Before forming Steely Dan, founding members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker had a group named “The Bad Rock Group” featuring comedian Chevy Chase on drums and also used the band name “The Leather Canary“. In 1972, after signing with ABC Records they came up with the name Steely Dan.

As fans of Beat Generation literature of Fagen and Becker named the band after “Steely Dan III from Yokohama”, a strap-on dildo referred to in the William S. Burroughs novel Naked Lunch. Here’s the excerpt from the book that mentions Steely Dan.

Burroughs was a huge influence in the Rock N’ Roll world, click below to see all the rock stars that wanted to meet him…