Jason Becker has revealed that he thought he was on his “way out” whilst suffering from a bacterial infection which left him hospitalized and suffering from “shortness of breath and a rapid heart rate”.
In a new statement to his fans posted on his social media, the guitarist – who has been living with ALS for over 30 years – writes: “Hey everyone, I'm finally starting to feel like myself again, after many months of scary health issues, and thinking I was on my way out.
“Once again, thank you for all your prayers and well-wishes; I honestly feel that energy and I'm very grateful. It feels so good to know you are out there and your kindness and support brings tears to my eyes.
He continues: “How can I possibly thank Herman Li, Nayla, Colleen, Stephen, Amy, and all the musicians who got together and donated their time and guitars and put their hearts into their music, all for my benefit? Your loving words and gestures are humbling and I am honored. Thank you all. I am blessed beyond belief for each and every one of you.
Concluding, he writes: “I am hoping to be able to check in on the computer and try to keep up with everything as much as my energy will allow me, and I hope to get back to music, in some form, as much as I can.
“I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. My family and I could not have gotten this far without you all.”
As mentioned in Becker's statement, a massive fundraising effort has been undertaken by the guitar community in recent months.
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!
Organized by DragonForce shredder Herman Li, the ongoing event has been raising money for Becker's medical costs, and has seen involvement from the likes of Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Marty Friedman, Nita Strauss and many more.
Last week, guitars signed by Metallica, Mark Tremonti, Joe Satriani and Nili Brosh went up for sale on Reverb.com as part of the fund-raising effort.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**
Join now for unlimited access
US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year
UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year
Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Sam was Staff Writer at GuitarWorld.com from 2019 to 2023, and also created content for Total Guitar, Guitarist and Guitar Player. He has well over 15 years of guitar playing under his belt, as well as a degree in Music Technology (Mixing and Mastering). He's a metalhead through and through, but has a thorough appreciation for all genres of music. In his spare time, Sam creates point-of-view guitar lesson videos on YouTube under the name Sightline Guitar.
“I went to this very posh house in Regent’s Park in London, knocked on the door and this 16-year-old American kid held it up. I said, ‘It’s a red guitar – I’ll have it!’” How Phil Manzanera got his trademark Roxy Music Gibson Firebird
“I got really sick, and in the hospital, I decided to teach myself how to play guitar. I was playing piano and violin classically, and it was a little intense”: Yvette Young on why choosing the guitar felt “magical” – and what it represents to her