David Hungate

David Hungate (born August 5, 1948) is an American retired bass guitarist noted as a member of the Los Angeles pop-rock band Toto from 1976 to 1982 and again from 2014 to 2015, and the son of judge William L. Hungate. Along with most of his Toto bandmates, Hungate did sessions on a number of hit albums of the 1970s, including Boz Scaggs's ''Silk Degrees'' album and Alice Cooper's '' From the Inside'' album.

Career

Hungate moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s to work as a session musician. It was through his session work where he met his future Toto bandmates including David Paich and Jeff Porcaro. They approached him about starting a band, and while Hungate was initially uninterested in working in a band full-time, he joined as the bassist, while, like the other members in the band, continuing to work as a session musician. He was said to be the one who came up with the name "Toto."

Hungate played on Toto's first four records, including the Grammy award-winning album ''Toto IV''. He left the band shortly after its release for a career as a session musician in Nashville. He relocated to the city in 1981, as session work began to decline in L.A. and he and his wife didn't want to raise their family near Hollywood. He stated the distance from his bandmates in L.A., the age gap between him and the other members of Toto (he was around 6-9 years older), plus the long touring schedules away from his family, were the reasons for his departure. Hungate, who plays many instruments including guitar, trombone, trumpet, drums, and piano, has arranged, produced and recorded with several country artists such as Chet Atkins. He was also a primary member of AOR supergroup Mecca fronted by Joe Vana and Fergie Frederiksen, the latter also of Toto fame. In 1990 he released a solo album entitled ''Souvenir''. Jeff Porcaro played drums on some of the tracks on the album. In 1995, Hungate also played bass on all the songs on Shania Twain's second album '' The Woman in Me''.

, he rejoined Toto in a touring capacity due to the departure of the touring bass player, Nathan East, who, like Leland Sklar during the band's previous tour in 2006/2007, filled in for bassist Mike Porcaro after he retired from touring due to an illness. At first, it was announced that he would retire after the 2014 tour, but he kept touring with Toto until 2015, when he retired from extensive tours. He also played four tracks on the band's album ''Toto XIV''.

Other

Hungate attended Troy Buchanan High School in Troy, Missouri. Because he attended there, the band "Toto" gave the high school a signed record and now during parades the band plays the song "Hold the Line".

He attended the College of Music at North Texas State University. He played bass in their jazz ensemble, the One O'Clock Lab Band, including a performance at the 1970 Montreux Jazz Festival.Dr. Licks, ''Standing in the Shadows of Motown: The Life and Music of Legendary Bassist James Jamerson'', pg. 157, Hal Leonard Corporation (1989)

He is the son of U.S. Congressman (and later Federal District Judge) William L. Hungate.

Discography

* ''Souvenir'' (1990) eissued in 1994

References

External links

David Hungate featured page on the Party Of The Century international music project


David Hungate: I'm so glad to be playing Toto music again!

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hungate, David
1948 births
American country bass guitarists
American male bass guitarists
American rock bass guitarists
American session musicians
Living people
Place of birth missing (living people)
Toto (band) members
University of North Texas College of Music alumni
American male guitarists
20th-century American bass guitarists
20th-century American male musicians
21st-century American bass guitarists
21st-century American male musicians