Throwback: Happy 75th Birthday, Walter Becker!

February is a very busy month. It’s Black History Month, which I’ll continue to celebrate throughout the month. And there are of course, several important birthdays that coincide and will be celebrating, as well. 

• Big Boi, who also celebrated his 50th birthday on February 1
• Rick James, who was born 77 years ago on February 1
• Stan Getz was born on this day 98 years ago on February 2
• Graham Nash celebrated his 83rd birthday on February 2
• Stone Temple Pilots‘ Robert DeLeo celebrated his 59th birthday on February 2
• LCD Soundsystem frontman and DFA Records founder James Murphy celebrated his 55th birthday on February 2
• The Temptations‘ Dennis Edward, who also was born 82 years ago on February 3
• Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the godmother of rock ‘n’roll 
• Bobby Brown, who also celebrated his 56th birthday on February 5
• The legendary Bob Marley was born 80 years ago on February 7 
• Motley Crüe‘s Vince Neil celebrates his 64th birthday today
• French touch pioneer and one-half of acclaimed electronic outfit  Daft Punk, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, celebrated his 51st birthday on February 8
• The legendary Roberta Flack celebrated her 88th birthday on February 10
• Bad Brains‘ founder and frontman H.R., who also celebrated his 69th birthday on February 11 
• Acclaimed singer/songwriter, pop star and actor Brandy celebrated her 46th birthday on February 11 
• The Doors‘ Ray Manzarek was born 85 years ago on February 12
• Michael McDonald, one of the kings of blue-eyed soul and yacht rock celebrated his 73rd birthday on February 12
• The Monkees’ Peter Tork was born 83 years ago today
• Peter Gabriel celebrates his 75th birthday today
• Joy Division and New Order co-founder Peter Hook celebrates his 69th birthday on February 13 
• The legendary Maceo Parker celebrated his 82nd birthday on February 14
• Ice T, the controversial pioneer of West Coast gangsta rap and of rap metal with his equally controversial metal band Body Count celebrated his 67th birthday on February 16
• Duran Duran‘s Andy Taylor celebrated his 64th birthday on February 16 
• Foo Fighters‘ Taylor Hawkins was born 53 years ago on February 17
• Acclaimed British singer/songwriter, musician and producer Seal celebrates his 62nd birthday on February 19
• The great Smokey Robinson celebrated his 85th birthday on February 19

Steely Dan co-founder, co-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Walter Becker was born on this day 75 years ago. My father was a huge Steely Dan fan, so as you can imagine, I’m intimately familiar with their work — and in a way that would be rather unexpected. 

Happy birthday, Walter! Happy birthday, wherever you are!