“I know it sounds like a cliche’ to say it, but I was blown away when I saw The Beatles on TV,” he said. “It changed my life and I wanted to play guitar. I never dreamed that one day I would get to meet George (Harrison) and play with Paul (McCartney) and that Ringo would become one of my closest friends and brothers. I’ve been a member of Ringo’s All-Starr Band for 12 years now. It’s incredible. To start as this little kid sitting in front of the TV set and having this dream, I never looked back.”
Lukather started Toto in the late 1970s with his friends and schoolmates David Paich and the brothers Porcaro: Jeff, Mike and Steve. In October 1978, the band released its self-titled debut album, which featured the rock-radio hit “Hold The Line.”
“Toto IV” came out in 1982 and the band saw great commercial success with the singles “Rosanna” and “Africa.”
And when they weren’t touring or recording Toto music, the band members were busy playing with more than 500 different musical acts including Yes and Michael Jaclson.
The band continued to release new music and tour. But that all came to a screeching halt in 202 when the COVID-19 pandemic rocked the world.
“It really was like hitting a brick wall going full blast,” he said. “We didn’t know if we were ever going to get to do what we love again. It was a very negative experience.”
But Toto would, indeed, return to the road, and would find that the band was more popular than ever, thanks in part to the success of the band’s number-one hit “Africa,” which has been streamed on Spotify more than a billion times.
“It’s given us a third act, and not a lot of people who do what we do don’t get a third act,” he said. “We are playing to people who may have not had the chance to see us before. While I do kind of crack up about ‘Africa,’ I do appreciate it,” Lukather said. “If that’s what it takes to put the people in the seats, then so be it. They come and they hear the other stuff and they’re like. ‘Wow. They sing that, too!” I’m grateful to get this third act with Toto.”
Journey: The Freedom Tour 2024
Featuring Toto
Friday, Feb. 9
7:30 p.m.; Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Mississippi Coast Coliseum
Tickets available at Tickemaster.com
Coliseum parking is $10
For more information: https://www.mscoastcoliseum.com/events/2024/journey
Jeff Clark
Multi-media journalist
662-251-7411
jeffclarkmedia@gmail.com
