Toto
Toto in 2010
Background information
Origin	Los Angeles, U.S.
Genres	Rock, hard rock, soft rock
Years active	1976–2008, 2010–present
Labels	Columbia, Frontiers, Toto
Website	www.toto99.com
Members
Steve Lukather David Paich Steve Porcaro Mike Porcaro Joseph Williams Simon Phillips
Past members
Jeff Porcaro Bobby Kimball David Hungate Dennis Frederiksen Jean-Michel Byron Greg Phillinganes

Toto is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1976. The group currently consists of Joseph Williams (lead vocals), David Paich (keyboards), Steve Porcaro (keyboards), Steve Lukather (guitars, vocals), Mike Porcaro (bass), and Simon Phillips (drums). Toto is known for a musical style that combines elements of pop, rock, soul, funk, progressive rock, hard rock, R&B and jazz. They are regularly associated with the soft rock genre.

David Paich and Jeff Porcaro had played together as session musicians on several albums and decided to form a band. David Hungate, Steve Lukather, Steve Porcaro and Bobby Kimball were recruited before their first album release. The band enjoyed great commercial success in the late 1970s and 1980s, beginning with the band's self-titled debut released in 1978. With the release of the critically acclaimed and commercially successful Toto IV (1982), Toto became one of the best-selling music groups of their era. They are best known for the Top 5 hits "Hold the Line", "Rosanna", "Africa" and "Georgy Porgy". Although their popularity in the United States diminished in the 1990s and 2000s, they remained popular internationally, playing only a small number of shows in the USA. Several changes to the lineup have been made over the years. In 2008, Lukather announced his departure from the band, and the remaining band members later went their separate ways. In the summer of 2010, Toto reformed and went on a short European tour, with a new lineup, to benefit Mike Porcaro, who had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).^[1]

The band has released a total of 17 albums, and have sold over 35 million albums to date. The group was honored with several Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2009.

Biography[link]

Formation (1976)[link]

1982 in London (Steve Porcaro, John Smith, Bobby Kimball, Steve Lukather, Lenny Castro, Jeff Porcaro)

The members of Toto were regulars on albums by Steely Dan,^[2] Seals and Crofts,^[3] Boz Scaggs,^[4] Sonny and Cher,^[5] and many others, contributing to many of the most popular records of the 1970s. Keyboardist David Paich, son of musician and sessions player/arranger Marty Paich, rose to fame after having co-written much of Scaggs's Silk Degrees album. Having played on many sessions with drummer Jeff Porcaro (the son of noted session percussionist Joe Porcaro), whom he met while attending Grant High School in North Hollywood, California where they formed the band Rural Still Life, the two began to seriously discuss the possibility of forming their own band. They brought in bassist and fellow session vet David Hungate, having played with him on the road with Boz Scaggs. In addition, the duo asked guitarist Steve Lukather (who also played in Scaggs's band as a replacement for Les Dudek) and Jeff Porcaro's brother Steve Porcaro (keyboards) to join the team. Luke and Steve Porcaro were high school classmates, and continued the band Rural Still Life (the name shortened to Still Life) after Paich and Jeff graduated. With the addition of former S.S. Fools singer Bobby Kimball, the group began to work on their first album in 1977 after signing with Columbia Records.

Band name and debut album (1977–79)[link]

Once the band came together, David Paich began composing what would become the eponymous debut album, Toto. According to popular myth, at the first recording sessions, in order to distinguish their own demo tapes from other bands' in the studio, Jeff Porcaro wrote the word "Toto" on them. In the early 1980s, band members told the press that the band was named after the dog in The Wizard of Oz.^[6] One popular rumor is that the name came from Bobby Kimball's "true" last name, Toteaux. This rumor was in fact only a joke popularized by former bassist David Hungate.^[7] After the completion of the first album, the band and record were still unnamed. David Hungate, after viewing the name on the demo tapes, explained to the group that the word "Toto" in Latin translated to "all-encompassing." Because the band members played on so many different records and many different musical genres, they adopted the name Toto as their own.^[8]

After its release, Toto climbed the charts quickly, earning popularity with the hit single "Hold the Line", as well as the charting "I'll Supply the Love" and "Georgy Porgy". The band garnered international acclaim and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Shortly thereafter, in early 1979, Toto embarked on their first American tour in support of the debut album.^[9] For the tour, Toto brought along two additional musicians, Tom Kelly (guitar, backup vocals) and Lenny Castro (percussion), to increase the depth of the sound, and continued to bring additional touring musicians for all subsequent tours. (See the "Tour Musicians" section below).

[edit] Hydra and Turn Back (1980–81)

Kimball and Lukather live in 2007

At the close of the first tour, the band began work on their next album, entitled Hydra, which was released later that year and featured the single "99", inspired by George Lucas' cult film THX 1138.^[10] Nearly 30 years later, Steve Lukather confessed that, despite the song's popularity, he hated "99" and that it's one of his least favorite Toto songs, which is why it was no longer performed live.^[11] The band also released four promotional music videos for the album, including the title track. Although the album Hydra failed to achieve the commercial success of Toto's first release, it still went Gold. Following the album's release, the band set out on the "Hydra Tour", which featured both American and international dates. The tour lasted from February until June 1980.^[9]

In early 1981, Toto released their third album, Turn Back. The album was a venture into arena rock^[12] and featured heavier guitar and fewer keyboards than on the previous two records. Ultimately, Turn Back failed to earn the radio play or critical acclaim of either of the previous two releases and the song "Goodbye Elenore" was the only official single released worldwide.^[13] Due to the release's commercial disappointment, the band minimized their promotional touring efforts. Sales of the album stalled at 900,000 copies worldwide and nearly lost Toto their recording contract with Columbia Records.^[14]

[edit] Toto IV (1982)

Mike Porcaro live

	Africa noicon
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1982 marked the beginning of Toto's most successful era. After the disappointing sales of Turn Back, the band was under a great deal of pressure from the record company to produce a new smash record. With Toto IV, the band delivered one of the most commercially successful records of the 80s. The album featured three singles that reached the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart: "Rosanna", "Africa" and "I Won't Hold You Back". The album also appeared on several worldwide charts, introducing the band to new audiences around the globe. "Africa" topped the charts in February 1983 and was a constant presence on radios around the world, but it was "Rosanna" that earned the band multiple Grammy nominations. Toto IV earned six Grammy Awards, including "Record of the Year" for "Rosanna", "Album of the Year" for Toto IV and "Producer of the Year". The song "Rosanna" was named after Steve Porcaro's ex-girlfriend, actress Rosanna Arquette, but the song itself was not about her, according to writer David Paich. In the music video for the song, Cynthia Rhodes plays the title character. In addition to "Africa" and "Rosanna", Toto IV continued its successful run with the release of another single, "Make Believe". Toto toured throughout 1982 in support of Toto IV.^[9]

[edit] A new lead vocalist – Fergie Frederiksen and Isolation (1982–85)

Subsequent to the Toto IV release, bassist David Hungate left the band. Hungate, who had relocated to Nashville in 1982 to pursue a session/production career, felt that the fame surrounding Toto IV would prevent him from spending time with his family. Mike Porcaro replaced him on bass and appeared in all the music videos for Toto IV. Lead singer Bobby Kimball was fired in 1984 when drugs plagued his relationship with the band.^[15] At one point, Richard Page of the band Mr. Mister was offered the lead singer spot, but turned it down to continue with his band. Fergie Frederiksen (formerly of Angel, Trillion and Le Roux) was brought in as the new vocalist and the band recorded Isolation, released in November 1984. Although Bobby Kimball sang some portion of the record before leaving, the extent of his participation is unknown. He is given credit as a background vocalist. David Paich says he performed a third of the record,^[16] while Steve Lukather says it was only three or four songs.^[17] Kimball claims it was most of the album.^[18] While Isolation did not achieve the acclaim or sales of Toto IV, it did achieve Gold status, largely on the strength of the single "Stranger in Town". The "Isolation" tour began in February 1985 and concluded three months later.^[9]

[edit] Fahrenheit and The Seventh One with Joseph Williams (1985–88)

David Paich during a live concert

At the close of the Isolation tour in 1985, Fergie Frederiksen was let go. Lukather claimed that the band was not meshing well with Frederiksen because he had a difficult time recording with them in the studio.^[19] The band held an audition and Joseph Williams, son of famous film composer John Williams and 1950s singer/actress Barbara Ruick, was chosen to take over lead vocals in early 1986.

With Joseph Williams now onboard officially, Toto wrote and recorded Fahrenheit, released in October 1986. While Williams is credited as lead vocalist, Frederiksen had begun recording a few tracks and is featured as a background vocalist on the track "Could This Be Love".

Fahrenheit brought the band back from the heavier sound of Isolation to their pop/rock roots. "I'll Be Over You" and "Without Your Love," which were both ballads sung by Lukather, were the two hit singles. The band recruited several guest musicians for the album. They recorded an instrumental piece entitled "Don't Stop Me Now" with legendary jazz trumpeter Miles Davis. In addition, a then-unknown Paula Abdul appeared as a dancer in their "Till the End" music video. Michael McDonald provided backup vocals on the song "I'll Be Over You", while Eagles founder and songwriting giant Don Henley appeared on the Steve Porcaro penned track "Lea".

Despite all its accolades, however, the album was not received well compared to previous releases and failed to set fire to any of the charts.^[20] After its release, the band embarked on another world tour. Upon its conclusion in 1987, Steve Porcaro left the band to pursue a career in film and television scoring. Fahrenheit eventually went Gold on October 3, 1994.^[21] Steve Porcaro was never replaced and Toto decided to continue with only five members. Although Porcaro occasionally assisted the band on synthesizers for their subsequent studio albums (and appeared on their 1988 tour), David Paich handled most of the live keyboard work (with keyboard technician John Jessel assisting on certain dates) post 1988.

In 1988 Toto released their next album The Seventh One, featuring Jon Anderson of Yes on backup vocals on the single "Stop Loving You". The album's other single, "Pamela", became very popular and would be the band's last to hit the US Top 40. The Seventh One became the band's most successful release since Toto IV and, according to David Paich, the record was supposed to be their comeback record, but personnel changes at the record company resulted in the album's promotion and advertising money being pulled.^[22] The band toured from February through July 1988.^[9]

[edit] Past To Present and Jean-Michel Byron (1988–90)

Steve Lukather

Although "The Seventh One Tour" was very successful, after it was finished the band decided to replace lead singer Joseph Williams. During the European leg of the tour, Joseph had lost his voice before many of the performances because of a combination of the flu, excessive partying and drug use, prompting Toto to decide that a change needed to be made.^[15] Originally, the band wanted to reunite with original vocalist Bobby Kimball to record new songs for a greatest hits record, but the record company instead insisted they hire South African singer Jean-Michel Byron. Before Byron was brought in, the band recorded "Goin Home". This song was later featured on the Toto XX album as an 'unreleased song.' When Byron was brought in, he and Toto recorded four new songs which were included on their greatest hits album Past to Present 1977-1990, released in 1990. Toto then embarked upon the "Planet Earth" tour that lasted from September until December 1990.

Shortly into this tour, it became clear that Byron's decidedly non-rock image and bizarre on-stage antics would not mesh with Toto's vision for their live shows, and he was subsequently fired.^[23] Because many of the fans were so outraged at Byron's stage persona, most of his performances were removed from the subsequent live video release, "Toto Live", and Byron was listed only as a "background singer" in the album credits. All of the live performances of the new songs from Past to Present were removed from the recorded set list and the only songs on which Byron appears are "Rosanna" and "Hold the Line" and a few wide shots.^[24] The rest of the tracks were sung by Steve Lukather and David Paich.

Death of Jeff Porcaro (1991–92)[link]

Once again without a lead vocalist, guitarist Steve Lukather stepped up to the microphone and became the new front man. Toto played at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1991 and the band recorded Kingdom of Desire, which was released on Columbia Records in most parts of the world and on Clive Davis' label Relativity Records in the United States.

Jeff Porcaro died in an accident on August 5, 1992, at the age of 38. According to the LA Times Report, the Los Angeles County Coroner's office lists the cause of death to be a heart attack from the hardening of the arteries caused by cocaine use, not from an allergic reaction to the pesticides as presumed (and stated by in the band's official history) immediately after his death.^[25][26] Facing the prospect of a tour without Jeff, Toto almost broke up. However, Jeff Porcaro's family insisted the band continue. Englishman Simon Phillips was the only drummer ever contacted to replace Jeff Porcaro since the band knew that Porcaro liked Phillips and because Lukather worked with Simon on a previous tour with Santana and Jeff Beck in Japan in 1986.

Phillips joined the band and they went on the tour, which they dedicated to Jeff's memory. In 1993 they released a live album called Absolutely Live. From 1991 on, Steve Lukather would handle a majority of the vocals (until Bobby Kimball's return in 1998), but some older songs originally sung by Kimball, Fergie Frederiksen, and Joseph Williams were put in the set list and sung by new backup singers Fred White (who was replaced by John James in 1992), Jackie McGee (who'd joined for the 1990 tour and was replaced by Donna McDaniel in 1992) and Jenny Douglas-McRae (who'd also come aboard in 1990.) John sang "Stop Loving You" and Bobby's part on "Rosanna", Donna sang "Home of the Brave" and "Angel Don't Cry", and Jenny sang "Hold the Line".

On December 14, 1992, the Tribute to Jeff Porcaro Concert was held at Universal City's Universal Amphitheatre. Performers, including Don Henley, Eddie Van Halen, Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, Boz Scaggs, James Newton Howard, Michael McDonald, Richard Marx and special guest George Harrison, performed various Toto songs along with the four remaining Toto members.^[27] At the close of the tour, the band then took a break to pursue individual projects as well as to keep up their session schedules.

[edit] Simon Phillips and Tambu (1995–97)

In 1995 Toto recorded Tambu, their first album with Simon Phillips, which saw the band back with CBS (now Sony). A departure from Toto's sound of the late 1970s and 1980s, Tambu was a very organic release and featured the single "I Will Remember", which received moderate radio play. Other singles released were "Drag Him To The Roof" and "The Turning Point". Tambu also featured John James and Jenny Douglas-McRae as backup singers on some of the tracks. Jenny even sang lead on the album's bonus track, "Blackeye", and also in a duet with Steve Lukather on "Baby He's Your Man". The album did not sell well in the United States (and in fact was not even released there until almost a year after it came out overseas) and the planned second single, "Baby He's Your Man", ended up being cancelled.^[28] Unlike the domestic disappointment, however, Tambu sold 600,000 copies worldwide.

The "Tambu Tour" proved to be another success, although there were no North American dates. Simon Phillips suffered from a back problem, so Gregg Bissonette had to fill in for him during the first leg of the tour in late 1995. The tour concluded in 1996. The rest of the tour personnel remained the same, with the exception of Donna McDaniel who'd left in 1994 shortly after the "Night of the Proms" performances (which Jenny had missed since she was out touring with Joe Cocker). The song "Hold the Line" was now sung as a duet between Jenny and John.^[29] Both Jenny and John were dropped from the band at the conclusion of the 1997 tour.

Bobby Kimball's return (1997–2001)[link]

1997 marked the band's 20th anniversary, and in order to commemorate it, David Paich and Steve Lukather started to go through several old tapes and demos for a special record of unreleased songs. In 1998 they released Toto XX with the single "Goin Home". Toto went on a small promotional tour with former members Bobby Kimball, Steve Porcaro and Joseph Williams.

After the "Toto XX" tour, Bobby Kimball rejoined the band as lead singer after 14 years. The band released Mindfields in early 1999 and embarked on the "Reunion" tour, touring worldwide and returning to the United States for the first time in six years. The new album featured three singles, "Melanie", "Cruel" and "Mad About You", a song co-written by David Paich and former Toto vocalist Joseph Williams. Later that year, a live album titled Livefields was released. The tour officially concluded in 2000, but the band played a few shows throughout 2001. David Paich briefly took a break from touring in 2000, so Jeff Babko filled in on keyboards.^[30] Paich then resumed touring with Toto in 2001.

Toto's 25th anniversary (2002–03)[link]

In 2002, in celebration of Toto's 25th anniversary, the band released Through the Looking Glass, a covers album that paid tribute to the band's musical influences, such as Bob Marley, Steely Dan, George Harrison and Elton John. Two singles were released, "Could You Be Loved", a Bob Marley cover, and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", a Beatles cover. The album was not a commercial success and many fans were upset about the release, thinking that the band should have written new material instead.^[31] However, the record gave the band material to promote their "25th Anniversary Tour", which started in 2002 and concluded in 2003. After the tour, Toto released a live album and DVD of the show titled Live in Amsterdam. Both the live album and the DVD were released in late 2003. Steve Lukather himself was critical of his performance at this concert.^[31]

Greg Phillinganes and David Paich's semi-retirement (2003–05)[link]

Toto after a 2004 concert in Modena

Beginning in June 2003, near the end of their "25th Anniversary Tour", keyboardist David Paich took a leave of absence from touring to spend time with a sick family member. Steve Lukather, known for his sense of humor, released a fake story that Paich was actually undertaking a sex change operation and would become "Davida". The story was posted on the band's website and was picked up by media all over the world. Although the fans thought it was funny, many people were offended and Lukather apologized for his post and all references to the joke were removed from the website.^[32] Veteran keyboardist Greg Phillinganes filled in for Paich for the rest of the tour.

In late 2003, Toto headlined Night of the Proms for two months straight. Paich returned but was only able to play for a few weeks before he had to leave again, so Phillinganes once again filled in for the remainder of the shows. In early 2004, the band embarked on a small world tour that went throughout all of 2004 as well as 2005. David Paich only occasionally appeared, with Phillinganes playing at a majority of the shows. In 2005, he was asked to permanently join the band and David Paich then retired from touring altogether. Paich was still a member of Toto, however, as he continued to record and produce on all of Toto's releases.^[33]

[edit] Falling In Between and Falling In Between Live (2006–2007)

Steve Lukather and Greg Phillinganes

In early 2006, Toto released Falling in Between on the Italian label Frontiers, their first album of new material since 1999. The release featured extensive keyboard work from Steve Porcaro and a duet with Joseph Williams on the first single, "Bottom of Your Soul". Following the record's release, Toto embarked on an extensive worldwide tour in 2006, which continued into 2007 for a second leg. The 2007 leg featured Leland Sklar filling in on bass for Mike Porcaro due to an undisclosed illness. 2007 featured extensive dates in both Europe and the United States, including an appearance at Moondance Jam in Walker, Minnesota. Former lead singer Fergie Frederiksen made a guest appearance at the Minneapolis date on May 5, 2007^[34] and Joseph Williams also made a few guest appearances with the band in June 2007.^[35]

Toto released a two-CD set Falling in Between Live on Eagle Records to commemorate the tour. This live set marks the fourth for the band, following 1993's Absolutely Live, 1999's Livefields and 2003's Live In Amsterdam.

In 2008, a companion DVD of the show which was recorded in Paris in March 2007 was released.

Breakup (2008)[link]

After a period of rumors and some allusions, on June 5, 2008, Lukather posted a message on his official website, stating, "The fact is yes I have left Toto. There is no more Toto. I just can't do it anymore and at 50 years old I wanted to start over and give it one last try on my own."^[36]

Lukather further stated that after 31 years of recording, producing and playing with Toto without even missing one single gig, he could not do it anymore. With Lukather being the only original member left in the band (Bobby Kimball was also an original member, but was out of the band from 1984–1998 and with David Paich retiring from touring back in 2005), there was no other option than to call it quits. As the main motivation for his decision, Lukather said:

When Dave retired that was REAL hard for me 'cause we started the band together. Hell, it's 35 years if you count High School where the core all met. When Mike fell ill and had to leave that was it for me. If there isn't Paich or at least one Porcaro how can we even call it Toto? ... Honestly, I have just had enough. This is NOT a break. It is over. I really can't go out and play Hold The Line with a straight face anymore.

Toto sold over 30 million records, scored a worldwide number one hit with the song "Africa" and other hits that topped various charts. The band and its individual members worked with and wrote for artists such as Michael Jackson, Boz Scaggs, Steely Dan, Santana, Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis, Larry Carlton, Chicago, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Lionel Richie, Olivia Newton-John and hundreds more.

Induction into the Musicians Hall of Fame (2009)[link]

In October 2009, the individual founding musicians of Toto were inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame. Steve Lukather, David Paich, Steve Porcaro and David Hungate were present, with Mike Porcaro's and Jeff Porcaro's family members accepting their awards in absentia.^[37][38][39]

Reformation (2010–present)[link]

On February 26, 2010, the band reformed and reunited for a brief tour of Europe in the summer to benefit Mike Porcaro, who has ALS. The lineup featured David Paich, Steve Lukather, Steve Porcaro, Simon Phillips, Joseph Williams and special guest Nathan East.^[40]

Steve Lukather stated that the band still exists:

Lukather also said that they went on with Joseph Williams because they wanted to try something different and that he did not have any bad feelings towards Bobby Kimball.^[42] The band continues with the current line up.

Another summer tour is underway from June 2011 onwards. Jenny Douglas joined the band as background vocalist. The band recorded their show on July 17, 2011 in Verona for a Spring 2012 release. They have announced another tour for the summer of 2012.^[43]

Band members[link]

Founding members listed in bold.

Current lineup[link]

• Steve Lukather – guitars, vocals, keyboards (1977–2008, 2010–present)
• David Paich – keyboards, vocals (1977–2008, 2010–present)
• Steve Porcaro – keyboards, synthesizers, vocals (1977–1986, 2010–present)
• Mike Porcaro – bass guitar (1982–present)
• Joseph Williams – vocals (1986–1989, 2010–present)
• Simon Phillips – drums, percussion, keyboards (1992–2008, 2010–present)

Former members[link]

• Jeff Porcaro – drums, percussion (1977–1992; his death)
• Bobby Kimball – vocals, occasional keyboards (1977–1984, 1998–2008)
• David Hungate – bass guitar (1977–1982)
• Dennis Frederiksen – vocals (1984–1985)
• Jean-Michel Byron – vocals (1989–1991)
• Greg Phillinganes – keyboards, synthesizers, vocals (2005–2008)

Tour musicians[link]

Timeline[link]

This timeline reflects the official active members of the band.

 id:Vocal   value:red        legend:Vocals
 id:Guitar  value:brightblue legend:Guitar, vocals
 id:Bass    value:green      legend:Bass
 id:Drums   value:purple     legend:Drums
 id:Keyboard   value:orange  legend:Keyboards, vocals
 id:Synthesizer   value:yellow   legend:Synthesizer
 id:Lines   value:black      legend:Albums

 at:10/15/1978 color:black layer:back
 at:10/01/1979 color:black layer:back
 at:01/01/1981 color:black layer:back
 at:04/08/1982 color:black layer:back
 at:10/18/1984 color:black layer:back
 at:08/01/1986 color:black layer:back
 at:03/01/1988 color:black layer:back
 at:09/07/1992 color:black layer:back
 at:05/01/1995 color:black layer:back
 at:03/16/1999 color:black layer:back
 at:10/21/2002 color:black layer:back
 at:02/14/2006 color:black layer:back

 bar:BK text:"Bobby Kimball"
 bar:FF text:"Fergie Frederiksen"
 bar:JW text:"Joseph Williams"
 bar:JB text:"Jean-Michel Byron"
 bar:SL text:"Steve Lukather"
 bar:DH text:"David Hungate"
 bar:MP text:"Mike Porcaro"
 bar:DP text:"David Paich"
 bar:GP text:"Greg Phillinganes"
 bar:SP text:"Steve Porcaro"
 bar:JP text:"Jeff Porcaro"
 bar:PS text:"Simon Phillips"

 width:10 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
 bar:BK from:01/01/1977 till:06/30/1984 color:Vocal
 bar:FF from:07/01/1984 till:12/31/1985 color:Vocal
 bar:JW from:01/01/1986 till:12/31/1989 color:Vocal
 bar:JB from:01/01/1990 till:09/30/1990 color:Vocal
 bar:BK from:07/01/1998 till:06/30/2008 color:Vocal
 bar:JW from:01/01/2010 till:end color:Vocal
 bar:SL from:01/01/1977 till:06/30/2008 color:Guitar
 bar:SL from:01/01/2010 till:end color:Guitar
 bar:DH from:01/01/1977 till:06/30/1982 color:Bass
 bar:MP from:07/01/1982 till:06/30/2008 color:Bass
 bar:DP from:01/01/1977 till:02/15/2006 color:Keyboard
 bar:GP from:07/01/2005 till:06/30/2008 color:Keyboard
 bar:DP from:01/01/2010 till:end color:Keyboard
 bar:SP from:01/01/1977 till:08/01/1986 color:Synthesizer
 bar:SP from:01/01/2010 till:end color:Synthesizer
 bar:JP from:01/01/1977 till:10/07/1992 color:Drums
 bar:PS from:10/08/1992 till:06/30/2008 color:Drums
 bar:PS from:01/01/2010 till:end color:Drums

Discography[link]

Tours[link]

• 1979 – Toto Tour
• 1980 – Hydra Tour
• 1982 – Toto IV Tour
• 1985–1986 – Isolation Tour
• 1986–1987 – Fahrenheit Tour
• 1988 – The Seventh One Tour
• 1990–1991 – Planet Earth Tour (Past to Present Tour)
• 1992–1993 – Kingdom of Desire Tour
• 1995–1997 – Tambu Tour
• 1999–2000 – Mindfields Tour
• 2002–2004 – 25th Anniversary Tour (Through the Looking Glass Tour)
• 2006–2008 – Falling in Between Tour
• 2010 – Mike Porcaro Honor Tour
• 2011 – In the Blink of an Eye Tour

References[link]

External links[link]

	Book: Toto
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Toto

• Official website
• Toto at WorldMusicDatabase
• The French website exclusively dedicated to Porcaro

v t e Toto David Paich Steve Lukather Joseph Williams Steve Porcaro Simon Phillips Mike Porcaro Jeff Porcaro Bobby Kimball David Hungate Fergie Frederiksen Greg Phillinganes Jean-Michel Byron Studio albums Toto Hydra Turn Back Toto IV Isolation Fahrenheit The Seventh One Kingdom of Desire Tambu Mindfields Through the Looking Glass Falling in Between Live albums Greatest Hits Live...and More Absolutely Live Livefields Live in Amsterdam Falling in Between Live Compilation albums Past to Present 1977–1990 Best Ballads Toto XX Super Hits The Very Best of Toto The Essential Toto The Collection Soundtracks Dune Notable songs "Hold the Line" "I'll Supply the Love" "Georgy Porgy" "99" "Rosanna" "Make Believe" "Africa" "I Won't Hold You Back" "Stranger in Town" "I'll Be over You" "Pamela" "Stop Loving You" "Mushanga" "Bottom of Your Soul" Related people Lenny Castro Nathan East Tony Spinner Tom Kelly Joe Porcaro Marty Paich Related articles Discography Members Rosanna shuffle Boz Scaggs Book:Toto

Look up toto in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Toto may refer to:

Tribes[link]

• Toto tribe, primitive Indo-Bhutanese residing in West Bengal, India
  • Toto language, Tibeto-Burman language spoken by Toto tribe members
• Toto (mythology), a chief in Māori migration traditions in New Zealand

Locations[link]

• Toto, Nigeria, a Local Government Area of Nasarawa State
• Toto, Angola, a town
• Toto, Indiana, small community near North Judson, Indiana, United States
• Totoma, California, also known as To-To, a former Native American settlement

Sport[link]

• Toto Cup, an association football tournament in Israel
• Football pools, called "toto" in several languages

Music[link]

• Toto (band), a Grammy Award-winning American pop/rock group
  • Toto (album), the aforementioned group's debut album

Name or nickname[link]

Totò is a diminutive form of Salvatore in Sicily, and Antonio in Campania.

People[link]

• Toto of Nepi (died 768), Roman strongman
• Totò (1898-1967), stage name of an Italian actor, writer, and songwriter
• Toto Bissainthe (1934-1994), Haitian actress and singer
• Emmanuel Constant (born 1956), founder of a Haitian death squad
• Oscar Roberto Cornejo (born 1983), Argentine footballer
• Salvatore Cuffaro (born 1958), Italian politician currently in jail for aiding the Mafia
• Toto Cutugno (born 1943), Italian pop singer-songwriter
• Toto Leonidas (born 1960), professional poker player
• Juan Carlos Lorenzo (1922-2001), Argentine football player and coach
• Esmael Mangudadatu (born 1968), Governor of the province of Maguindanao, Philippines
• Totó la Momposina (born 1948), female Colombian singer
• Salvatore Riina, also known as "Totò" Riina, a Sicilian Mafia boss
• Salvatore Schillaci (born 1964), Italian former footballer
• Toto Tamuz (born 1988), Nigerian-born Israeli footballer
• Alberto Terry (1929-2006), Peruvian footballer
• Renato Tosio, Swiss ice hockey goaltender
• Toto Wolff (born 1972), Austrian investor and racing car driver
• Anthony Toto (1498-1554), Italian painter and architect

Animals[link]

• Toto (gorilla) (1931-1968) a female adopted by A. Maria Hoyt
• Toto, a cheetah cub seen in BBC series Big Cat Diary

In fiction[link]

• Toto (Oz), Dorothy Gale's dog in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
• Toto, the dog of the main character of the Japanese manga, Toto!: The Wonderful Adventure
• Toto, the new Gamera in Gamera the Brave
• Toto, the main character in Stories Toto Told Me and In His Own Image by Frederick Rolfe (Baron Corvo)

Others[link]

• Toto!: The Wonderful Adventure, a Japanese manga series
• Toto (gaming), lottery in Singapore, Malaysia, Germany and other countries.
• Toto (dessert) a Jamaican dessert
• Toto Ltd., a Japanese manufacturer of bathroom fixtures

See also[link]

• TOTO (disambiguation)
• Tote (disambiguation)
• In toto

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Steve Lukather
Steve Lukather, July 2007 in Walker, Minnesota
Background information
Born	(1957-10-21) October 21, 1957 (age 54) San Fernando Valley, California, U.S.
Genres	Hard rock, pop rock, jazz fusion
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, producer
Instruments	Guitar, vocals
Years active	1975–present
Labels	Mascot Records
Associated acts	Toto, Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, Los Lobotomys, Larry Carlton
Website	http://www.stevelukather.net/
Notable instruments
Music Man "Luke" signature model Ibanez Roadstar RS-1010SL Yamaha acoustic–electrics Ovation Adamas

Steven Lee "Luke" Lukather (born October 21, 1957) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger, and record producer best known for his work with the rock band Toto. A prolific session musician, Lukather has recorded guitar tracks for more than 1,500 albums representing a broad array of artists and genres. He has also contributed to albums and hit singles as a songwriter, arranger, and producer. Lukather has released six solo studio albums and is working on his seventh.

In 1976, when Lukather was nineteen years old, he was invited by his high school friends David Paich and the Porcaro brothers Steve and Jeff to join them in forming their band, Toto. He remained a member until the band split up in 2008, and has been involved in their periodic reunion tours. Lukather's reputation as a guitarist and his association with Paich and Jeff Porcaro, who also became established artists, allowed him to secure a solid flow of session work in the 1970s and 1980s. Lukather has been nominated for twelve Grammy awards, and has won five. While his work with Toto was predominantly based on pop rock music and his solo work ventures into progressive rock and hard rock, many of Lukather's side-projects are focused on jazz fusion. He held a long-time collaboration with jazz guitarist Larry Carlton that produced a Grammy-winning live album, and he was a member of the jazz fusion band Los Lobotomys, a collaboration of notable session musicians.

Influenced by such blues-rock guitarists as Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page, and such jazz fusion players as Al Di Meola and Frank Gambale, Lukather is known for a "melodic and intense"^[1] playing style. He is also recognized for his efficiency in the studio, often recording tracks in one take using minimal sound processing. While he once used many guitar effects in the studio and on stage, he now frequently disparages such practice, and instead advocates clean tones and minimal studio processing. Lukather plays primarily a signature electric guitar manufactured by Ernie Ball Music Man bearing his nickname, Luke. He also plays Yamaha and Ovation Adamas series acoustic–electric guitars.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Steven Lee Lukather was born on October 21, 1957 in San Fernando Valley, California. He first played keyboards and drums, and then taught himself how to play the guitar starting at age seven, when his father bought him a Kay acoustic guitar and a copy of The Beatles album Meet the Beatles. Lukather claims that the album "changed his life" and that he was greatly influenced by the guitar playing of George Harrison in particular.^[2][3]

In high school, Lukather met David Paich and the Porcaro brothers (Jeff, Steve, and Mike),^[4] all of whom eventually became members of Toto. Lukather, who had been a self-taught musician, began taking guitar lessons from Jimmy Wyble. With Wyble, Lukather expanded his knowledge of wider aspects of music, including orchestration. It was during this period in the early 1970s that Lukather became interested in the idea of becoming a session musician, a vocation that provided opportunities to play with a variety of famous musicians.^[2]

Jeff Porcaro, who had been playing drums with Steely Dan since 1973,^[5] became a mentor to Lukather and furthered his interest in session work. Lukather's first job in the music industry was studio work with Boz Scaggs,^[6] after which Paich and Jeff Porcaro—who had become prominent session musicians in their own right^[7]—asked Lukather to join them in forming Toto in 1976 along with Bobby Kimball, David Hungate, and Steve Porcaro.^[2] Lukather turned down an offer to join Miles Davis' band to accept their invitation.^[8]

Toto[link]

Lukather was the original lead guitarist for Toto, serving in that capacity for the band's entire history, as well as a lead and backing vocalist and composer. Lukather won three of his five Grammy awards for work with Toto, twice as an artist and once as a producer.^[9] David Paich led the band's songwriting efforts during the development of 1978's Toto—he penned all but two of the album's tracks, including all four of its singles. Lukather also credits Jeff Porcaro for his leadership within the band during that period. However, Lukather's role in Toto evolved over time owing to the changing needs of the band. He contributed songwriting to Toto albums starting with the eponymous lead track on 1979's Hydra. In August 1992, Jeff Porcaro collapsed while doing yard work at home and subsequently died of heart failure.^[10] The death profoundly affected Toto and Lukather in particular, who considered Porcaro a mentor. Lukather felt that he needed to step up and make sure the band kept going. Thus, he began taking more of a leadership role.^[2]

Lukather solo with Toto

Toto went through several lead vocalists over the years, including Kimball, Fergie Frederiksen, and Joseph Williams. After the 1990 dismissal of their fourth vocalist, Jean-Michel Byron, Toto was without a lead singer until around 1997; Lukather assumed most of the vocal duties for the band during that time. He performed lead vocals for every track on 1992's Kingdom of Desire and 1995's Tambu except for two instrumental tracks. The Tambu single "I Will Remember", co-written by Lukather and Stan Lynch, reached #64 on UK charts.^[2] Some Tambu reviewers contrasted Lukather's vocals with those of former singers Kimball and Williams (and indeed, heavily criticized the entire album),^[11] some concert reviewers noted that he struggled vocally on certain songs, and a number of backup singers and guest vocalists accompanied the band's live shows during that period.^[12] It was not until Toto brought back former lead singers Joseph Williams and Bobby Kimball to collaborate on 1998's Toto XX that Lukather returned to predominantly backup vocals.^[2]

Lukather's songwriting contributions grew from a smattering of tracks on early Toto albums to almost every track starting in the late 1980s. He wrote very few of Toto's songs by himself, an exception being the hit single "I Won't Hold You Back" from Toto IV. Lukather has admitted that writing lyrics is not one of his strengths. Thus, he collaborated with other band members to complete song ideas and make them into viable album tracks. Lukather contributed to all of the songs on Toto's 2006 album Falling in Between.^[13]

By 2008, Lukather was the only remaining original Toto member still performing with the band. In June of the same year, Lukather decided to leave Toto.^[14] This decision directly led to the official dissolution of the band. In a 2011 interview discussing his career with Toto, Lukather indicated that the band had evolved too far from its original incarnation and that he was dealing with the physical and mental toll of recording and performing.^[15] In February 2010, the band announced that they would reunite to support Toto bassist Mike Porcaro, who was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease.^[16] They continued to tour on a limited basis in 2011 and 2012;^[17] however, Lukather has indicated that the band will not record any further material.^[15]

Session work[link]

Lukather achieved notability in the 1970s and 1980s as one of the most sought-after session guitarists in Los Angeles,^[18] playing with a wide range of artists from Aretha Franklin to Warren Zevon.^[18][19] He has performed on over 1,500 records spanning 36 years.^[15] Music journalist Jude Gold noted, "It's hard to name a guitarist who has had a more prolific and fulfilling career than Steve Lukather."^[18] Lukather credits fellow Toto members David Paich and Jeff Porcaro for getting him exposure in the industry—although he lamented in an April 2011 interview that opportunities for session musicians have curtailed in recent years: "There is no 'session guy' thing any more—not like it was. It's not like the old days when I was doing 25 sessions a week. All the studios are gone. The budgets are gone. The record companies are all gone."^[15] His own output as a session musician has slowed along with the rest of the industry—as of 2009, Lukather stated he was only doing a few sessions a year.^[14]

Named by Gibson Guitar Corporation as one of the top 10 session guitars of all time,^[20] Lukather has performed on many notable tracks. He performed the guitar solo for Olivia Newton-John's popular 1981 single "Physical", which was Billboard's #1 single of the 1980s. Other notable session performances include Michael Jackson's "Beat It",^[4] two tracks from the Lionel Richie album Can't Slow Down, and the Richard Marx album Repeat Offender.^[21] Lukather and Jeff Porcaro were heavily involved in the recording of virtually all of Michael Jackson's Thriller.^[4][14] In addition to recording guitar tracks, Lukather has also written or produced music for Lionel Richie, Richard Marx, Chicago, Donna Summer, and The Tubes.^[21][22] He won a Grammy award in 1982 for the George Benson song "Turn Your Love Around".^[9][22]

Solo albums[link]

Lukather performing as vocalist and guitarist in Osnabrück, Germany, 2004

Lukather has released six solo studio albums: Lukather (1989), Candyman (1994), Luke (1997), Santamental (2003), Ever Changing Times (2008), and All's Well That Ends Well (2010).^[23] In December 2011, he began work on his seventh, a collaboration with C. J. Vanston featuring musicians Chad Smith, Gregg Bissonette, Leland Sklar, and others. The album is scheduled to be released in early 2013.^[24]

[edit] 1989–1997: Lukather, Candyman, and Luke

The 1989 album Lukather came about after Toto had been recording and playing for 11 years, and the consensus among the band members was to take a break. As Lukather had written a number of songs that did not appear on Toto albums, he decided to pursue a solo album, with the intention of presenting a dimension of his music that fans would be unfamiliar with. He collaborated with many notable musicians, including Eddie Van Halen, Richard Marx, Jan Hammer, Steve Stevens, and fellow Toto members Jeff Porcaro and David Paich. Lukather has said that the album was produced very simply, and that a lot of ambient studio noise—counting off on various tracks, for instance—is audible on it. He also credits bands Pink Floyd, Cream, Led Zeppelin, and guitarists Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour, Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton as influences on the album. The single "Swear Your Love" came from the album.^[25]

Candyman, recorded and mastered from March 1993 through November 1993, was a collaboration of musicians who were for the most part also in Lukather's band Los Lobotomys.^[26] Toto familiars Simon Phillips and David Paich participated as well as David Garfield, John Peña, Chris Trujillo, Lenny Castro, Larry Klimas, Fee Waybill, Richard Page, and Paul Rodgers. Lukather recorded the album in mostly live takes with little overdubbing.^[27] Some international fans were confused about whether Candyman was a Steve Lukather album or a Los Lobotomys album. The Japanese and US releases of Candyman were under the Los Lobotomys name rather than Lukather's; the Japanese release also featured a version of the Hendrix song "Red House". The European release of Candyman was credited to Lukather alone. Additionally, the touring band for the album was sometimes introduced as "Steve Lukather and Los Lobotomys" and sometimes as just "Los Lobotomys".^[28] The song "Borrowed Time" was released as a single in Europe and included "Red House" as a B-side.^[27]

Lukather describes 1997's Luke as a much different and more "introspective" album than his previous two solo efforts. The album is a concentrated collection of many of Lukather's musical influences, and he deliberately let those influences come out on the album. Luke is an experimental album, and like Candyman it was recorded mostly in live sessions with minimal overdubbing and processing afterwards. Luke also features instrumentation not heard on previous Lukather albums: pedal steel, harmonicas, Mellotrons, and experimental guitar, bass, and drum sounds. The US version of Luke includes a version of the Jeff Beck song "The Pump". The song "Hate Everything About U" was released as a single.^[29]

[edit] 2003: Santamental

Santamental, released in October 2003,^[30] is a collaborative project featuring several prominent musicians such as guitarists Edward Van Halen, Slash, Steve Vai, and drummer Gregg Bissonette.^[31] When Lukather's record company, Bop City Records, approached him about recording a Christmas album, he responded with a quip about his suitability for the project. The company wanted him to do the record knowing he would approach the project with a unique angle and produce something different from the typical Christmas album. Lukather recruited keyboardist Jeff Babko and guitarist Larry Carlton, who Lukather had worked with previously, to help arrange the songs. The project was a challenge to Lukather, who had to be creative to turn the traditionally simple songs into something interesting for listeners without altering the fundamental structures. He said of the album, "But I never dreamt in a million years that I'd do a Christmas record."^[18]

The musicians Lukather chose for Santamental, most of whom were involved in the hard-rock genre, lent a heavy feel to the album. Van Halen recorded guitar tracks for "Joy to the World" after not having been in the studio for some time but immediately made an impression on Lukather with his level of playing. Vai provided guitar work for "Carol of the Bells" along with Lukather's son Trevor, then 14 years old. Slash, who recorded his part in one take, played on the Lukather/Stan Lynch composition "Broken Heart for Christmas". Lukather spoke highly of Slash after the project, calling him the "Keith Richards of our generation". Well-known session guitarist Michael Landau played on the song "Look Out For Angels",^[18] and there is a version of "Jingle Bells" featuring a big band and sung by Sammy Davis, Jr.^[18] Santamental was recorded in six days, after which Lukather proclaimed it "his first and last Christmas album".^[32]

[edit] 2008–2010: Ever Changing Times and All's Well That Ends Well

Ever Changing Times, released on February 22, 2008, is a collection of songs Lukather recorded in 2007 between Toto tours. The album contains contributions from fellow session musicians Bill Champlin, Abe Laboriel, Jr., Leland Sklar, Steve Porcaro, and many others. Lukather's son Trevor contributed as well. Joseph Williams provides backing vocals on five of the tracks. Lukather wrote the songs for the album in a hotel room with his son and a handful of other musicians, using basic equipment. His song-writing philosophy is that if a song sounds good with only guitars and vocals, it will likely sound good after a full production.^[3] Lukather collaborated with Grammy Award-winning engineer and producer Steve MacMillan on the project, with the goal of introducing some new methods and techniques into the recording process. Lukather described the final tracks as "perfectly imperfect", preferring to record with the five-piece backing band in one room and in one take. MacMillan encouraged Lukather to use "organic, vintage tones". As a result, Lukather eschewed effects and played the guitar parts directly through tube amplifiers manufactured by Marshall, Vox, and some boutique brands. Lukather commented that MacMillan served as a valuable "second set of ears" in the studio, often encouraging him to keep parts that he normally would have discarded.^[7] As Toto had recently disbanded when Ever Changing Times was released, Lukather embarked on a solo tour to promote the album. The shows featured a mixture of songs from the album, songs written for other side projects, and "a few Toto obscurities".^[14]

Lukather's sixth studio album, All's Well That Ends Well, was released on October 11, 2010 in Europe and Japan, and November 16 as a digital download worldwide. The material was written predominantly in collaboration with longtime associate C. J. Vanston, and the album features stalwart musicians from Lukather's touring band. Songwriter Randy Goodrum, who has collaborated with Lukather many times over the years including on the 1986 Toto single "I'll Be over You", contributes to the track "Brody's".^[15] All's Well That Ends Well draws from Lukather's personal experiences in the two years since Ever Changing Times. Critic Arlene Weiss noted that the album features three distinct flavors of music: one that "bares [Lukather's] soul and emotional heartache", one that pans elements of popular culture like TMZ.com, and one that expresses optimism and enthusiasm about the future. While Lukather focused on instrumental writing and production on previous albums but collaborated with lyricists, he wrote much of the lyrics for All's Well That Ends Well himself.^[22] Lukather describes the album as being a "real" and "honest" reflection of the period between 2008 and 2010, when he experienced difficulties within his private life.^[15]

Side projects[link]

When not working with Toto, Lukather has participated in numerous side projects including playing with jazz fusion band Los Lobotomys and with other session musicians, and touring with Larry Carlton, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and others.

Lukather was a long-time member of the band Los Lobotomys, a collaboration of session musicians including jazz and be-bop player David "Creatchy" Garfield and Toto drummer Jeff Porcaro, replaced after his death by Simon Phillips, who also replaced Porcaro in Toto. Los Lobotomys formed in the mid-1980s and played regular shows in the Los Angeles area, often inviting whatever session musicians happened to be available and in the area. They recorded an album under the Los Lobotomys name in 1989, and the band was heavily involved in the recording of Lukather's Candyman.^[26] Los Lobotomys recorded a live album in 2004 comprising several tracks from Candyman and from the 1989 album.^[33]

In 1998, Lukather received an invitation to tour Japan with fellow guitarist Larry Carlton after Japanese promoters requested that Carlton's annual tours each be different from the last. Lukather and Carlton exchanged some recorded material and decided that a collaboration would be interesting. Lukather was flattered by the invitation to tour with Carlton, citing him as his favorite guitarist. Lukather speaks highly of their stage efforts, although the two were admittedly outside their normal realm of work. He stated in an interview that "you can hear us having fun on the record—you can hear the smiles on our faces."^[34] After several shows, the duo realized that they should record their collaboration even if just for their own use. Guitarist and producer Steve Vai heard one of the subsequent recordings and expressed interest in releasing it under his Favored Nations label, also home to such artists as Eric Johnson and Dweezil Zappa. Vai and Lukather mixed and produced the recording, which is said to be a mixture of jazz, blues, and fusion music.^[34] The resulting album, No Substitutions: Live in Osaka, won a 2001 Grammy award for Best Pop Instrumental Album.^[9][35] Album reviewers described Lukather as having a heavier style than Carlton.^[36] Lukather and Carlton later did an international tour in support of the album.^[34]

In 2005, Lukather won critical praise for his rendition of the Jimi Hendrix song "Little Wing" at a gala 90th birthday celebration for jazz guitarist Les Paul.^[37] Returning after a five year absence, the 2012 G3 Tour will feature Lukather alongside Joe Satriani and Steve Vai.^[38] In February 2012, Ringo Starr announced that Lukather will be the guitarist in his All Starr Band for their summer tour.^[39]

Lukather periodically contributes material and expertise to instructional and educational enterprises. In 1985, he released the instructional "Star Licks" guitar video featuring many of the guitar parts from the first five Toto studio albums. It was released on DVD in 2005.^[40] The guitarist has also been participating in the Fermatta Master Class Series project, an educational cooperative organized by the Fermatta Music Academy in Mexico.^[41]

Musical style and equipment[link]

Lukather playing an Ovation Adamas

Influenced by such blues-rock guitarists as Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page, and such jazz fusion players as Al Di Meola and Frank Gambale, Lukather is known for a "melodic and intense" playing style.^[1] He has also cited Steely Dan as a major long-time influence—one that emerges prominently in later solo work such as All's Well That Ends Well.^[42] Journalist Jude Gold notes that his vibrato is very pronounced and his "exaggerated wide bends" are distinctive and quickly recognizable. Well-versed in music theory, Lukather can follow chord charts and changes in a way typical of jazz musicians—this ability enhances his value as a session musician. In interviews, he has explained how he thinks of the guitar in a "chordal cluster" format, and not the typical "linear scale" format.^[43]

Lukather's approach to engineering his sound in the studio is usually very simple. He is not known for doing a large number of takes or for incorporating much overdubbing—rather, he has a reputation for doing only single takes for many parts.^[44] He has said about this approach: "If a solo didn't work—either because I didn't have the right sound, or because I wasn't inspired at that moment—I'd just move on. A part either works or it doesn't. You can't batter it into submission, or force inspiration to save you. It's always better to just surrender, and then come back later to give it a go with fresh ears."^[7] Although he enjoys the technical mastery that is possible in the studio, Lukather prefers the dynamic of performing live on stage.^[45] He has stated that dynamics are the most important element of producing a recording with good sound quality.^[46]

Despite being known in the past for having an intricate set of effects units, Lukather now claims to play mostly free of such modifications after seeing some overdone commercial unit configurations named after him.^[18] Other than some delay, he has not used many effects in recent years.^[45] He has held a long association with Bob Bradshaw of Custom Audio Electronics, who designed and manufactured key elements of Lukather's effects rack. Lukather is one of the few official endorsers of EMG pickups, having collaborated on his own Lukather signature "SL20" pickup system, which is a single unit incorporating two different types of pickups (including a humbucker), single volume and tone knobs, and a pickguard.^[47]

Lukather endorses Music Man guitars and has a signature model named "Luke" that incorporates his signature EMG pickup system. The guitar started out with only MusicMan specifications (including a Floyd Rose locking vibrato, later replaced with a vintage-style fulcrum bridge), but in 1998, the manufacturer made several customizations to the model to better fit Lukather's playing style.^[48] Music Man also produces a Ball Family Reserve Steve Lukather Model that features upgraded hardware and materials.^[49] Lukather has also been known to play Ibanez and Valley Arts guitars. His relationship with Ibanez and Valley Arts yielded an endorsement for a brief time in the 1980s with the release of the Ibanez Roadstar RS1010SL and Valley Arts Custom Pro Steve Lukather Signature guitars in 1984–85.^[49] He has played Ovation Adamas series acoustic–electric guitars.^[50] Starting before his 2010 All's Well That Ends Well tour, Lukather began playing and endorsing Yamaha Studio Response Technology acoustic–electric guitars.^[51]

Discography[link]

Solo

• Lukather (1989)
• Candyman (1994)
• Luke (1997)
• No Substitutions: Live in Osaka (2001)
• Santamental (2003)
• Ever Changing Times (2008)
• All's Well That Ends Well (2010)

With Toto

With Los Lobotomys

• Los Lobotomys (1989)

Awards[link]

• 1982 – Grammy Award for Best R&B Song: Steve Lukather, Jay Graydon, Bill Champlin (for George Benson) – "Turn Your Love Around"
• 1982 – Grammy Award for Producer of the Year: Toto – Toto IV
• 1982 – Grammy Award for Album of the Year: Toto – Toto IV
• 1982 – Grammy Award for Record of the Year: Toto – "Rosanna"
• 2002 – Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album: Larry Carlton & Steve Lukather – No Substitutions: Live in Osaka

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Steve Lukather

• stevelukather.net, Official website, http://www.stevelukather.net/ 
• Steve Lukather at Allmusic
• Steve Lukather at the Internet Movie Database