Named as one of the "10 Best Session Guitarists," Steve Lukather is part of a cacophony of musicians inspired to the craft by witnessing The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show on the night of February 9, 1964. Fast forward, and he's played with George Harrison, whom he calls his "guitar hero,: as well Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, where he's been an occasional member of Ringo's All Starr Band. That's a dream come true in itself.
But Steve Lukather has played with an incredible slate of musicians, from A (Aretha) to Z (Zevon). Sessions with Boz Scaggs on his "Silk Degrees" album in 1976 led him to guys like David Paich, Bobby Kimball, and brothers Jeff, Steve, and Mike Porcaro, which led to more session, writing, and production work with the likes of Steely Dan, Earth Wind and Fire, Lionel Richie, Chicago, Donna Summer, The Tubes, Richard Marx, and George Benson. Lukather and Jeff Porcaro performed on almost all of Michael Jackson's Thriller album.
Of course, all of this work led to the band Toto, which was founded by Lukather and others in 1978. Hits like "Hold The Line" helped propel them on the charts and led to a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1979. Since then, songs like "Rosanna," "Stranger In Town," "I Won't Hold You Back," "I'll Be Over You," and of course, the legendary "Africa" have kept them forefront in many fans' hearts.
Recently, Toto has been performing on their 40 Trips Around the Sun Tour, which includes a date at Madison's own Orpheum Theater on Sunday, September 29th. In this latest EricCast episode, Eric Paulsen talks with Steve Lukather about his inspirations, efforts with and beyond Toto, and what people can expect from their show as they continue to rock crowds after four-plus decades.