DragonForce's Herman Li hosting Jason Becker charity livestreams on Twitch
DragonForce's Herman Li will be raising money for beloved guitarist Jason Becker, who has been living with ALS for over 30 years.
Fans can donate to the cause during Li’s Twitch streams throughout March and April. During these streams, Li will be joined by a slew of musicians, including Devin Townsend, Nita Strauss, and Marty Friedman. You can head here to see the full list of guests for these streams. So far, they’ve raised over $13,000.
In a statement, Li said:
“I’ve been a huge fan of Jason Becker since I was young and it’s one of the biggest honors of my life to be able to help organize this tribute and raise money for him. I still have a Jason Becker poster in my studio in London. It’s been very inspiring to see everyone coming together to celebrate Jason.”
Becker stated:
“I am so grateful for all the love and support everyone has given to me and my family. As far as selling my guitars being sad, and that I shouldn't have to do it, I just want you to know that isn’t how I feel. It makes me happy to see others playing my music. I feel good about passing on my guitars, thinking they mean something to others. I can’t play them now, but other folks can. That’s a good thing. And, I want myself and my family not to have to worry about money, if possible. Thank you for all the love, I send it right back to you.”
While the Twitch charity livestreams end in April, there will still be ways for fans to help raise money. A ton of signed guitars, merch, and rare items will go on sale through a Reverb shop in the future. Later this year, Becker will auction three of their most prized instruments: guitars seen on the covers of Perpetual Burn and Speed Metal Symphony and the original Numbers guitar played by Eddie Van Halen.