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