Jason Becker
Overview
Virtuoso
A virtuoso is an individual who possesses outstanding technical ability in the fine arts, at singing or playing a musical instrument. The plural form is either virtuosi or the Anglicisation, virtuosos, and the feminine form sometimes used is virtuosa...
neo-classical metal
Neo-classical metal
Neo-classical metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that is heavily influenced by classical music. It refers to a very technical performanceExact quote from the french text: "L'arrivée du néoclassique remet au goût du jour la virtuosité et le travail de l'instrument", « Les secrets du metal-...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and composer. At the age of 16, he became part of the Mike Varney
Mike Varney
Mike Varney is an American musician, record producer, music publisher and impresario. He is the founder of the Shrapnel Label Group, which includes Shrapnel Records, Tone Center Records and Blues Bureau International. He also has a 50% stake in Magna Carta Records, a New York-based label...
-produced duo Cacophony
Cacophony (band)
Cacophony was an American Speed metal band formed in 1986 by guitarists Marty Friedman and Jason Becker. Cacophony is often recognized for its technically challenging, neo-classical metal and speed metal elements, as well as featuring two shred guitarists...
with his friend Marty Friedman
Marty Friedman (guitarist)
Marty Friedman is a guitarist, well known for his tenure as the lead/rhythm guitarist for thrash metal band Megadeth, which lasted almost a decade...
. They released Speed Metal Symphony
Speed Metal Symphony
Speed Metal Symphony is the first studio album by Cacophony, released in 1987 through Shrapnel Records. An article in Guitar World magazine ranked the album as ninth in the all-time top ten list of shred albums...
in 1987 and Go Off!
Go Off!
Go Off! is the second and final studio album by Cacophony, released in 1988 through Shrapnel Records. A few years later, guitarist Jason Becker was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , rendering him completely unable to play to this day.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Peter Marrino –...
in 1988. Cacophony broke up in 1989 and Becker began doing solo work, having released his first album Perpetual Burn
Perpetual Burn
Perpetual Burn is the first studio album by guitarist Jason Becker, released in 1988 through Shrapnel Records.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Jason Becker – guitar, keyboard, bass, production...
in 1988. He later joined David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality. Roth was ranked nineteenth by Hit Parader on their list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Singers of All Time....
's band and recorded one album
A Little Ain't Enough
A Little Ain't Enough is the third full-length album by David Lee Roth , released in 1991. It was certified gold on April 11, 1991. Produced by Bob Rock, the album featured the lead guitar work of Jason Becker, a then up-and-coming guitarist who was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis a...
with him. However, Becker's success was hampered by his then-diagnosed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a form of motor neuron disease caused by the degeneration of upper and lower neurons, located in the ventral horn of the spinal cord and the cortical neurons that provide their efferent input...
(Lou Gehrig's Disease) and he was given three to five years to live.
