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Mac DeMarco leads the tributes to Steely Dan’s Walter Becker

Mac DeMarco and a host of artists have paid tribute to Steely Dan’s Walter Becker who died over the weekend, aged 67.

The news was announced on Sunday via Becker’s official website but failed to disclose the cause of his death.

Becker founded Steely Dan with close friend Donald Fagen in the late 60s and went on to dominate the next decade, putting together hit after hit such as ‘Rikki Don’t Lose that Number’ and ‘Reelin’ in the Years’.

The 67-year-old was forced to miss Steely Dan’s Classic East and West concerts in July due to ill-health and underwent surgery for an unknown issue. Despite claims that Becker was on the road to recovery, he was found dead at his Malibu home on Sunday.

Becker’s bandmate Fagen has already paid tribute, a pattern that has been followed by Mac DeMarco, Ryan Adams, Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino, Nile Rodgers and more:

rest in peace Walt. Hope there’s a good guitar tech up there.

A post shared by @macdemarco on

“…..still holds the crown baby” rip #WalterBecker possibly one of my favorite architects of the 70s “FM” smooth sound. Took it for granted growing up —before 10 I heard his music & Fagen’s voice EVERYWHERE: supermarket, waiting rooms everywhere, cabs, offices, dentist chair, sporting events even (Sixers used to RUN “Peg” during Dr J’s era) actually lol first time I got sent to principles office in 2nd grade was for “saying a bad word” (Hell, was a 4 letter word growing up & I didn’t know who or what a “Peg” was but I knew someone in my class was going to ?”Helllllllllllllllllll”? The first time we played w Michael McDonald a second after “man it’s an honor” came “ok how long did Walt make you stack them vocals?” Walt was my first post “hey I dig these guys I wanna get em on a session” gig shortly after our Do you Want More album came out. I was all ready for him to make me do take after take after take like I heard he was notorious for—but uh shockingly he liked our loose playing and encouraged it. (Yeah I even tried to tune my drums Steely Dan low but he was like “I want you to sound like you, not like what we were doing way back then”) This is a major loss man. An artist’s artist. Someone who cared for the craft of music and pushing boundaries. They got a name for the winners in the world: his name is Becker

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