10 Greatest Guitarists From The '80s - The Guys Who Rewrote The Book

The Jason Becker story is a tragedy that will particularly touch guitarists. At 16 he was a guitar hero-in-waiting with his band, Cacophony, who'd released a scorching debut album in 1987. At the age of 20 he had replaced Steve Vai in David Lee Roth's band - his ascent to the top of shred mountain was almost as impressively speedy as his soloing technique.

What happened next was unimaginable. Becker started to complain of pains in his leg and was diagnosed as having ALS, an extremely debilitating disease that eventually led to his total paralysis. He also lost the ability to speak and now communicates via a digital scanning system, developed by his father, that enables Jason to type by looking at different parts of the screen.

Amazingly, Becker continues to use the computer to compose, and in 2018 released an album, Triumphant Hearts, with an assembly of legends reproducing his music. For any guitarist, to be deprived of the ability to play would be bad enough. To be unable to walk, talk or even move would crush anybody's spirits, but Becker somehow maintains positivity. The old videos tell their own tale; Jason Becker could've been one of the greatest of all time.