Donald Fagen

Donald Fagen (b. January 10, 1948, Passaic, N.J.) was trained in classical piano from an early age, and while studying English at Bard College, he met Walter Becker (b. February 5, 1950, Brooklyn, N.Y.), who played guitar. Having similar tastes in classical jazz, he and Becker decided to team up as musicians, where they performed as backup tour musicians for Jay and the Americans. Having been discovered by ABC Records executive Gary Katz, they signed a recording contract under the Steely Dan name (taking the name from the William S. Burroughs novel "Naked Lunch") using various studio musicians to perform with them. Steely Dan produced critically-acclaimed albums from 1972 to 1980, after which Fagen and Becker decided to part ways (although they never lost their friendship). Fagen's musical output declined in the 1980's, only producing one well-received album in 1982, but his efforts for a musical comeback in the 1990's (working with the New York Rock & Soul Revue) enabled him to record a Grammy-nominated album, Kamakiriad, in 1993, and his marriage to Libby Titus (who worked with him in the NYR&SR project). This album, produced by his long-time musical companion, Walter Becker, also acted as the impetus to get Walter Becker back in the studio, and he, too, recorded a solo album, "11 Tracks of Whack", in 1994 (produced by both). By this time, Fagen and Becker could not resist the urge to "reunite" Steely Dan and, after a successful live concert tour lasting through 1994-95 (this time with a new group of backup musicians), they decided to record a new studio album. This long-awaited album, "Two Against Nature", was well-received enough to receive two Grammy awards and a third Grammy for the song "Cousin Dupree". Fagen and Becker toured throughout 2000, and are rumored to continue to perform as Steely Dan.