NEW YORK, NY -- On Sunday, October 28th at 12 noon, fans, friends and relatives of Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker will gather in the Forest Hills section of Queens - the neighborhood where he grew up - to celebrate the naming of a street in his honor. A sign proclaiming "Walter Becker Way" will be officially unveiled on the corner of 112th Street and 72nd Drive. The humor, liveliness and personal nature of this celebration assure that this commemoration will truly be marked in the Walter Becker way!
Becker would have appreciated that the day's celebration has been entirely planned and organized by his loyal fans who were such an important part of the musical community that surrounded him throughout his life. With Jim Kerr of New York's Classic Rock Q104.3 to serve as the Master of Ceremonies and Q104.3 streaming the event on Facebook Live,the hour-long ceremony will begin with opening remarks by New York City Council Member Karen Koslowitz of the 29th District (Forest Hills), who proposed the street renaming.
The event's keynote speaker will be screenwriter Howard A. Rodman, who met Becker in the neighborhood when they were both ten and remained his lifelong friend. In a moving rememberance in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Rodman wrote that, even at ten, Becker was "extravagant about letting the rest of us know what to listen to, what to read, what to watch…. He'd say, 'You're going to like this in a year or so, so why don't you start now and save yourself some time?'
In addition, the event will also feature reminiscences, trivia games, contests and giveaways– all related to the life and music of Walter Becker, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Steely Dan and whose solo career was characteristically sly, provocative and unique.
Information about the October 28th celebration of "Walter Becker Way" will also be posted to http://walterbeckerway.com/