Died On This Date (March 15, 2015) Mike Porcaro / Bassist For Toto; Session Great
themusicsover Mike Porcaro
May 29, 1955 – March 15, 2015
Mike Porcaro is perhaps best remembered as the longtime bassist for Toto, however, he didn’t become an official member until he replaced original bassist, David Hungate, in 1982. He went on to tour and record with the band until his retirement in 2007. He can be heard on such Toto albums as Isolation, Fahrenheit, The Seventh One, and their popular soundtrack to the motion picture Dune. As an in-demand session player, Porcaro’s list of credits reads like a who’s who of popular music of the past five decades. That list includes albums by Aretha Franklin, Cher, Country Joe McDonald, Dan Fogelberg, Donna Summer, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Sparks, Steve Perry, Stevie Nicks, and Wanda Jackson. In 2007, Porcaro retired from playing due to a numbness he was feeling in his fingers, and three years later, it was announced that he was suffering from Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or as it is more commonly known, “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.” On March 15, 2015, Mike Porcaro finally lost his brave battle with the disease. He was 59.
What You Should Own
Byrd Burton is best remembered for his time as guitarist for popular country rock band, the Amazing Rhythm Aces. Burton’s guitar talents can be heard on such records as their 1975 hit single, and their 1976 Grammy-winning “The End is Not in Sight (The Cowboy Tune).” Burton left the band in 1977 and went on to have a successful career as a session player. In the studio, he played on records by the likes of Nanci Griffith, Emmylou Harris, as well as on Don Williams’ “Tulsa Time.” He was also in the touring bands of Brooks & Dunn, Dolly Parton and 
Dan Fogelberg was one of the most popular soft rock singer-songwriters of the 1970s. Starting in 1975, Fogelberg released a string of gold and platinum selling albums including 1979’s Phoenix, which included the #2 single, “Longer,” that has since become a wedding favorite. Two collaborations with Tim Weisberg were also very popular with his fans. In 1981, he released High Country Snows, a bluegrass album that included such guests as Vince Gill, Doc Watson, Jerry Douglas and David Grisman. Fogelberg stayed very active either touring or recording into the early 2000s, Often using his popularity to promote social and environmental issues. Dan Fogelberg was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2004, and died of it on December 16, 2007. He was 56.
