David Paich
David Paich was born June 25th 1954 in Los Angeles. His father is the famous composer and conductor Marty Paich. David Paich started piano lessons as a child and became a quite good piano-player by his teens. During high school at Grant High School he played in the band Rural Still Life together with, among others, the future Toto-members Jeff Porcaro, Steve Porcaro, Mike Porcaro, Steve Lukather and David Hungate. After high school he started working as a session musician. He also composed and arranged music by himself and together with his father. David Paich co-wrote and arranged music for Boz Scaggsī platinum-selling album "Silk Degrees" in 1976. During the work in the studio he agreed with Jeff Porcaro to form Toto. David Paich is a musical genius and a great composer and arranger. He has written most of the songs on Totoīs albums and is the maestro of the band. He has arranged almost all the orchestral parts in the songs by himself, or together with others. In 1982 Toto won several Grammies for the album "Toto IV", of course much thanks to David Paich. In 1982 David Paich won a Grammy together with Jeff Porcaro and Jerry Hey for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals for "Rosanna". During the time with Toto he has continued compose and arrange music. When Toto took a break after "The Seventh One" he worked with film music together with his father. David Paich has played with among others Jackson Browne, Steely Dan, Chicago, Michael Jackson, Don Henley, Jon Anderson, Rod Stewart and Bryan Adams. He has also together with Steve Lukather and Jeff, Mike and Steve Porcaro played with the Swedish heavy metal band Radioactive, featuring guitarist Tommy Denander and singer Andreas Eklundh, on their album "Ceremony Of Innocence", which were released in 1996.
Steve "Luke" Lukather
Steve Lukather was born October 21th 1957 in San Fernando Valley, California. "Nobody else in my family has any musical talent whatever. Iīm a freak!" During high school at Grant High School he also played in the band Rural Still Life. After the graduation he started working as a session musician and played with among others Hall & Oates, Michael Jackson and Alice Cooper. He joined Toto from the start in 1977 and during the last several years he has taken over the role as the band leader. In 1989 Steve Lukatherīs first solo album "Lukather" was released. Musicians and song writers features Eddie Van Halen, Richard Marx, Jan Hammer, Lenny Castro, Danny Kortchmar, Stan Lynch, Randy Goodrum, Mike Landau, Tommy Price, Jeff Porcaro and David Paich. In 1992 he played on Cozy Powellīs album "The Drums Are Back". In 1994 Steve Lukatherīs second solo album "Candyman" was released. The album was recorded together with the band Los Lobotomys and Simon Phillips. In 1997 the third solo album "Luke" was released and a tour through Europe followed. Steve Lukather has played with among others Chicago, Don Henley, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Fee Waybill, Cher, Jon Andersson, Michael Bolton, Richard Marx, Asia and Rod Stewart. He has also together with David Paich and Jeff, Mike and Steve Porcaro played with the Swedish heavy metal band Radioactive, featuring guitarist Tommy Denander and singer Andreas Eklundh, on their album "Ceremony Of Innocence", which were released in 1996.
Solo albums:
"Lukather" - LP CBS 465657 1 (1989), CD Columbia 465657 2 (1989) Produced by Steve Lukather, Edward Van Halen, Richard Marx, Steve Stevens, Danny Kortchmar, Richie Zito and Randy Goodrum
"Candyman" - CD Columbia 475964 2 (1994) Produced by Steve Lukather and Tom Fletcher
"Luke" - Columbia (1997)
Jeff Porcaro
Jeff Porcaro was born April 1st 1954 in Hartford, Connecticut. He is son of the percussionist Joe Porcaro and the oldest of the Porcaro brothers. "I just did music for fun. I took lessons for a while, but stopped because they were boring. I didnīt think in high school Iīd be any kind of great drummer. I wanted to play guitar because I was a Hendrix freak." Jeff Porcaro also spent his high school-years at Grant High School and he also played in the band Rural Still Life. After the years in school he became a session musician. Before Toto was formed he was a member of the band Steely Dan a short while. In 1984 he returned to play on the album Gaucho. Jeff Porcaro has also played with among others Steely Dan, Jackson Browne, Boz Scaggs, Pink Floyd, Janne Schaffer, Don Henley, Michael Jackson, David Gilmour (Pink Floyd), Paul McCartney, Dire Straits, Richard Marx, 10cc and on Bruce Springsteenīs albums "Human Touch" and "Lucky Town". He has also together with David Paich, Steve Lukather and Mike and Steve Porcaro played with the Swedish heavy metal band Radioactive, featuring guitarist Tommy Denander and singer Andreas Eklundh, on their album "Ceremony Of Innocence", which were released in 1996. Jeff Porcaro died August 5th 1992 at his home.
Steve "Yada" Porcaro
Steve Porcaro was born September 2nd 1957 in Hartford, Connecticut. He is the youngest of the Porcaro brothers. "As a kid I spent more time playing baseball than I should have. Music wasnīt forced on me. It was often a struggle for my father and my parents would have been very happy if weīd gotten jobs as plumbers." Steve Porcaro started playing the piano when he was five years old. He was a member of the band Rural Still Life to during high school at Grant High School. Only two month before the graduation he left high school to go on tour with Gary Wright. In 1981 he met the actress Rosanna Arquette with whom he had a relationship with. Steve was one of the original Toto members, but in 1988 he left the band. He disliked the progress of the bandīs sound and he also was dissapointed since his songs often didnīt made it to an album. Instead he started a solo career as a session musician and played with among others Michael Jackson, whom he had worked with before. He had some years before arranged and sung on Michael Jacksonīs album "Thriller". During all years of musicianship Steve Porcaro has played with among others Janne Schaffer, Chicago, Don Henley, Rod Stewarty and Yes. He has also together with David Paich, Steve Lukather and Jeff and Mike Porcaro played with the Swedish heavy metal band Radioactive, featuring guitarist Tommy Denander and singer Andreas Eklundh, on their album "Ceremony Of Innocence", which were released in 1996. In 1998 he joined Toto for the small promotion tour in Europe for the album "Toto XX". Later same year he joined Toto as a guest musician for Totoīs album "Mindfields". He played on three of the songs.
Mike Porcaro
Mike Porcaro was born May 29th 1955 in Hartford, Connecticut. "My father thought I was going to be the drummer. All of us used to line up at his practice set, play for ten minutes and say: 'Dig me, dad!', but after we moved to California, I started studying string bass. Even in junior high school, I got work playing bass at weddings and bar mitzvahs. Soon my dad bought me an electric bass. I never intended it, but one day I thought to myself: 'I guess Iīm a bass player.'" During high school at Grant High School he played in the band Rural Still Life. After high school he started working as a session musician. When Toto was formed Mike Porcaro was asked to join the band, but he didnīt show up. Instead he replaced David Hungate when he left the band in 1982. Mike Porcaro has played with among others the Swedish guitarist Janne Schaffer and Jon Anderson. On some of Kissī songs itīs not Gene Simmons who is hacking the bass guitar - itīs Mike Porcaro, although he isnīt always credited for it on the album coverages. He has also together with David Paich, Steve Lukather and Jeff and Steve Porcaro played with the Swedish heavy metal band Radioactive, featuring guitarist Tommy Denander and singer Andreas Eklundh, on their album "Ceremony Of Innocence", which were released in 1996.
Bobby Kimball
Robert "Bobby" Kimball was born March 29th 1947 in Vinton, Lousiana. He started playing the piano when he was four years old. In the early seventies he moved to Los Angeles. In the mid-seventies he did a session where David Paich and Jeff Porcaro where present. When Toto was about to be formed they both remembered Bobby Kimball and contacted him and asked him to join the band. Bobby Kimball was lead singer on Totoīs first four albums, but in 1984 he was asked to leave the band. The reason why he was asked to leave the band is unclear, but he did anyway leave the band. After he had left Toto he met the producer Frank Farian and joined the band Far Corporation including studio musicians, many of them from Scandinavia. Bobby Kimball was the lead singer on the first album "Division One" (1985). Also David Paich, Steve Lukather and Simon Phillips played on the album. In 1989 the bandīs second album was released. He has also sung on albums by Fee Waybill and Richard Marx. After Bobby Kimball left Toto he often performed Toto hits when he toured solo. In 1994 his first solo album "Rise Up" was released. In 1998 he joined Toto for the small promotion tour in Europe for the album "Toto XX". After the tour he went into the studio for the recording of Totoīs album "Mindfields" and made a come-back as lead vocalist in the band.
Solo albums:
"Rise Up" - MMS Records (1994)
David Hungate
David Hungate was born in Texas in 1954. As a teenager he moved to San Fernando Valley. During high school at Grant High School he played in the band Rural Still Life. After high school he started working as a session musician and was one of the most frequent hired future Toto-members. He played with among others Leo Sayer, Barbara Streisand and Pointer Sisters. He helped Jeff Porcaro get busy in the business by introduce him to Sonny & Cher. David Hungate joined Toto when the band was formed in 1977, but left the band after "Toto IV" in 1982. Instead he continued working as a session musician. He has played with among others Boz Scaggs, Greg Lake and Bryan Adams.
Solo albums:
"Souvenir" - CBS (1990)
Fergie Frederiksen
Dennis "Fergie" Frederiksen was born May 25th 1951 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. When he was 16 years old he sang on many clubs. In 1975 he replaced Tommy Shaw in the band MS Funk. Later he formed the band Trillion, which first album was released in 1979. In 1980 Fergie Frederiksen moved to Los Angeles where he did background singing and song writing. In 1981 you find him on LeRoux album "So Fired Up" as the lead singer. In 1984 he joined Toto, after he had been introduced to Jeff Porcaro, and took over as the new lead singer after Bobby Kimball. Fergie Frederiksen was the lead singer on Totoīs fifth album "Isolation" (1984), but left the band in 1986. In 1995 Fergie Frederiksen released an album together with Ricky Phillips and in 1999 his first 'real' solo album "Equilibrium. Fergie Frederiksen has sung on several movie soundtracks and he has also toured with many bands.
Solo albums:
"Frederiksen/Phillips" - CD Empire Records ERCD 1021 (1995, Sweden) Produced by Ricky Phillips
"Equilibrium" (1999)
Joseph Williams
Joseph Williams was born September 1st 1960 in Santa Monica, California. He is son to the conductor and filmscore composer John Williams, who has won several Grammy awards for film music during the years - "Jaws" (1975), "Star Wars" (1977), "Closeo were looking for a new lead singer he went to the audition immediately and ten days later he was the new lead singer. He was Totoīs lead singer on "Fahrenheit" (1986) and "The Seventh One" (1988). However after "The Seventh One" he left the band. In 1996 his second solo album "I Am Alive" was released in Japan and one year later in Europe. Musicians and vocalists on "I Am Alive" includes among others Steve Porcaro, Jeff Porcaro, Mike Porcaro, Bobby Kimball, Mike Landau and Lenny Castro. In 1997 he released is third solo album. In 1998 Joseph Williams joined Toto for the small promotion tour in Europe for the album "Toto XX". Later same year he wrote the song "Mad About You" together with David Paich for Totoīs album "Mindfields".
Solo albums:
"Joseph Williams" - MCA (1982)
"I Am Alive" - CD Kitty Enterprises 534 307-2 (1996) Produced by Joey Carbone and Joseph Williams
"3" - (1997)
Simon Phillips
Simon Phillips was born February 6th 1959 in London. He started playing the drums when he was three years old, first just for fun. When he was 12-16 years old he toured with his fatherīs dixie-land band. In 1974 he started working as a session musician. In the eighties Simon Phillips played with Jeff Beck, Michael Rutherford (Genesis), Ian Gillan (Deep Purple), Phil Manzarena (Roxy Music) and Michael Schenker and the band The Who in which he was a member 1989-1990. In 1985 he played with Far Corporation on their first album "Division One". Other Toto-profiles on the album was Bobby Kimball, David Paich and Steve Lukather. Simon Phillips has also played on Steve Lukatherīs both solo albums "Lukather" (1989) and "Candyman" (1994). He has also played with Judas Priest, 10cc, Mike Oldfield, Pete Townshend and Tears For Fears. After Jeff Porcaroīs death in 1992, Simon Phillips joined Toto for the bandīs world tour. When Totoīs ninth album "Tambu" (1995) was released you find Simon Phillips behind the drum-kit as Totoīs eleventh member ever. In 1997 Simon Phillipsī solo album "Symbiosis" was released.
Solo albums:
"Force Majeure" - (1976)
"Simon Phillips" - (1992)
"Symbiosis" - CD Lipstick Records LIP 89036-2 (1995, Germany) Produced by Simon Phillips
"Another Lifetime" - (1997)
Jean-Michel Byron
Jean-Michel Byron was born in South Africa. In 1983 he became a session singer. Later he joined several cover bandīs. He also wrote songs and recorded them on demos. Bob Colomby who had heard one of the tapes introduced Jean-Michel Byron to Toto. Jean-Michel Byron joined the band and was the lead singer on "Past To Present 1977-1990" (1990), but soon he was asked to leave the band.
Solo albums:
"Byron"
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