lukather confirms the end of Toto.

[Out Of This Swirled]

from steve lukathers home page.

Steve Lukather: "I would like to make a formal annoucement as I have been barraged by e-mails and speculations on various websites.

The fact is yes I have left Toto. There is no more Toto. I told the guys before the last leg of our tour.
We had some differences in how business was being done. The other fact is that I have been the only guy who was at the first rehearsal till the last gig a month or so ago. When Jeff died part of us all died with him. We pursued it and had some great times. Simon was a champ replacing Jeff at a most difficult time. Bobby was out of the band for 16 years and then came back and you know the other singer stories. Other than Bobby, Joe was the only guy that really fit with us cause he was a high school buddy as well. No offence to Bobby at all.

When Dave retired that was REAL hard for me cause we started the band together. Hell its 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 isnt a Paich or at least one Porcaro how can we even call it Toto? It was bittersweet cause I finally got to tour with my dear friend and musical legend Leland Sklar whom I have known since I was 19 years old. We had some laughs and great times.
Honestly I have just had enough. This is NOT a break. It is over. I really cant go out and play Hold the Line with a straight face anymore. I was 19 when we cut the record. I am 50 now.

I have only the deepest respect for the guys that have been in and out of this band over the years. We had a great run and I owe an awful lot to the experience and the success we had. We hung in there hard despite being the most hated band in the world by most so called "rock critics". We took the punches and kept going. Our old label President Donnie Ienner ruined us in the USA by not releasing our records and not letting us out of our contract for over 10 YEARS! And that really set us back. Why? You have to ask the man himself cause we never knew why. He just didnt like our music or us personally I guess. We will never know.

The USA turned there backs on us and it was very hard for me to keep smiling thru it all. It just sort of festered inside me and I was hurting myself in the process and eventually I had to be honest with myself and I was not happy at all. The guys in the current line-up could not be more different individuals and the only real thing we had in common was music. This was NOT the high school band of brothers that we started in the 70's. We had a magic thing and the same sense of humour and the same views on life. Somehow that was lost. Its not the new guys fault. It is what it is.

I just cant do it anymore and at 50 years old I wanted to start over and give it one last try on my own. As the only original member that had NEVER ever left or missed even ONE gig or recording I figured I might as well do it myself now while I can still get out and do it and have a new record that just came out and a new band that is unreal and a tour booked that will take me thru the end of summer 2009 and beyond. The title of my record says it all. Ever Changing Times.

Today I confered with my soul brother and founding member David Paich on this matter. He wrote me back and he said "We are FREE"! I laughed out loud. I dont think he thought this was Toto anymore either. There are no bad feeling from me to the other guys at all. I wish them only the very very best and all the good things in life and I am sure we will run into each other here or there and it will be hugs and all, hope so anyway. So, there you have it. I hope you will come out to one of my shows and thank you for 31 years of friendship."
stevelukather.net, June 5th 2008

[elcid]

Cool, he confirmed it 25 years after everyone else knew about it.

[DEADTUNES666]

I like Lukather, he seems to be a good guy...

[Clonetool]

Wow thats awful im still reeling from Crowed House.

[joesatch]

Steve, you don't need Toto to do stuff like this, you are brilliant.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=I6pPSRintPs

[Lefty Robb]

Originally Posted by joesatch

Steve, you don't need Toto to do stuff like this, you are brilliant.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=I6pPSRintPs

wow, I think I fell asleep half way through that...

[eviltwin]

The USA turned there backs on us

stuff like that really hurts my eyes...a bit like toto's music hurting my ears

[TongueShredder]

Oh man....Toto was among the great bands that I listened to in the 80s. With songs like Africa and Rosanna, they will definitely be missed.Those were the days

[WMerkert]

By by TOTO, definiteley one of my fav bands. Many songs touched me deeply over many years until now.

[jemaholic]

I wasn't aware they were still together......

[CosmicDebris]

Wicked Witch finally got her wish.

[OLIE_ROCKS_THE_80'S]

Originally Posted by DEADTUNES666

I like Lukather, he seems to be a good guy...

Nah! he is a freaking jerk!!! This was his apologetic way to kill Toto once again he has always been a control freak!!!

[Petie]

Originally Posted by OLIE_ROCKS_THE_80'S

Nah! he is a freaking jerk!!! This was his apologetic way to kill Toto once again he has always been a control freak!!!

I saw them a few months ago and while they put on a great show, it really wasn't Toto any more, it was Luke, Kimball and a bunch of fill-in guys. That's just one member away from an Axl/G'n'R-like situation. The tour they just completed was the most successful of their career and it's time to hang it up. Luke didn't walk away from Toto, everyone else did, and he's just closing the door.

Also, I dunno how you could spend even a second in Luke's company and think he's a jerk - a conversation with him feels like being thrown into a Loony Tunes cartoon, in a good way.

[jallen]

In other news, Mr. Mister announced that they too had broken up sometime in the 90s.

[Tank]

They'll be missed (the old Toto anyway). Lukather is a good guy and a very underrated player. I met Kimball and his doughter one time and they are both very nice and down to earth too. But it has not been Toto since the 90s.