Once in a while you come across someone who is genuinely inspirational. That special individual who carries a heavy burden as if it were weightless. Jason Becker is such a person.

For those of you who have never heard of him, Becker was, at one time, a phenomenal guitar player. As a teenager he played with Marty Friedman in the duo Cacophony. When he was 20 years old, he was chosen to replace Steve Vai in David Lee Roth’s band. An album followed, a tour planned. Jason Becker was on his way to becoming a legendary shredder.

Then one day Becker developed a strange limp that wouldn’t go away. Eventually he was diagnosed with ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease), a progressive neurodegenerative disease that leads to paralysis and is considered fatal. Doctors told Becker he only had 3-5 years to live. Within a short period of time he couldn’t even hold a guitar much less play with the virtuosity he’d once shown. That was 23 years ago. But his story doesn’t end there. In fact, it’s just the beginning.

(more…)