Steely Dan
Is this a person?
The founders of Steely Dan: Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The latter died of cancer in 2017.
No, Steely Dan is a musical group formed in 1971 by two core members (neither named “Dan”; one of them died in 2017) and a rotating roster of supporting musicians. Over 100 different musicians have been part of the studio or tour lineups at one point or another.
The band is named after a mythical sex toy from a 1950s novel, of which both founders were fans.
To me, it sounds a bit like “yacht rock.” Kind of slow jams, with lots of saxophone, horns, synthesizers, and harmonies. Their most famous songs are probably “Peg” and “Hey Nineteen”. (I couldn’t have named either of them, but I’ve heard them both hundreds of times.)
Why I Looked It Up
A friend had me listen to an album. I had known of their existence for decades, but couldn’t name any of their songs. I kept thinking it was a person (I’ve had the same problem with Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac, over the years).