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Well-known keyboardist Jim Beard, 63, has recently passed away on March 2, 2024. He was hospitalized due to some unknown illness which eventually led to his demise. The news was also confirmed by a representative of his band, Steely Dan, as per People magazine.
Beard's biography on his official website says that he participated in various tours that additionally helped him to work with well-known artists including John McLaughlin. He worked as a composer on several recordings and a few of them were able to grab some nominations at the Grammy Awards.
Jim Beard was known for his involvement with Steely Dan as a keyboardist for around 16 years. The band released nine albums in their career and the debut album, Can't Buy a Thrill, was released in 1972.
Jim Beard was a part of Steely Dan since 2008: Members and other details explored
The formation of Steely Dan is linked to Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The duo witnessed a lot of things in their early life, including the Cold War. They developed an interest in baseball, novels, and jazz records by the 60s and they were trained in piano and bass guitar.
The band's official website states that they first met at the Bard College and penned a few songs together at Becker's dormitory. They soon started to work on gigs and Steely Dan was born in the next few years.
According to Britannica, the band was joined by guitarists Jeff Baxter and Denny Dias and they released their first two albums during this period. More musicians started to join the group, including Larry Carlton, Elliot Randall, Hugh McCracken, Michael McDonald, and Jeff Porcaro.
While the band's projects became commercially successful by the 80s, Donald and Walter decided to step down as members. They managed to become successful in their solo careers and Becker passed away in 2017.
As mentioned earlier, Jim Beard has also been a part of the band since 2008 and he worked on the band's final album, Everything Must Go.
Fagen remains the lead vocalist along with Catherine Russell and Carolyn Leonhart as backing vocalists. The rest of the touring musicians include Jim Pugh, Freddie Washington, Adam Rogers, Jon Herington, and many others.
Netizens pay tribute to Jim Beard on different social media platforms
Jim Beard was praised for his collaborations with various artists throughout his career. Social media platforms were flooded with tributes when people heard about his sudden demise:
The Los Angeles Times reported that Jim Beard trained himself in various musical instruments at a very young age. He obtained his degree in music from Indiana University and was well-experienced in different forms of music due to his associations with a lot of bands.
According to his website, Jim participated in different events and appeared on stage at places such as Avery Fisher Hall. In between all these, Beard managed to release a few solo projects such as Song of the Sun, Lost at the Carnival, and Chunks and Chairknobs.
He also served as a mentor at places like Berklee College of Music and the Sibelius Academy in Finland. In 2007, he received a Grammy Award for his work on an album by Randy Brecker and Michael Brecker, titled Some Skunk Funk.
Beard is survived by his two children Victor and Caitlin, mother Sarah, and siblings Nancy and Bill.
