As he eyeballs next year’s 50th anniversary of his band, Toto, Steve Lukather likes to clear up one common misperception.
Although the group members played sessions for Boz Scaggs, Steely Dan, Sonny & Cher and others before launching Toto, Lukather points out that “we’ve known each other since we were kids, and we were a high school band. Everybody overlooks that. They think we were put together in some boardroom. I always thought that was pretty funny.
“And it’s not a band like it was. I mean, there’s been 22 versions of the band, 48 musicians in and out, and I’m the only one that’s been here the whole time. But people still come out, and they love the music, and as long as that’s the case, we’ll keep coming out to play it for them.”
Toto has over the years released 14 studio albums — including 1982’s four-times platinum “Toto IV,” which won five Grammy Awards — and has scored hits such as “Hold the Line,” “Rosanna,” and the enduring favorite “Africa.” These days, Lukather leads things with longtime vocalist Joseph Williams, while keyboardist and co-founder David Paich remains a nontouring principal member…