NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) — Jim Beard, the noted jazz musician and longtime keyboardist for the band Steely Dan, has died. He was 63.
His passing was announced by his longtime band on March 6th. USA Today reported that he died on March 2nd following complications of a sudden illness at a New York City hospital.
At the time of his passing, Beard was on tour with the rest of Steely Dan as the opener for the Eagles Farewell tour. His final show with Steely Dan was on January 20th in Phoenix.
A native of Philadelphia, Beard started playing piano when he was just 7 and by the time he was a teenager, he was touring with the American Youth Jazz Orchestra.
After attending Indiana University, where he studied jazz under David Baker and classical piano under John Ogdon, Beard relocated to New York City where he secured a role as a member of John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu and began collaborating with jazz legends such a Bill Evans and Mike Stern.
He joined the lineup for Steely Dan in 2008 and remained with the group until his passing this year.
Along with Steely Dan, he also worked with artists such as Madeleine Peyroux, Meshell Ndegeocello, Al Jarreau, Béla Fleck, Kenny Garrett, Steve Vai, and Vince Mendoza, among others.
He also had a successful solo career, releasing seven studio albums, including 2019’s “Chunks and Chairknobs” with guitarist Jon Herington.
In 2007, Beard won the Grammy Award for best large jazz ensemble for his role as a featured performed on Randy and Michael Brecker’s “Some Skunk Funk.”
