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Did you know Toto’s vocalist is the son of composer John Williams?
Yes, that’s right, the current Toto singer, Joseph Williams, is the son of legendary film score composer John Williams and actress Barbara Ruick, who passed away too soon at the age of 41 in 1974.
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Born in 1960 in Santa Monica, California, Joseph released his self-titled debut album in 1982. In the following years, he worked extensively as a guest vocalist on many soundtracks, including the song “Save the Night” from The Goonies (1985) and Disney’s Adventures of the Gummi Bears (1985).
His father, John Williams, is one of the most influential film composers of all time, having created iconic scores for movies such as Jaws (1975), Star Wars (1977), Superman (1978), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), the Indiana Jones franchise, Jurassic Park (1993), and more.
How Joseph Williams Joined Toto
In 1984, two years after Toto released their best-selling album “Toto IV” (1982), which featured hits like “Rosanna” and “Africa,” lead singer Bobby Kimball was fired. Earlier, in 1983, Kimball had faced prosecution for drug-related charges, and although he pleaded not guilty and the charges were dismissed, the band decided to part ways with him in the following year due to his inability to record vocals and his frequent absences from recording sessions.
To replace him, the band brought in Fergie Frederiksen (formerly of Angel, Trillion, and LeRoux), with whom they recorded the album “Isolation” (1984). However, the record failed to achieve the commercial success of its predecessor. After the tour promoting the album, Frederiksen was also let go.
Following his departure, Toto held auditions and Joseph Williams was chosen as the new lead singer. With Williams on vocals, the band recorded the successful album Fahrenheit (1986), which featured two hit singles sung by guitarist Steve Lukather: “I’ll Be Over You” and “Without Your Love.” Williams also contributed lead vocals to several tracks, including “Till the End.” In 1988, he was part of The Seventh One, which included the hits “Pamela” and “Stop Loving You.”
Although both albums and their corresponding tours were successful, the band decided to replace Joseph in 1988. In the following years, Toto had several different lead singers, including Jean-Michel Byron and Bobby Kimball (who later returned). From 1992 to 1998, Steve Lukather and David Paich handled the lead vocals.
Return to the band
Joseph briefly rejoined the band in 1998 for a small promotional tour with former members Kimball and Steve Porcaro. However, after the Toto XX tour, only Kimball officially rejoined the band, remaining a member until 2008. During those years, Williams occasionally performed with Toto, contributing to recordings and live shows.
From 2008 to 2010, Toto went on hiatus, but when the band was reformed by Lukather in 2010, Williams officially returned as lead vocalist, a role he continues to hold to this day.
Besides being a singer, Williams also plays keyboards and tambourine. Like most Toto members, he is also a highly regarded session musician. One of his most famous contributions outside of Toto was providing the singing voice for adult Simba in Disney’s 1994 animated film The Lion King.