David Hungate
The foundational bassist whose groove anchored Toto's early sound and shaped some of the slickest records of the 1970s.
Born 1948 (age 78)·American bassist·Birthday: August 5·Baby Boomers
Biography
Before Toto became a household name, David Hungate was a first-call session musician in Los Angeles, laying down impeccable bass lines in the era's polished studio scene. His work on Boz Scaggs's 'Silk Degrees' is a masterclass in smooth, melodic bass playing. In 1977, he joined with other top session players to form Toto, providing the rhythmic bedrock on their first five albums, including the mega-hit 'Toto IV.' His bass intro on 'Rosanna' is instantly recognizable. Preferring the studio to the touring life, Hungate left the band in 1982 and built a successful career in Nashville as a musician and producer, working in country and pop. He briefly rejoined Toto decades later for a reunion tour. Hungate's legacy is the sound of a golden era of studio craftsmanship—unflashy, deeply musical, and absolutely essential to the records that defined an age.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
David was born in 1948, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1948
#1 Movie
The Red Shoes
Best Picture
Hamlet
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1948Born
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1953Started school
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1961Became a teenager
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Could drive
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1966Could vote
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Turned 21
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1978Turned 30
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 40
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 50
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 60
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 70
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 78 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Was a founding member of the rock band Toto and played on their first five albums.
- Played bass on Boz Scaggs's multi-platinum album 'Silk Degrees'.
- His bass performance on Toto's 'Rosanna' is a celebrated piece of pop-rock groove.
- Built a second successful career as a session and touring musician in Nashville after leaving Toto.
Did You Know?
He is the son of U.S. Congressman and federal judge William L. Hungate.
He left Toto in part to raise his family away from the constant touring lifestyle.
He played bass on Alice Cooper's 1978 album 'From the Inside'.
He won a Grammy Award as a member of Toto for 'Toto IV' in 1983.
“The bass should be felt, not heard.”
