Walter Becker, co-founder of Steely Dan, dies at 67
Walter Becker, the co-founder of Steely Dan who was known for his acerbic wit and his proficient work with the guitar, has died. He was 67.
As one of the key architects of Steely Dan, Becker and longtime musical partner Donald Fagen were responsible for numerous hit songs and albums throughout the band's 1970s heyday. Often low-key and influenced by jazz or R&B, Steely Dan's patiently calm arrangements contrasted with the band's dark sense of humor and heavily poetic lyrics - word puzzles that were often caked in cynicism and subtle perversity.
No cause of death was given, and Becker's death was first announced by the artist's official website early Sunday.
