David Paich was one of the key contributors to the Yacht Rock era of the late 70s and early 80s, creating a remarkable catalog that has moved easily between rock, pop, jazz and soul.
The son of legendary arranger and pianist Marty Paich, David was already an in-demand Los Angeles musician before Toto was formed in 1977. He earned an early Grammy for co-writing Boz Scaggs’ smash “Lowdown,” and soul music fans fell in love with his musicality via such hits as Cheryl Lynn’s “Got To Be Real” and both the Toto and Eric Benet versions of the funky “Georgy Porgy.” He also played a big role as part of the band for many Quincy Jones productions, including Michael Jackson’s seminal Thriller.
But Paich arguably made his biggest mark as lead songwriter and groundbreaking arranger for Toto’s biggest hits, such as “Hold the Line,” “Rosanna” and “Africa.”
Due to health issues, Paich stopped touring with Toto in 2018, but his legacy is as one of the most creative, proficient and downright talent musicians of his era.
