Steely Dan’s guitarist Walter Becker has died, as confirmed by a post on his official website. He was 67 years old. Becker had recently undergone an operation that left him unable to tour with Steely Dan bandmate Donald Fagen, according to a recent interview in Billboard. Beginning in the early ’70s, Becker and Fagen rose to fame with an inventive approach to rock that incorporated elements of jazz. Hit singles like “Dirty Work,” “Reelin’ in the Years,” and “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” carried their popularity through the decade, but a series of personal trials and professional exhaustion caused their breakup in 1981. They eventually got back together in 1993, and have been touring ever since.

Born in Queens, New York, Becker met Fagen while both attended Bard College in the state. Before they formed Steely Dan, they wrote and recorded the soundtrack for Richard Pryor’s 1971 movie, You Gotta Walk It Like You Talk It Or You’ll Lose That Beat. One year later, they released their debut album, Can’t Buy a Thrill. Throughout the ’70s, their output remained steady with an additional five LPs, though they retired from touring in the middle of the decade.

After releasing 1980’s Gaucho, they broke up the following year, but eventually got back together in 1993. They released two additional LPs, 2000’s Two Against Nature and 2003’s Everything Must Go. The duo have received nine Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year for Two Against Nature. Becker has released two solo albums: 1994’s 11 Tracks of Whack and 2008’s Circus Money. He also recorded albums by China Crisis and Rickie Lee Jones, among others. In 1993, he produced Fagen’s solo album Kamakiriad.