Music movies are having a moment — if, indeed, they ever stopped having one. Take the pop-music biopic. There are times, like right now, when it surges in popularity, yet the form has never gone out of style. And music documentaries, a staple of the indie-film world, have only proliferated during the streaming era. This means that they have to compete for visibility, but a ton of them are getting made and (mostly) getting seen. They’ve become a happy epidemic.
A few, like “Amy” or “The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?,” are popular and vital enough to have carved out a place in the culture — and, in the case of both those films, to have inspired the creation of a biopic. I have it on good authority that when you’re trying to put together a music documentary, the prospect of it spawning a biopic can be a key selling point.
A few, like “Amy” or “The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?,” are popular and vital enough to have carved out a place in the culture — and, in the case of both those films, to have inspired the creation of a biopic. I have it on good authority that when you’re trying to put together a music documentary, the prospect of it spawning a biopic can be a key selling point.
- 3/24/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
The 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala will feature a special appearance from Diane Warren, who has been named this year’s recipient of the Johnny Mercer Award. The award, to be presented at the ceremony on June 13, is considered to be the institution’s highest honor. It is reserved for songwriters and songwriting teams that have already been inducted into the Hall of Fame and whose catalogue of work matches the quality and standards set by esteemed songwriter Johnny Mercer.
“I’m beyond honored to receive the Johnny Mercer Award,...
“I’m beyond honored to receive the Johnny Mercer Award,...
- 2/22/2024
- by Larisha Paul
- Rollingstone.com
R.E.M., Steely Dan, Timbaland, and songwriters Dean Pitchford (“Footloose”) and Hillary Lindsey (“Jesus Take the Wheel”) are this year’s inductees into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the organization announced today.
The 2024 induction ceremony and Awards Gala is set for Thursday, June 13, at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. Additional special award honorees will be announced soon.
“I’ve said it before, but the music industry does not exist without songwriters delivering great songs first,” Shof Chairman Nile Rodgers said in a statement that this year’s inductees represent “not just iconic songs but also diversity and unity across genres, ethnicity and gender.” He added that this year’s songwriters “have enriched our lives and literally enriched music and the lives of billions of listeners all over the world.”
In today’s announcement, the Hall of Fame listed key songs in the inductees’ catalogs:
Hillary Lindsey:
Jesus Take...
The 2024 induction ceremony and Awards Gala is set for Thursday, June 13, at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. Additional special award honorees will be announced soon.
“I’ve said it before, but the music industry does not exist without songwriters delivering great songs first,” Shof Chairman Nile Rodgers said in a statement that this year’s inductees represent “not just iconic songs but also diversity and unity across genres, ethnicity and gender.” He added that this year’s songwriters “have enriched our lives and literally enriched music and the lives of billions of listeners all over the world.”
In today’s announcement, the Hall of Fame listed key songs in the inductees’ catalogs:
Hillary Lindsey:
Jesus Take...
- 1/17/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The Songwriters Hall of Fame has a new class of inductees, including Timbaland, R.E.M., Steely Dan, Hillary Lindsey and Dean Pitchford.
The organization announced its 2024 class on Wednesday, and the famed songwriters will be officially inducted on June 13. The event will take place in New York City at the Marriott Marquis Hotel.
“I’ve said it before, but the music industry does not exist without songwriters delivering great songs first. Without them there is no recorded music, no concert business, no merch … nothing, it all starts with the song and the songwriter,” Nile Rodgers, chairman of the Songwriters Hall, says in a statement.
“We are therefore very proud that we are continually recognizing some of the culturally most important songwriters of all time and that the 2024 slate represents not just iconic songs but also diversity and unity across genres, ethnicity and gender, songwriters who have enriched our lives and literally...
The organization announced its 2024 class on Wednesday, and the famed songwriters will be officially inducted on June 13. The event will take place in New York City at the Marriott Marquis Hotel.
“I’ve said it before, but the music industry does not exist without songwriters delivering great songs first. Without them there is no recorded music, no concert business, no merch … nothing, it all starts with the song and the songwriter,” Nile Rodgers, chairman of the Songwriters Hall, says in a statement.
“We are therefore very proud that we are continually recognizing some of the culturally most important songwriters of all time and that the 2024 slate represents not just iconic songs but also diversity and unity across genres, ethnicity and gender, songwriters who have enriched our lives and literally...
- 1/17/2024
- by Mesfin Fekadu
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Members of R.E.M. and Steely Dan are among this year’s inductees into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Other members of its 2024 class include Timbaland, Dean Pitchford, and Hillary Lindsey.
A ceremony honoring the 2024 class will be held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City on Thursday, June 13th. Artists become eligible for induction 20 years after the first commercial release of their music.
R.E.M. members Michael Stipe, Mike Mills, Peter Buck, and Bill Berry will all be recognized by the Songwriters Hall of Fame, while Steely Dan’s Walter Becker will be inducted posthumously alongside surviving bandmate Donald Fagen.
Timbaland represents this year’s only inductee of color. The hip-hop producer is of course known for his work alongside Missy Elliott, Justin Timberlake, and Jay-Z.
Lindsey, this year’s only female inductee, has won three Grammy Awards for penning songs including Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take...
Other members of its 2024 class include Timbaland, Dean Pitchford, and Hillary Lindsey.
A ceremony honoring the 2024 class will be held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City on Thursday, June 13th. Artists become eligible for induction 20 years after the first commercial release of their music.
R.E.M. members Michael Stipe, Mike Mills, Peter Buck, and Bill Berry will all be recognized by the Songwriters Hall of Fame, while Steely Dan’s Walter Becker will be inducted posthumously alongside surviving bandmate Donald Fagen.
Timbaland represents this year’s only inductee of color. The hip-hop producer is of course known for his work alongside Missy Elliott, Justin Timberlake, and Jay-Z.
Lindsey, this year’s only female inductee, has won three Grammy Awards for penning songs including Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take...
- 1/17/2024
- by Scoop Harrison
- Consequence - Music
Steely Dan, Blondie, Public Enemy, R.E.M, Timbaland and the man who wrote bubblegum classics “Build Me Up Buttercup” and “Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)” are among the nominees for the 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Also included on the roster of nominees are, among others, Bread frontman David Gates, Tracy Chapman, the Guess Who’s Randy Bachman & Burton Cummings, Kenny Loggins, Heart and Roger Nichols, who composed the music for such Carpenters hits as “We’ve Only Just Begun” and “Rainy Days and Mondays.”
See the complete list of nominees below.
According to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, a songwriter with a notable catalog of songs qualifies for induction 20 years after the first significant commercial release of a song. Eligible voting members will have until midnight Et on December 27, 2023 to turn in ballots, with their choices of three nominees from a songwriter and three from performing songwriter categories.
Also included on the roster of nominees are, among others, Bread frontman David Gates, Tracy Chapman, the Guess Who’s Randy Bachman & Burton Cummings, Kenny Loggins, Heart and Roger Nichols, who composed the music for such Carpenters hits as “We’ve Only Just Begun” and “Rainy Days and Mondays.”
See the complete list of nominees below.
According to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, a songwriter with a notable catalog of songs qualifies for induction 20 years after the first significant commercial release of a song. Eligible voting members will have until midnight Et on December 27, 2023 to turn in ballots, with their choices of three nominees from a songwriter and three from performing songwriter categories.
- 11/21/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
You could fill a book with all the shady characters you meet in Steely Dan songs. Quantum Criminals is that book. Journalist Alex Pappademas and artist Joan LeMay take a deep dive into the genius of Steely Dan, and the strange world that Donald Fagen and Walter Becker built together. LeMay illustrates her favorite Dan characters, from Rikki to Kid Charlemagne, from Dr. Wu to Peg, all the way to the El Supremo in the room at the top of the stairs. Pappademas gives a mind-bending guided tour of the Steely Dan universe,...
- 5/14/2023
- by Rob Sheffield
- Rollingstone.com
A Steely Dan cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Carey” has been unearthed, and it’s the kind of soft rock summer treat you’d expect.
The Blue track — which Mitchell wrote after an encounter with a chef in Crete — sounds especially jazzy here, and the duo even swaps gender and uses the word “mama” instead of “daddy” (perhaps the duo discovered a female chef at Bard College). It’s unclear when it was recorded, but it’s rumored to have been cut in 2001 for 2007’s A Tribute to Joni Mitchell.
The Blue track — which Mitchell wrote after an encounter with a chef in Crete — sounds especially jazzy here, and the duo even swaps gender and uses the word “mama” instead of “daddy” (perhaps the duo discovered a female chef at Bard College). It’s unclear when it was recorded, but it’s rumored to have been cut in 2001 for 2007’s A Tribute to Joni Mitchell.
- 7/7/2022
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
Steely Dan have shared live versions of “Hey Nineteen” and “Reelin’ in the Years,” off their upcoming live album Northeast Corridor.
“Hey Nineteen,” which you can hear above, was recorded at the Met Philadelphia, while “Reelin’ In the Years” derives from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. A snippet of the latter can be heard below; fans who preorder the live album will receive free downloads of both songs.
Northeast Corridor arrives on digital and CD on September 24th, while vinyl will be released on October 1st. The 12-track album,...
“Hey Nineteen,” which you can hear above, was recorded at the Met Philadelphia, while “Reelin’ In the Years” derives from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. A snippet of the latter can be heard below; fans who preorder the live album will receive free downloads of both songs.
Northeast Corridor arrives on digital and CD on September 24th, while vinyl will be released on October 1st. The 12-track album,...
- 8/13/2021
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
Summer’s here and time is right for dancing … on the deck of a large nautical vessel. During the late Seventies and early Eighties, the radio was dominated by silver-tongued white-dude crooners with names like Rupert and Gerry, emoting over balmy R&b beats, swaying saxes, and dishwasher-clean arrangements. Though it didn’t have a name, the genre — soft rock you could dance to — was dismissed by serious rock fans as fluffy and lame. But thanks to a web series in the mid-2000s, the style — belatedly named “yacht rock...
- 6/22/2021
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
Although Donald Fagen and Walter Becker certainly did not write “Dirty Work” with the idea of it being about reluctant mercenaries — let alone costumed antiheroes and anthropomorphized sharks — the song’s theme of reluctant conscription somehow perfectly and comically fits the “Suicide Squad” concept. That helps explain why the 49-year-old album track suddenly found itself as one of the most-searched songs of the day after the trailer for the franchise’s first sequel hit the web.
The song appears at length throughout the trailer, with the original electric piano- and horn-driven version from Steely Dan’s 1972 debut album “Can’t Buy a Thrill” bookending the mayhem. In the middle of the coming attraction, though, appears some freshly minted music more akin for a superhero or action movie… which quickly morphs into a “Dirty Work” on steroids, before things settle back down again at the end.
Trailer sound designer and composer...
The song appears at length throughout the trailer, with the original electric piano- and horn-driven version from Steely Dan’s 1972 debut album “Can’t Buy a Thrill” bookending the mayhem. In the middle of the coming attraction, though, appears some freshly minted music more akin for a superhero or action movie… which quickly morphs into a “Dirty Work” on steroids, before things settle back down again at the end.
Trailer sound designer and composer...
- 3/27/2021
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
In a spacious suite high above the Las Vegas Strip, Michael McDonald extends his left arm, wiggles his fingers, and glides his arm to his right side. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think he was getting ready for some air piano. But no — he’s actually recalling the day of the floating vomit.
The Seventies were winding down, but no one had told the Doobie Brothers. By 1978, they’d had enough big songs to fill one greatest-hits album already, from choogling rockers like “Long Train Runnin’” and “China Grove” to soul-rooted,...
The Seventies were winding down, but no one had told the Doobie Brothers. By 1978, they’d had enough big songs to fill one greatest-hits album already, from choogling rockers like “Long Train Runnin’” and “China Grove” to soul-rooted,...
- 11/8/2020
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
For those who might be wondering, there’s no sure-fire way to end up on Good Steely Dan Takes. Alex, the 35-year-old Brooklyn resident in charge of the improbably entertaining and increasingly popular Twitter account, which aggregates and celebrates niche riffs, memes, and one-liners related to the arch jazz-pop kingpins, says he simply knows a funny Steely Dan-related tweet when he sees one. We’d be inclined to agree.
Some prime examples: the one where the band’s funky 1976 fan favorite “The Caves of Altamira” perfectly complements an unhinged...
Some prime examples: the one where the band’s funky 1976 fan favorite “The Caves of Altamira” perfectly complements an unhinged...
- 10/14/2020
- by Hank Shteamer
- Rollingstone.com
As the world fights a pandemic, we’ve been reaching out to some of our favorite artists to get their takes on these unprecedented times. Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen responded to a few quarantine questions via email (printed exactly as-is, per his request) in his characteristically sardonic manner, saluting his heroes Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, and nodding to the incredibly dangerous presidential suggestion that injecting disinfectants like bleach or isopropyl alcohol into the human body could somehow help fight Covid-19.
In the three years since the death of Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker,...
In the three years since the death of Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker,...
- 4/30/2020
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Here’s a partial list of musicians we lost in the 2010s: Aretha Franklin, David Bowie, Chuck Berry, Ornette Coleman, B.B. King, Etta James, Whitney Houston, Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen, Prince, Merle Haggard, Kitty Wells, João Gilberto, Ravi Shankar, Tabu Ley Rochereau, David Mancuso, Amy Winehouse, Abbie Lincoln, Gil Scott Heron, George Jones, George Martin, George Michael, Allen Toussaint, Donna Summer, Phife Dawg, Prodigy, Adam Yauch, Heavy D, Captain Beefheart, Robert Hunter, Gregory Isaacs, Johnny Otis, Big Jay McNeely, Levon Helm, Kate McGarrigle, Guy Clark, Pete Seeger, Ralph Stanley, Gregg Allman,...
- 12/11/2019
- by Will Hermes
- Rollingstone.com
A celebration of the life of Jack Gilardi, an ICM agent for 68 years, will take place this Monday, December 9, at 7:00 Pm at Paramount Studios.
Industry friends are welcome to attend, but must RSVP to obtain a drive-on to the Paramount lot. The RSVP email is Gilardimemorial@icmpartners.com.
Gilardi passed away September 19. During his long career, he represented major stars, directors, music artists, and athletes, including Sylvester Stallone, Joe Mantegna, Jerry Lewis, Shirley MacLain, Ann Margaret, Charlton Heston, Frankie Avalon, Walter Hill, Walter Becker, Frankie Valli, Howie Long and Annette Funicello, whom he married and had three children with. The children will speak at the memorial, along with many of the stars that Gilardi represented.
The official invitation is below:...
Industry friends are welcome to attend, but must RSVP to obtain a drive-on to the Paramount lot. The RSVP email is Gilardimemorial@icmpartners.com.
Gilardi passed away September 19. During his long career, he represented major stars, directors, music artists, and athletes, including Sylvester Stallone, Joe Mantegna, Jerry Lewis, Shirley MacLain, Ann Margaret, Charlton Heston, Frankie Avalon, Walter Hill, Walter Becker, Frankie Valli, Howie Long and Annette Funicello, whom he married and had three children with. The children will speak at the memorial, along with many of the stars that Gilardi represented.
The official invitation is below:...
- 12/6/2019
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Walter Becker’s massive collection of guitars and amplifiers collected $3.3 million at auction over the weekend. Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles hosted the two-day sale, which featured 600 guitars and 400 amplifiers, plus an assortment of other gear and sound equipment.
According to Billboard, the big ticket items included a 1957 Fender Duo-Sonic guitar featured in the liner photographs of Steely Dan’s Aja ($57,600), a pedal board Becker used at his apartment ($32,000) and a red Sadowsky Telecaster-style guitar nicknamed “Josie” (after the Steely Dan tune), which Becker played on The Late Show...
According to Billboard, the big ticket items included a 1957 Fender Duo-Sonic guitar featured in the liner photographs of Steely Dan’s Aja ($57,600), a pedal board Becker used at his apartment ($32,000) and a red Sadowsky Telecaster-style guitar nicknamed “Josie” (after the Steely Dan tune), which Becker played on The Late Show...
- 10/21/2019
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
A collection of music gear belonging to Walter Becker, the late co-founder, guitarist and co-songwriter of Steely Dan, will be up for sale via Julien’s Auctions during a two-day event on October 18th and 19th. The auction — featuring guitars, sound equipment, recording gear and more — will be held at the Standard Oil Building in Beverly Hills, California, and live online at the Julien’s website.
The auction includes Becker’s 1957 Fender Duo-Sonic guitar featured in the liner photographs to Steely Dan’s seminal 1977 album, Aja, along with his Signature Model #1 Sadowsky,...
The auction includes Becker’s 1957 Fender Duo-Sonic guitar featured in the liner photographs to Steely Dan’s seminal 1977 album, Aja, along with his Signature Model #1 Sadowsky,...
- 7/15/2019
- by Claire Shaffer and Ryan Reed
- Rollingstone.com
Reginald Hudlin (pictured at right), who received a Best Picture nomination for “Django Unchained,” will direct the musical “Beyond the Velvet Rope” with songs by hitmaker Andreas Carlsson.
Ron Bass, who won an Oscar for the “Rain Man” screenplay, is writing the script with Walter Becker (“Wild Hogs”) and G.L. Lambert. Carlsson will produce with Marcus Englefield and George Lee for Storyoscopic Films.
Carlsson’s credits include “Bye, Bye, Bye” for *Nsync, “I Want It That Way” for the Backstreet boys, “Waking Up in Vegas” for Katy Perry, “Born to Make You Happy” for Britney Spears and “I Am Alive” for Celine Dion. Carlsson has been nominated for multiple Grammy Awards and was also been named Ascap Songwriter of the Year.
The feature tells the story of a young pop star who falls in love with her prolific songwriter as they make their way through the Los Angeles music scene in the late 1970’s.
Ron Bass, who won an Oscar for the “Rain Man” screenplay, is writing the script with Walter Becker (“Wild Hogs”) and G.L. Lambert. Carlsson will produce with Marcus Englefield and George Lee for Storyoscopic Films.
Carlsson’s credits include “Bye, Bye, Bye” for *Nsync, “I Want It That Way” for the Backstreet boys, “Waking Up in Vegas” for Katy Perry, “Born to Make You Happy” for Britney Spears and “I Am Alive” for Celine Dion. Carlsson has been nominated for multiple Grammy Awards and was also been named Ascap Songwriter of the Year.
The feature tells the story of a young pop star who falls in love with her prolific songwriter as they make their way through the Los Angeles music scene in the late 1970’s.
- 5/9/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
“House Party” director and “Django Unchained” producer Reginald Hudlin has signed on to direct “Beyond the Velvet Rope,” an upcoming musical based on the music of Grammy winning songwriter Andreas Carlsson.
Carlsson’s credits include some of the most iconic pop songs of the late 1990s and early 2000s, including *Nsync’s “Bye Bye Bye” and Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way.” But “Beyond the Velvet Rope” will take place in the 1970s, following a pop star named Sky who falls in love with her songwriter, Luke. Together, they rise to the top of the industry, as Luke finds the fine line between success and failure and the realization that life can turn on a single song.
Also Read: Amandla Stenberg Joins Damien Chazelle's Netflix Series 'The Eddy'
“The music for this film is inspired by the core of my upbringing,” Carlsson said in a statement.
Carlsson’s credits include some of the most iconic pop songs of the late 1990s and early 2000s, including *Nsync’s “Bye Bye Bye” and Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way.” But “Beyond the Velvet Rope” will take place in the 1970s, following a pop star named Sky who falls in love with her songwriter, Luke. Together, they rise to the top of the industry, as Luke finds the fine line between success and failure and the realization that life can turn on a single song.
Also Read: Amandla Stenberg Joins Damien Chazelle's Netflix Series 'The Eddy'
“The music for this film is inspired by the core of my upbringing,” Carlsson said in a statement.
- 5/9/2019
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Marshall director Reginald Hudlin has signed on to direct Beyond the Velvet Rope, a musical film that will be based on the original music of Andreas Carlsson. The prolific Swedish songwriter has penned hits for the likes of Celine Dion, Katy Perry, Britney Spears Nsync, Backstreet Boys, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard and American Idol stars including Carrie Underwood and Clay Aiken.
The original script for Velvet Rope was penned by Oscar-winning Rain Man writer Ron Bass and Walter Becker & G.L. Lambert. It centers on an up-and-coming pop named Sky who falls in love with her prolific songwriter Luke as they make their way through the Los Angeles music scene in the late 1970s. They make a fairy-tale ascent to the top, but Luke begins to drift from his first love (music) and finds the fine line between success and failure, and the realization that life can turn on a single song.
The original script for Velvet Rope was penned by Oscar-winning Rain Man writer Ron Bass and Walter Becker & G.L. Lambert. It centers on an up-and-coming pop named Sky who falls in love with her prolific songwriter Luke as they make their way through the Los Angeles music scene in the late 1970s. They make a fairy-tale ascent to the top, but Luke begins to drift from his first love (music) and finds the fine line between success and failure, and the realization that life can turn on a single song.
- 5/9/2019
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Rolling Stone held its first Morning Sessions during Acl Fest 2018 on Saturday, October 6th, at Wanderlust Yoga in Austin. Glasgow synth-pop trio Chvrches stopped by to chat with Rolling Stone’s Suzy Exposito about the making of their latest album, Love Is Dead, with acclaimed producer Greg Kurstin. The band also discussed their favorite rock stars, living in Donald Trump’s America and the resulting culture shocks.
“Clearly we caught loads of sunshine,” quips Lauren Mayberry of recording Love Is Dead, which took place in Kurstin’s basement studio in Los Angeles.
“Clearly we caught loads of sunshine,” quips Lauren Mayberry of recording Love Is Dead, which took place in Kurstin’s basement studio in Los Angeles.
- 10/14/2018
- by Suzy Exposito
- Rollingstone.com
Steely Dan fans detailed the upcoming street renaming ceremony honoring late Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker. The event – which will unveil a “Walter Becker Way” sign in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Queens, New York, where the musician grew up – will take place Sunday, October 28th at noon Et, at the corner of 112th Street and 72nd Drive.
Jim Kerr of New York radio station Classic Rock Q104.3 will serve as Master of Ceremonies, and the station will stream the hour-long event via Facebook Live. The fan-organized ceremony will commence...
Jim Kerr of New York radio station Classic Rock Q104.3 will serve as Master of Ceremonies, and the station will stream the hour-long event via Facebook Live. The fan-organized ceremony will commence...
- 10/11/2018
- by Ryan Reed
- Rollingstone.com
Steely Dan was founded in 1972 by its two core members, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. They enjoyed a good run from 72 to 1981 before breaking up, and were known as the perfect antiheroes for the 70s. They worked with a revolving door policy and had several musicians help make the band famous, but they stopped touring in 74 and became a studio band only. Eventually Fagen and Becker would get back together and start touring again in the 90s, and to be honest they came back to a following that had never really left. But when Becker passed
The Top Uses of Steely Dan Songs in Movies or TV...
The Top Uses of Steely Dan Songs in Movies or TV...
- 9/8/2018
- by Tom
- TVovermind.com
Steely Dan cofounder Walter Becker will be posthumously honored on Oct. 28 when the street where he grew up in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Queens, N.Y. will be co-named Walter Becker Way. The street sign will be posted on the corner of 112th Street and 72nd Drive. A press release announcing the honor says, with signature Becker humor, “This represents the kind of street credibility that Becker truly would have appreciated!”
Becker, who with cofounder Donald Fagen was the only fulltime member of the long-running band, died in September after a battle with esophageal cancer. He and Fagen co-wrote and co-produced all of the band’s material from its inception in 1972. Since November, Becker’s widow, Delia, has been embroiled in a legal battle with Fagen over ownership of Steely Dan Inc.
The New York City Council bestows street co-naming honors on New York activists, cultural heroes, and community...
Becker, who with cofounder Donald Fagen was the only fulltime member of the long-running band, died in September after a battle with esophageal cancer. He and Fagen co-wrote and co-produced all of the band’s material from its inception in 1972. Since November, Becker’s widow, Delia, has been embroiled in a legal battle with Fagen over ownership of Steely Dan Inc.
The New York City Council bestows street co-naming honors on New York activists, cultural heroes, and community...
- 7/10/2018
- by Jem Aswad
- Variety Film + TV
Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker will be posthumously honored with a street co-named after him in New York. Becker died on September 3rd, 2017. He was 67.
The Walter Becker Way sign will be placed on the street where he grew up in Forest Hills, Queens. New York City Council member Karen Koslowitz of the 29th District (Forest Hills) proposed the motion to co-name Walter Becker Way by way of a legislative bill. It was approved by a full council vote on June 28th.
On October 28th, a ceremony will be held...
The Walter Becker Way sign will be placed on the street where he grew up in Forest Hills, Queens. New York City Council member Karen Koslowitz of the 29th District (Forest Hills) proposed the motion to co-name Walter Becker Way by way of a legislative bill. It was approved by a full council vote on June 28th.
On October 28th, a ceremony will be held...
- 7/10/2018
- by Althea Legaspi
- Rollingstone.com
The estate of Walter Becker has responded to a lawsuit filed last week by Steely Dan bandmate Donald Fagen over ownership of the group and its name, saying the alleged agreement “was not in effect at the time of Walter’s death.”
The lawsuit was centered on a 1972 buyout agreement between Becker and Fagen that stated if one of them died or quit the band, the other would purchase all shares of Steely Dan, according to Rolling Stone.
Fagen claimed he received a letter from his musical partner’s widow, Delia Cioffi Becker, stating she is entitled to 50 percent ownership of the band.
The lawsuit was centered on a 1972 buyout agreement between Becker and Fagen that stated if one of them died or quit the band, the other would purchase all shares of Steely Dan, according to Rolling Stone.
Fagen claimed he received a letter from his musical partner’s widow, Delia Cioffi Becker, stating she is entitled to 50 percent ownership of the band.
- 11/27/2017
- by Stephanie Petit
- PEOPLE.com
Kanye West and Donald Fagen have something in common -- major beef with the insurance companies for their tours, and like Yeezy ... Fagen's suing his, claiming it's failed to pay up. The Steely Dan singer says he took out a policy with International Insurance Company of Hannover to cover his 28 solo tour dates this year in North America and Japan. As bad luck would have it ... Donald says he got sick in September with an upper respiratory tract infection,...
- 10/18/2017
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
After Steely Dan guitarist Walter Becker died earlier this year, his bandmate Donald Fagen released a statement saying, “I intend to keep the music we created together alive as long as I can.” Now, Fagen seems to be taking steps to honor that vow, announcing a short set of Steely Dan tour dates for later this year…
Read more...
Read more...
- 9/11/2017
- by Sam Barsanti
- avclub.com
Steely Dan Announce New Tour Dates in Wake of Walter Becker's Death...
- 9/11/2017
- Pastemagazine.com
- 9/5/2017
- Pastemagazine.com
Read Donald Fagen's Touching Statement About the Late Walter Becker...
- 9/5/2017
- Pastemagazine.com
"My primary influences were the best jazz players from the '50s and '60s and later some of the pop people from the same time period along with the better of the well known blues musicians."
Walter Becker (20 February 1950 - 2 September 2017) American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He was best known as the co-founder of the American rock band Steely Dan. Rip, Walter.
Walter Becker (20 February 1950 - 2 September 2017) American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He was best known as the co-founder of the American rock band Steely Dan. Rip, Walter.
- 9/4/2017
- by shifra007
- www.culturecatch.com
The music world has lost another one of its beloved stars, as Walter Becker died on Sept. 3. The man who helped create Steely Dan was just 67 years old, so get to know all about this classic rock legend.
- 9/3/2017
- by Jason Brow
- HollywoodLife
Fans of Steely Dan gathered online to honor the life of the band’s guitarist and co-founder, Walter Becker, who died on Sunday at age 67. Joining them was Donald Fagen, who founded Steely Dan with Becker in 1972 and honored Becker in a statement, praising his bandmate for being “smart as a whip, an excellent guitarist and a great songwriter.” “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,” Fagen wrote. “He used to write letters (never meant to be sent) in.
- 9/3/2017
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
As confirmed in a post on his official website, founding Steely Dan guitarist Walter Becker has died. Earlier this year, Becker underwent a procedure of some kind of that left him unable to tour with Steely Dan bandmate Donald Fagen—as noted in a Billboard interview—but since no cause or other details about his death…
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- 9/3/2017
- by Sam Barsanti
- avclub.com
From the title song of 1978’s FM to an uncredited appearance of “Babylon Sisters” in last year’s The Simpsons‘ annual “Treehouse of Horror” Halloween episode, the Steely Dan music used in films and TV can stand as its own as a legacy to the late, great guitarist, bassist, co-writer and band co-founder Walter Becker, who died today at 67. His death was announced on his personal website with a simple “Walter Becker feb. 20 1950 – sept. 3 2017” accompanying a two-shot photo…...
- 9/3/2017
- Deadline
From the title song of 1978’s FM to an uncredited appearance of “Babylon Sisters” in last year’s The Simpsons‘ annual “Treehouse of Horror” Halloween episode, the Steely Dan music used in films and TV can stand as its own as a legacy to the late, great guitarist, bassist, co-writer and band co-founder Walter Becker, who died today at 67. His death was announced on his personal website with a simple “Walter Becker feb. 20 1950 – sept. 3 2017” accompanying a two-shot photo…...
- 9/3/2017
- Deadline TV
Walter Becker, the co-founder, guitarist and bassist of the band Steely Dan, died Sunday at the age of 67.
The news was announced on Becker’s official website. No cause of death or further details were provided.
In July, Becker missed both of Steely Dan’s performances due to an unspecified ailment during the recent Classic West and Classic East concerts in Los Angeles and New York. His Steely Dan partner Donald Fagen later told Billboard that Becker was “recovering from a procedure” and hopefully would be “fine very soon,” but did not elaborate on Becker’s surgery or prognosis.
Becker,...
The news was announced on Becker’s official website. No cause of death or further details were provided.
In July, Becker missed both of Steely Dan’s performances due to an unspecified ailment during the recent Classic West and Classic East concerts in Los Angeles and New York. His Steely Dan partner Donald Fagen later told Billboard that Becker was “recovering from a procedure” and hopefully would be “fine very soon,” but did not elaborate on Becker’s surgery or prognosis.
Becker,...
- 9/3/2017
- by Aurelie Corinthios
- PEOPLE.com
Walter Becker, co-founding guitarist of the jazz rock band Steely Dan, died Sunday at age 67 as confirmed by a post on his official website. Since 1972, Steely Dan, which was started by Becker and keyboardist Donald Fagen, has become known worldwide for combining jazz and rock in songs like “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number,” “Dirty Work,” and “Do It Again.” Becker; a native of Queens, New York; met Fagen while studying at Bard College. Together, they composed and recorded the soundtrack for Richard Pryor’s 1971 film “You Gotta Walk It Like You Talk It Or You’ll Lose That Beat.”...
- 9/3/2017
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Walter Becker, the co-founder and guitarist for Steely Dan, had died, according to his official website. Becker, along with co-member Donald Fagen, wrote a some huge hits in the '70s, including "Rikki Don't Lose that Number," "Deacon Blues," "Kid Charlemagne," "Hey Nineteen," and 'My Old School." The group disbanded in 1981 but they came back in the '90s and produced several big albums, including Two Against Nature, which snagged 4 Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. Becker and Fagen were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 We're told Becker had been very ill and underwent surgery last month. Becker was 67.
- 9/3/2017
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
It’s kind of hard to picture Chevy Chase rockin’ out on stage with Steely Dan. But as it turns out, it may have very well been the direction he was headed. When Chevy Chase was in college, along with studying acting, Chase was also a musician. Chase played drums in college for a band called The Leather Canary, which he referred to as a “bad Jazz band.” After he left the band, two band members and classmates went on to be quite successful as the band Steely Dan. Those two men are none other than Walter Becker and Donald Fagen.
Chevy Chase Could Have Been in the Band Steely Dan...
Chevy Chase Could Have Been in the Band Steely Dan...
- 3/27/2017
- by Nat Berman
- TVovermind.com
I noticed that even as 99% of my Facebook friends were eulogizing the late David Bowie in reverential terms, there were a few dissenters. Aside from a non-musical issue*, the most negative thing I saw about Bowie was along the lines of "I never cared/listened/understood the attraction." It's kind of passive-aggressive, since there's not much point to alerting us all to the fact that you are apparently apathetic yet somehow still feel we all need to hear from you on this trending topic, but it's pretty low-key, so whatever.
Then Glenn Frey died, and a much larger portion of the internet decided that this was the perfect time to remind us how much they hate the Eagles, how bad the Eagles' music is, and how clueless the rest of us are for apparently being deluded into liking them.
Hey, it's okay to not like the Eagles. It's also okay...
Then Glenn Frey died, and a much larger portion of the internet decided that this was the perfect time to remind us how much they hate the Eagles, how bad the Eagles' music is, and how clueless the rest of us are for apparently being deluded into liking them.
Hey, it's okay to not like the Eagles. It's also okay...
- 1/19/2016
- by SteveHoltje
- www.culturecatch.com
Wikipedia
In their review of the classic 1977 album Aja, Rolling Stone dubbed Steely Dan “the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies.” To this day, that remains the best description for one of the most mystifying bands in rock history.
Often dismissed as muzak by hipsters and punks, the Dan are actually a pretty badass band. It’s not just that the music is great – Steely Dan embodies an ethos that is sardonic, deadpan and anti-authoritarian. Beneath the jazz chords, harmonies and immaculate professionalism, the songwriting duo of Donald Fagen (keyboards, vocals) and Walter Becker (guitars, bass) are a riddle wrapped in an enigma shrouded by angst. If being cool means staying true to an artistic credo, Steely Dan is it, man.
When the pop music mainstream was obsessed with hard rock and disco, Becker and Fagen took their cues from Charlie Parker and Duke Ellington. Naturally, such misfits and iconoclasts...
In their review of the classic 1977 album Aja, Rolling Stone dubbed Steely Dan “the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies.” To this day, that remains the best description for one of the most mystifying bands in rock history.
Often dismissed as muzak by hipsters and punks, the Dan are actually a pretty badass band. It’s not just that the music is great – Steely Dan embodies an ethos that is sardonic, deadpan and anti-authoritarian. Beneath the jazz chords, harmonies and immaculate professionalism, the songwriting duo of Donald Fagen (keyboards, vocals) and Walter Becker (guitars, bass) are a riddle wrapped in an enigma shrouded by angst. If being cool means staying true to an artistic credo, Steely Dan is it, man.
When the pop music mainstream was obsessed with hard rock and disco, Becker and Fagen took their cues from Charlie Parker and Duke Ellington. Naturally, such misfits and iconoclasts...
- 12/1/2015
- by Kyle Schmidlin
- Obsessed with Film
The lineup for the two-weekend 2015 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival is out: earning top billing is AC/DC on Friday, Jack White on Saturday and Drake on Sunday. Tame Impala, Interpol, Steely Dan, Alesso, Alabama Shakes, Ride (reunion!), Nero; The Weeknd, Axwell ^ Ingrosso, alt-j, Belle & Sebastian, Ratatat, Hozier; Florence + The Machine, Kaskade, Ryan Adams, David Guetta and St. Vincent are also toplining the fest. Look at the entire 2015 Coachella lineup -- by day, even! -- here. The Indio, Calif.-hosted event runs April 10-12 and 17-19 in 2015. Wait, who were the headliners in years previous? Outkast (Fri), Muse (Sat) and Arcade Fire (Sun) in 2014. Stone Roses and Blur, Phoenix and Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2013. The Black Keys, Radiohead and Snoop Dogg/Dr. Dre in 2012. Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire, and Kanye West and the Strokes in 2011. Jay Z, Muse and Gorillaz in 2010. So am I right in thinking...
- 1/8/2015
- by Katie Hasty
- Hitfix
As I mentioned in its introduction, my Steely Dan appreciation last week stemmed from an email exchange with several other people. And my article was not the last word by a long shot. One of the participants, Tony Alterman, is responding with his own album-by-album review, and his brother, CultureCatch's own Ian Alterman, is pitching in with his own observations. Here, with punctuation corrected and tangents omitted, is the origin of the debate and its continuation.
Tony Alterman:
Katy Lied -- Probably [Steely Dan's] fourth-best album, after Aja, Can't Buy a Thrill, and Royal Scam, in that order. Of course, fourth-best for Steely Dan is a bit like Beethoven's fourth-best symphony -- shades of difference here.
Ian:
Re: Steely Dan, it might be heresy, but I think Royal Scam is better than Aja. So my order would be Royal Scam, Aja, Can't Buy a Thrill, and then...well...it wouldn’t be Katy Lied.
Tony Alterman:
Katy Lied -- Probably [Steely Dan's] fourth-best album, after Aja, Can't Buy a Thrill, and Royal Scam, in that order. Of course, fourth-best for Steely Dan is a bit like Beethoven's fourth-best symphony -- shades of difference here.
Ian:
Re: Steely Dan, it might be heresy, but I think Royal Scam is better than Aja. So my order would be Royal Scam, Aja, Can't Buy a Thrill, and then...well...it wouldn’t be Katy Lied.
- 9/26/2014
- by SteveHoltje
- www.culturecatch.com
In recent years, one Grammy contest that has been misunderstood is Album of the Year in 2000, when '70s jam-band Steely Dan's "Two Against Nature" upset the heavily favored and extremely controversial Eminem for "The Marshall Mathers LP." Their victory is usually thought of as simply the Recording Academy rewarding a veteran performer, as they are wont to do in that category (Santana in 1999, Ray Charles in 2004, Herbie Hancock in 2007). But a closer look at the circumstances surrounding the album show there was more to it than that. -Insertgroups:12- It is important to understand the history of the band. Steely Dan, the brain child of vocalist/keyboardist Donald Fagen and guitarist Walter Becker, debuted in 1972 with the album "Can't Buy a Thrill." The album was an instant success, with a conventional sound for a pop/rock album in the early 1970’s. Subsequent efforts didn’t always fare as well commercially,...
- 2/8/2013
- Gold Derby
Wakefield, Nc - Deep in the woods of Raleigh, I felt the ghost of Glenn Gould. He’s been dead since 1982, but there he was at a grand piano playing the first of Bach’s The Goldberg Variations.
His body wasn’t hunched over the keyboard on his collapsible chair. He wasn’t humming away as he played. But it was unmistakably Gould. The keys of the Yamaha Dcfiiiapro were stuck in his iconic way. His music filled the classical music concert hall covered in maple and cherry wood.
How can this be? Who conjured the Canadian classical music genius? Zenph Sound Innovations figured a way to make dead fingers play. This isn’t merely a piano roll, fake stereo treatment or a new noise reduction that goes beyond Dolby.
There is no other way to describe the technological miracle except in spiritual terms. This is the closest we’ll...
His body wasn’t hunched over the keyboard on his collapsible chair. He wasn’t humming away as he played. But it was unmistakably Gould. The keys of the Yamaha Dcfiiiapro were stuck in his iconic way. His music filled the classical music concert hall covered in maple and cherry wood.
How can this be? Who conjured the Canadian classical music genius? Zenph Sound Innovations figured a way to make dead fingers play. This isn’t merely a piano roll, fake stereo treatment or a new noise reduction that goes beyond Dolby.
There is no other way to describe the technological miracle except in spiritual terms. This is the closest we’ll...
- 8/20/2010
- by UncaScroogeMcD
The Twilight Saga: New Moon, The Princess and the Frog and The Wolfman and other high profile pictures officially ended their box office runs on Thursday, April 1. In other words, their distributors decided to stop tracking them, even though they may still be playing at a handful of theaters. For instance, New Moon, which has been out on video since Mar. 20, continued to show on at least five theaters, while Wolfman still haunted over 100 sites. Winding up with $296.6 million in 133 days, New Moon was the fourth highest-grossing movie from 2009 and ranks 34th on the all time grosses chart (though it doesn't crack the Top 150 in terms of estimated attendance). It also stands as the biggest teen romance and vampire movie on record, eclipsing the first Twilight for the title. New Moon impressed by building significantly on Twilight's turn-out, which was $192.8 million. When a predecessor is that popular, it has been...
- 4/8/2010
- by Brandon Gray <mail@boxofficemojo.com>
- Box Office Mojo
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