Jason Becker celebrated his 55th birthday today and a new video has been uploaded with messages from various rock/metal musicians wishing Becker a “happy birthday”. Among the artists included are Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, Slash, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Ringo Starr, Alice Cooper, Marty Friedman, Testament’s Chuck Billy, and more.

A message reads: “Team Becker hopes you enjoy this special birthday video for Jason. As we celebrate Jason's birthday, we also want to take a moment to ask for your support for Jason's medical trust fund for ALS. Your contributions will go directly to Jason to help with his medical expenses and care.

“Thank you for your generosity and for being a part of Jason's journey. Together, we can make a difference. Your love and support mean the world to him and to all of us at Team Becker.
With heartfelt gratitude,  Team Becker. 💙”

For those who may not know of Jason Becker's legacy, we'd have to travel back to 1985 when 16-year-old guitarist, Becker, partnered up with Marty Friedman as the duo Cacophony. His success at such an early age was no coincidence, his metal mastery becoming a talking point amongst his peers, going on to support some of the biggest names in rock including David Lee Roth and create some huge guitar moments as a solo artist.

As Becker's career began to blossom, Jason was diagnosed with ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease) in 1989 — at just 20 years old. As the disease progressed, Jason no longer could hold on to the instrument, but the urge to continue pushed on as he, amazingly, engineered his own way of writing music, a technique using "eye geometry" and chin movements, described further in the documentary on Becker's journey.

The guitar community has spoken and is asking for all of us to stand up and be an ally to Jason Becker and his family as he continues fighting this battle. There is an ongoing struggle to find a full-time caregiver, making proper help seem a hugely daunting challenge. Already saddled with the daily task of staying alive against all odds, there comes additional stress and worry for Jason and his family for all of the many out-of-pocket medical fees.

Keeping positive and consistently creating is essential for Becker, keep up with his latest creations through jasonbecker.com.