Donald Fagen & Walter Becker [Steely Dan]

I was smoking with the boys upstairs
When I heard about the whole affair.
I said, "Whoa, no -- William and Mary won't do now."
Well, I did not think the girl could be so cruel
And I'm never going back to my old school.

Steely Dan, "My Old School"

Donald Fagen came to Bard interested in literature and jazz and played with various bands for his first couple years. While at Bard, Fagen met Walter Becker, his future partner and co-founder of the band Steely Dan. The unique sound of Steely Dan which combined jazz harmonies and rhythms of urban blues and rock made Fagen and Becker an instant success. In 1981, Fagen began a solo career, receiving a Grammy nomination for his first album. In 1985, Fagen "came back to his old school" to receive an honorary Doctor of the Arts degree. He was interviewed by Ellen Barker for the Bard Observer at this time. In 2006, Fagen discussed the origins of Steely Dan at Bard College with Entertainment Weekly.