Born 69 Years Ago Today in the Golden State, the Founding Member of a Grammy-Winning 80s Rock Band Who Played Guitar on Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’

Steve Lukather, born in California on 21 October 1957, is best known as the sole continuous founding member of Toto and a prolific session guitarist. His work spans more than 1,500 albums, including several tracks on Michael Jackson’s *Thriller*, showing how his career reached well beyond the band.

Lukather joined Toto at 19 after meeting future bandmates David Paich and the Porcaro brothers at school. The band’s *Toto IV* earned six Grammy Awards, while Lukather also played on recordings by artists including Aretha Franklin, Joni Mitchell and Don Henley; he has released nine solo albums, most recently *Bridges* in 2023.