A concert to benefit onetime guitar prodigy Jason Becker, dubbed the Jason Becker Not Dead Yet 2 Concert, will take place 7 p.m. January 23 at Slim's in San Francisco, California.
The guitar-heavy bill will feature Deep Purple's Steve Morse, Uli Jon Roth, Richie Kotzen, Gus G of Firewind (and Ozzy Osbourne's band), Michael Lee Firkins, Jude Gold, Gretchen Menn and others.
Becker, formerly part of Cacophony, was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) when he was 20, shortly after he joined David Lee Roth’s band. Although the disease robbed him of his ability to play guitar and eventually left him paralyzed and unable to speak, Becker still writes music with the help of computers, collaborators and a system of communication using eye movements.
Proceeds from the event will go toward medical supplies for Becker and a trust fund to provide for his future security.
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
