| Background: | person |
| David Paich | |
| Birth Name: | David Frank Paich |
| Birth Date: | 25 June 1954 |
| Birth Place: | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Years Active: | 1973–present |
| Current Member Of: | Toto |
David Frank Paich (born June 25, 1954) is an American keyboardist, singer, and songwriter, best known as the co-founder, principal songwriter, keyboardist, and secondary vocalist of the rock band Toto since 1977. He wrote or co-wrote much of Toto's original material, including the band's three most popular songs: "Hold the Line", "Rosanna", and "Africa". With Toto, Paich has contributed to 17 albums and sold over 40 million records. He and guitarist and singer Steve Lukather are the only members to appear on every studio album.
In addition, Paich has worked as a songwriter, session musician, and producer with a host of artists including Helen Reddy, Boz Scaggs, and Michael Jackson.
Paich is the son of jazz composer, musician, and arranger Marty Paich.[1]
A prolific writer of chart-performing songs (13 Top40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100), Paich wrote or co-wrote such tracks as "Hold the Line", "99", "Lowdown", "Lido Shuffle", "Georgy Porgy", "Rosanna", "Hydra", "Holyanna", "Pamela", "Got To Be Real", "Lady Love Me (One More Time)", and "Miss Sun". He also performed lead vocals on the Toto hits "Africa", "Lovers in the Night", and "Stranger in Town".
Paich remained with Toto from the beginning of the band in 1977 until 2004, then performed on only a few shows until their disbandment in 2008. Session keyboardist Greg Phillinganes joined Toto in 2003 as an additional keyboardist for both studio projects and tour dates. In 2010, Paich resumed performing with Toto, and until mid-2018 was one of the band's keyboard players, alongside fellow original member Steve Porcaro.
With Toto in between legs of its 2018 40 Trips Around the Sun (40th anniversary) tour, the band announced via its official website on July 20, 2018, that Paich "will not be performing on the band's planned North American tour [lasting from July 30-November 17]. The recent European appearances [February 11-April 8] took a toll on his personal well-being... He plans on focusing on his health, and looks forward to returning to the road when ready to do so." Guitarist Steve Lukather later stated that Paich's absence stemmed partially from an apparent seizure he suffered on the bus during the band's early 2018 European tour.[2]
Paich returned to the stage with Toto for the opening and closing shows of their 2019 US tour, reportedly their last, on September 20 in Los Angeles and October 20 in Philadelphia.[3] In both instances, Paich joined the band at the end of the show to play keyboards and sing on "Africa" and "Home of the Brave". The band dissolved at the end of the tour, however, before he could make a full return. Toto reformed in 2020 with Lukather and singer Joseph Williams fronting a new band. Paich is no longer able to tour full-time, but remains a member of the band as its musical director and a guest performer whenever his health allows.[4] [5] David made a guest appearance in Amsterdam, the 15th of July 2022 for 5 songs only.[6]
He has co-writing credits with Boz Scaggs on the songs "What Can I Say", "Lowdown", and "Lido Shuffle" from the multi-platinum album Silk Degrees, and occasionally still sits in on keyboards with Boz Scaggs' band. As songwriter he wrote or co-wrote songs for Cher,[7] [8] The Jacksons,[9] Andy Williams,[10] George Benson,[11] Glen Campbell,[12] Boz Scaggs,[13] Jon Anderson[14] (Yes), Cherie & Marie Currie,[15] [16] and Chicago.[17] As arranger he worked for Michael Jackson, Rod Stewart, Patti Austin, Donna Summer, the Doobie Brothers, Sheryl Crow and many more.
In 1977, Paich produced the No. 1 R&B hit "Break It to Me Gently" by Aretha Franklin.In the early and mid-1980s, Paich often worked with well-known producers Quincy Jones and David Foster. Paich was a part of the session group on the Michael Jackson album Thriller. He played piano, synthesizer, and did some synth and rhythm arrangements.
In 1982, Paich produced and arranged the song "It's A Long Road" for the film First Blood.
In 1989, Paich produced and arranged the Oscar-nominated song "The Girl Who Used to Be Me", written by Marvin Hamlisch and Alan and Marilyn Bergman, for the film Shirley Valentine and produced the song "I'll Be Holding On", written by Hans Zimmer and Will Jennings, for the film Black Rain.
In 1994, Paich was a producer on the Tramaine Hawkins album To a Higher Place which was nominated for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album in the 37th Annual Grammy Awards.
In October 2009, David Paich was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame along with the other members of Toto.
Paich was the Co-Music Director for President Bill Clinton's Foundation Concert in 2011. That year Paich also performed on the all-star benefit album entitled Jazz For Japan (Avatar Records).
David was the music coordinator for 2012 Music Cares Person of the Year, Paul McCartney.
For his extraordinary contributions to the world of music, David Paich was honored with the 2013 South-South Award for Lifetime Cultural Achievement.
As a session musician, Paich has played on numerous soundtracks and on albums by many artists, including Elkie Brooks' album Rich Man's Woman; Bryan Adams' song "Please Forgive Me"; the Michael Jackson songs "Earth Song", "The Girl Is Mine", "Heal the World", "Stranger in Moscow", and "I Just Can't Stop Loving You"; and the USA for Africa song "We Are the World", as well as work with Aretha Franklin, Boz Scaggs, Quincy Jones, Melanie Safka, Don Henley, Diana Ross, the Doobie Brothers, Neil Diamond, Seals and Crofts, Steely Dan, Elton John, Joe Cocker, Rod Stewart, Cher, Sarah Vaughan, Randy Newman, Tina Turner, the Brothers Johnson and Pink.
Paich traveled to China, where he worked composing the theme music for the 2008 Summer Olympics. In 2009, he sang the hit song "Africa" at the Millennium Development Goals awards in New York and co-produced a new tune for George Benson. Paich was involved with the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards as a music producer and keyboardist for the on-stage band.
In 2022, Paich announced his debut solo album titled Forgotten Toys. It was released by The Players Club (Mascot Label Group) on August 19, 2022.[18] On June 9, 2022, he released the first single titled "Spirit of the Moonrise," followed by July 14's "Queen Charade."[19]
Paich has said he plans to release more solo music in the future and he has "some stuff lying around here", and is often "slow" because he is "methodical and a perfectionist, sometimes too much...".
David Paich was born in Los Angeles, California to Hilda Lorraine Paich and Martin Louis Paich. He had one sister, Lorraine Louise Paich Cohen, who died on December 20, 2010, at age 58. She was a survivor of a double lung transplant that took place in November 2006, and Paich took a leave of absence from Toto in 2003–2008 to help care for her. She has three credits on albums her brother David was involved in. These include two production credits, one from the 1978 Cheryl Lynn self-titled debut album David produced, and one from the 1981 Sarah Vaughan album titled Songs Of The Beatles. She was also credited as providing vocals on the Toto song "Struck By Lightning" from their 2018 studio album Old Is New. His mother, Hilda, died in 1979, and his father, Marty, died on August 12, 1995. He married his wife, Lorraine, in 1984 and they have one daughter together named Elizabeth, who was born on November 4, 1989.