Toto's Mike Porcaro Passes

Mike Porcaro

Longtime TOTO bass player MIKE PORCARO passed away over the past weekend at the age of 59, the NEW YORK TIMES reports. Although no cause of death was immediately disclosed, PORCARO had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or LOU GEHRIG’S DISEASE, for several years.
PORCARO’s brothers JEFF, a drummer, and STEVE, a keyboardist, were studio musicians who started the band in 1977. MIKE joined the group in 1982 after the original bassist, DAVID HUNGATE, left. The brothers were the sons of jazz drummer JOE PORCARO.

TOTO sold millions of records in the late ’70s and early ’80s, with “TOTO IV” winning the 1982 GRAMMY for Album of the Year, and its song “Rosanna,” was chosen as Record of the Year. The band also collectively won the Producer of the Year GRAMMY.

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