David Lee Roth’s Guitarist Gives Major Update After ‘Scary Health Issues’

David Lee Roth’s former guitarist Jason Becker recently gave fans a major update on his health, after experiencing some “scary” issues. Becker has been living with ALS for over three decades, and earlier this year, he encountered a health crisis that led many of his musical peers to help out with a fundraiser initiative. Now, Becker has taken to social media to let his fans and friends know how he is doing.

“Hey everyone, I am finally starting to feel like myself again, after many months of scary health issues, and thinking I was on my way out,” Becker wrote. “Once again, thank you all for 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.” Becker continued, “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.”

Becker went on to write, “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.” He concluded his message by writing, “I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. My family and I could not have gotten this far without you all.”

Becker was a child prodigy guitarist who eventually partnered with friend Marty Friedman in the mid-80s to create the neoclassical, and often instrumental, metal band Cacophony. The pair released two albums and then parted ways for other opportunities in the early ’90s. While Friedman would go on to join Dave Mustaine in trash legends Megadeth, Becker wound up being recruited to play with rock icon, and former Van Halen singer, David Lee Roth, replacing guitarist Steve Vai.

Soon after joining Roth’s band —and working on the singer’s third album, A Little Ain’t Enough — Becker sought medical treatment for a pain in his leg. It was then that he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Becker has not let the debilitating illness slow him down, however, as he has continued to put out music over the years, eventually composing songs on a computer with just his eyes and having friends such as Friedman, Vai, and Joe Satriani perform the compositions.