Bobby Kimball

Bobby Kimball, born in 1947 and raised in Vinton, Louisiana, built a singing career defined by million-selling triumphs and Grammy recognition alongside personal setbacks and subsequent recovery. Music drew his attention by age five, prompting him to begin singing before he took up piano and absorbed the Dixieland jazz revival of the early and mid-1950s. R&B later shaped his style most strongly, first through Ray Charles and then through Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding. The British Invasion altered his perspective when the Beatles, and especially the Who, introduced him to a fresh take on R&B. He delayed a full commitment to music, however, and instead pursued medical studies in the early 1970s while performing part-time with New Orleans outfits such as the Levee Band.

In 1974 Kimball relocated to Los Angeles to test opportunities nearer the recording industry’s hub. There he encountered Floyd Sneed, Joe Schermie, and Mike Allsup, all former Three Dog Night members whose seven-year run of hit singles and global tours had recently ended. The ex-members still saw potential in their sound and approach, yet lacked the vocalists who had driven their prior success. Kimball’s voice supplied the missing element, allowing the group to form as SS Fools—named after a Three Dog Night album title—and cut a strong Columbia Records release before disbanding after one tour. Although the band itself reached no further, Kimball’s involvement brought him into contact with session players Jeff Porcaro and David Paich.

Roughly eighteen months after SS Fools dissolved, Paich and Porcaro recruited Kimball as lead singer for their new band, Toto. He later disclosed that Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins had already declined because of existing career demands, leaving Kimball free to accept. Composed of elite session musicians and sharing certain R&B leanings with the English group Kokomo, Toto quickly rose to prominence in Los Angeles and then nationwide, reaching a pinnacle with the Grammy-winning Toto IV in 1982. That album became one of the decade’s biggest sellers, propelled by the hit single “Rosanna.” Kimball also contributed as a songwriter, placing “You Are the Flower” on the debut album and two tracks on Toto IV. His vocal work stood out on “Make Believe,” “Waiting for Your Love,” and “We Made It,” even as Steve Lukather and David Paich handled some lead parts, and he became a frequent session singer throughout the Los Angeles scene.

Kimball stayed with Toto until 1984, departing midway through the Isolation album. He later acknowledged that a severe drug problem had rendered continued work impossible. After entering therapy to overcome the addiction and signing with German producer Frank Farian, he moved to Germany, regained stability, and attempted to rebuild a solo career in Europe. Several false starts occurred, yet by the close of the 1980s he resumed session singing and rejoined Toto on two later occasions, one cut short by label disputes. The new century brought renewed solo activity, while a Japanese mini-LP reissue introduced SS Fools to fresh listeners, including Three Dog Night fans who had overlooked the band earlier. Kimball again fronted Toto until the group announced its 2008 breakup.