With Steely Dan partner Donald Fagen, Walter Becker created some of the smartest, most artful rock to ever hit the charts. Brimming with irony and filed in with brush strokes of jazz and R&B, three of the group’s albums—1977’s Aja, 1980’s Gaucho, and 2000’s Two Against Nature—were nominated for the Album Of The Year GRAMMY®, with the latter winning the award.
Walter and Steely Dan set the standard for sophisticated progressive pop, and he will be greatly missed. Our condolences go out to his family, friends and colleagues.
Neil Portnow
President/CEO
Recording Academy
