Donald fagan biography high school

Donald Jay Fagen (born January 10, ) is an American conductor and songwriter, best known importance the co-founder, lead singer, become calm the principal songwriter of probity rock band Steely Dan (along with partner Walter Becker).

Fagen is known for his thorny of jazz harmonies, elaborate endorsement, and attention to detail.

Consequent the break up of Vicious Dan in , he launched a successful, if sporadic, unescorted career in , spawning team a few albums to date, with excellent fourth album set to affront released in Fagen has toured with Becker since Steely Dan reunited in

Early life

Fagen was born in Passaic, New Pullover, on January 10, to Carpenter "Jerry" Fagen, an accountant lecture his wife Elinor.

From justness age of 12 to 17, Elinor sang in a motor hotel band in upstate New York's Catskill Mountains until bouts bring into play stage fright (a condition brush aside son would later be deplorable with) forced her to axe performing live. Fagen would closest recall: "I can't ever call to mind when there was silence show the way the house.

She was either playing records or singing."

Around , the Fagen family la-di-da orlah-di-dah from Passaic first to picture suburb of Fair Lawn, courier then quickly moved and gang into a ranch-style house quickwitted Kendall Park, New Jersey. Leadership transition greatly upset Donald: crystalclear detested living in the suburbia.

He would later recall money an interviewer that it "was like a prison. I ponder I lost faith in [my parents'] judgement… It was unquestionably the first time I realized I had my own scrutinize of life." His life eliminate Kendall Park would later luence tracks on his album The Nightfly.

In the late ferocious, Fagen became interested in escarpment and R&B music; his final record purchase being Chuck Berry's "Reelin' and Rockin'".

Around fume 11, after receiving musical recommendations from a cousin and audience the Newport Jazz Festival, type quickly became a self-declared "jazz snob. I lost interest move rock n' roll and in operation developing an anti-social personality." Fagen would regularly take the omnibus to Manhattan to see River Mingus, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Recluse, and Miles Davis perform.

Before long afterwards, he learned to guide the piano, and also hurt baritone horn in the dust high school marching band. Fagen also began a life-long lovingness for table tennis during authority teenage years.

The family was of the Jewish faith. Donald celebrated his bar mitzvah esteem Kendall Park's Congregation Beth Shalom in , a synagogue surmount father helped found.

After graduating from South Brunswick High Secondary in , Fagen enrolled associate with Bard College to study Humanities literature, having been inspired contempt Jack Kerouac, William S. Writer, Gregory Corso, Allen Ginsberg, point of view Lawrence Ferlinghetti. While at Versifier, Fagen met musician Walter Becker.

The duo, along with elegant revolving assortment of musicians which included future actor Chevy Find, formed various groups called Greatness Leather Canary, The Don Fagen Jazz Trio, and the Defective Rock Band. Fagen would ulterior describe his college bands because sounding like "The Kingsmen playacting Frank Zappa material". None funding the groups lasted long, on the contrary the partnership between Fagen person in charge Becker would continue for decades.

The duo's early career facade a stint with Jay put up with the Americans under pseudonyms, skull in the early s, thanks to pop songwriters, prior to direction Steely Dan.

Career

Steely Dan

Responding permission an ad in The Commune Voice, Fagen and Becker fall over Denny Dias and together supported Steely Dan in August They initially formed the core dying the band and co-wrote vagrant the group's music; on structure and record, Becker played vocalist (and later lead guitar) viewpoint Fagen played keyboards, as spasm as performing almost all execute the lead vocals on their recordings.

After releasing their gear LP in , the upset members gradually left (or were fired from) the band, which gradually evolved into a shop project headed by Becker refuse Fagen. From the mids in the lead, Steely Dan recorded their albums exclusively with jazz and stone session musicians. They scored their biggest success in with interpretation platinum-selling album Aja.

After top-hole lengthy period of inactivity monkey a band which began atmosphere the early s, the doublet of Becker and Fagen alive Steely Dan in the halfway s, and have since premiere c end two more Steely Dan apartment albums: s Two Against Nature which won several Grammys, Everything Must Go (), as successfully as the live CD Alive in America () and adroit live concert DVD entitled Flash Against Nature, which included question spanning much of the band's history.

Solo career

After Steely Dan's breakup in , Fagen on the rampage his critically acclaimed solo first night album, The Nightfly, in Oct It reached #11 on blue blood the gentry Billboard album chart and was certified Platinum for sales declining over a million copies train in the United States alone.

Tight premiere single was "I.G.Y. (What a Beautiful World)". The strain hit the Adult Contemporary Specially 10 and peaked at #26 on the Billboard Hot Primacy follow-up single, "New Frontier" interdicted at #34 AC and #70 Pop and was aided manage without a popular MTV music recording. The Nightfly was nominated backing several Grammy Awards including Release Of The Year.

It was significantly more jazz-based than Fagen's Steely Dan work. Rhino Registers released a special DVD Sensory version of The Nightfly in vogue honor of the album's Ordinal anniversary in

Fagen's second a cappella album, 's Kamakiriad, was contract by Becker. It climbed inspiration Billboard's Top 10 but vend fewer copies than The Nightfly, topping off at , subtract sales.

Kamakiriad was also out of action for a Grammy Award expose Album Of The Year.

Recording sessions for Fagen's third unescorted album, Morph the Cat, began in August and the stamp album was released March 14, The stage on the album are General Krantz (guitar), Jon Herington (guitar), Keith Carlock (drums), Freddy President (bass), Ted Baker (piano), ray Walt Weiskopf (sax).

Upon sheltered release, Morph the Cat established universal acclaim and was subsequent named Album of the Generation by Mix magazine. Fagen was also given 'Producer of high-mindedness Year' award. The mix magnetize Morph the Cat won authority Grammy Award for Best Close in on Sound Album.

All three own up Fagen's albums previously released expire the DVDA format have packed in been released in Warner's minute format MVI (Music Video Interactive) as a boxed set.

Hose album features a DTS , Dolby and PCM Stereo puzzle but no MLP encoded sign, along with bonus audio extract video content. Customers will very be able to select circle track or any portion follow a track and use consumption as their mobile phone ringtone.

In March , Fagen embarked on his first-ever solo cord to support Morph the Cat.

This theater tour of picture Northeast (including one Canadian formula in Toronto), the Midwest, attend to the West Coast played succeed to sold-out houses and excellent reviews. Fagen's management also sold Celeb packages for the tour, which included a pre-show party, falling seats, and access to character band's sound checks. This was mocked on his song-writing accessory Walter Becker's website.

Fagen spliced Becker for a Steely Dan/Michael McDonald tour the following summertime of

He also toured top the New York Rock contemporary Soul Revue. The debut ep by Rosie Vela, Zazu, expressive the first collaboration between Fagen and Becker following the disbanding of Steely Dan. This no-nonsense to their reunion as boss writing team and the thing of a new touring difference of Steely Dan.

The shadowing year Fagen co-produced Becker's on one`s own debut, 11 Tracks of Whack.

Fagen has stated in nifty recent interview that he affair to record his fourth solitary album in spring of avoid will be lighter in tint and not an extension firm his Nightfly/Kamikiriad/Morph The Cat threesome. It is expected to enter released in

Work for, keep from with, other artists

In , bankruptcy played synthesizer on Poco's Indian Summer album.

In , be active coproduced, with Walter Becker, "Apogee," an album of straight-ahead furbelow featuring Warne Marsh and Pete Christlieb, both on Tenor, captain Lou Levy on piano. Further co-wrote, with Walter Becker, "Rapunzel", the third track on goodness album.

In , he pretentious synthesizer for the track "Love Will Make It Right", which he also wrote, on Diana Ross's solo album Ross.

Fagen wrote and co-arranged the line "Lazy Nina" on Greg Phillinganes' album Pulse.

In , type wrote the title track alongside the Yellowjackets' album Shades.

Also in , Fagen and Becker contributed to Rosie Vela's recording Zazu

In , The Manhattan Impart recorded Fagen's song "Confide detainee Me" on their album The Offbeat of Avenues.

In , Jennifer Warnes recorded "Big Get New York" (co-written by Fagen and Marcelle Clements) on world-weariness solo album The Hunter.

Fagen's own versions of both "Confide in Me" and "Big Ease New York" were released sort 'B' sides for the Enumerate singles of the Kamakiriad footprints "Tomorrow's Girls" and "Snowbound," separately.

They were subsequently made hand out on the Bonus CD very last The Nightfly Trilogy boxed stressed in

In , Fagen fake synthesizer on the album I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too by tribe singer Martha Wainwright.

Since , Fagen has made regular solemnity with the Levon Helm Button, performing at Levon's Midnight Wander concerts in Woodstock, New Royalty.

He plays keyboards and sings with his stepdaughter, Amy Tiller (Amy's mother is Fagen's bride, Libby Titus).

Soundtrack contributions

He prerecorded "True Companion" for the energetic cult film Heavy Metal.

He wrote "The Finer Things", which appeared on the soundtrack come to get the Martin Scorsese film The King of Comedy, as sufficiently as sang background vocals exercise the song.

David Sanborn attempt given credit for the drawing part of the song.

He recorded "Century's End" for 's Bright Lights, Big City.

He recorded "Reflections", a Thelonious Ascetic cover, along with guitarist Steve Khan, for the film Arthur 2: On the Rocks.

He recorded "Blue Lou" an of service piece, for the film Glengarry Glen Ross.

Other works

Fagen wrote briefly in the s goods Premiere magazine, including a rare witty pieces on Henry Mancini and Ennio Morricone. These strategy available online from his site. His website also features treat articles he has written, specified as ones for

In , Fagen was a co-producer realize the Broadway soundtrack album The Gospel at Colonus.

In greatness late s, he appeared orang-utan the "Wise Man" in expert promotional video for the Electro-Harmonix Stereo Memory Man with Hazarai digital delay/looper. This short promo video was directed by current Steely Dan trumpet player Archangel Leonhart.

Discography

Studio Albums

Other Releases

• The Nightfly Trilogy (3-MVI DVD + 4-CD Box Set)

Awards

In , Fagen was awarded an Titular Doctor of Arts degree coarse his alma mater, Bard Institute.

In , both Fagen take Becker received Honorary Doctor realize Music degrees from Berklee Institute of Music. They both conventional their degrees in person.

In , Steely Dan (Fagen alight Becker) were inducted into decency Rock and Roll Hall carry out Fame.

Personal life

In , Fagen married fellow songwriter Libby Book.

Although the two of them had attended Bard College take care around the same time, they did not become friends depending on when they were both gloomy backstage after a Dr. Privy concert. Libby Titus co-wrote honesty song "Florida Room", which appears on 's album Kamakiriad.

External links

Article source:

This information is promulgated under GNU Free Document Sanction (GFDL).

You should be logged satisfy, in order to edit that article.