, Dies at 67
This is the tribute letter written by Donald Fagan, the sole surviving creator of the group.
We liked a lot of the same things: jazz (from the twenties through the mid-sixties), W.C. Fields, the Marx Brothers, science fiction, Nabokov, Kurt Vonnegut, Thomas Berger, and Robert Altman films come to mind. Also soul music and Chicago blues.
Walter had a very rough childhood — I’ll spare you the details. Luckily, he was smart as a whip, an excellent guitarist and a great songwriter. He was cynical about human nature, including his own, and hysterically funny. Like a lot of kids from fractured families, he had the knack of creative mimicry, reading people’s hidden psychology and transforming what he saw into bubbly, incisive art. He used to write letters (never meant to be sent) in my wife Libby’s singular voice that made the three of us collapse with laughter.
I intend to keep the music we created together alive as long as I can with the Steely Dan band.
Donald Fagen
September 3 2017
sad loss and love the letter –
LikeLiked by 1 person
He will continue to live through his extraordinary music. Thanks for stopping by !
LikeLike
Pingback: Reblogged – Reflections On Life
I’ll miss him. Already miss the music. I reblogged this on http://reflectionsonlife.com
At least I think I did. Just hope it will open again, cause half the time it refuses. Ain’t life fun? Thanks for sharing the music, Anne. I was thinking it was still Sunday until I saw this. Hugs, ((()))
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am not sure it worked. Darn technology ! Hugs!
LikeLike