Bobby Kimball keeps going back to Toto

Seven years after he formed Toto in 1977, one of the most popular and best-selling rocks bands in the ’80s, vocalist Bobby Kimball left the group and resumed work as a session singer, only to rejoin the group in 1989 to record its landmark greatest-hits album Past to Present 1977-1990.

Come to think of it, did he leave or was he asked to leave?

Kimball talked about the incident last Sunday during an exclusive one-on-one with Funfare at the Hyatt Hotel and Casino where he and his entourage are billeted during their series of concerts here. (Check out the complete schedule at the end of this piece.)

“There was a bit of an illness in Los Angeles at that time, especially in the music industry,” Kimball said over lunch at the hotel’s restaurant with Dannie Samonte/Steve O’Neal whose company is producing the Toto’s Greatest Hits Featuring Bobby Kimball concerts (featuring such old hits as I Want To Hold You Back, Georgy Porgy, 99, Hold The Line, Takin’ It To The Street, Stairway to Heaven, Africa, Rosanna, You Are The One and, of course, I’ll Be Over You).

“What illness? Well, there was a lot of drugs and everybody was partying a little too much, you know...I was involved in that and so were the other members of the band. Then, the lights came on and we realized what a crazy life it was. We had just won seven Grammys out of nine nominations and it sounded like it was a little bit of a drug decision to fire the lead singer. It didn’t make sense to me then but it does now.”

Toto was never the same without Kimball.

“I told them I was not gonna call them that I would be coming back. If they needed me to go back, they should be the ones to call me. And they did in 1989. In fact, they actually put off the 25th-anniversary CD until I got back. Then we went on a tour of Europe. I guess they realized that the band would make more money with the original singer than without him.”

Away from Toto, Kimball said he worked in Germany and South America, played in Sao Paulo, L.A., Moscow.

“I was having fun,” he smiled. “I wouldn’t say that the band broke up. Each of us members are just doing solo records right now.”

Beside Kimball, Toto is composed of Steve Lukather (vocals/guitar), Greg Phillinganes (keyboard), Simon Philips (drummer), Leland Sklar (bass guitar) and Tony Spinner (guitar).

“I really love the band,” Kimball continued. “We really started professionally together in music. I had a band when I was eight years old and I’ve been playing in nightclubs since I was 12. But you never really make an impact on the market until you have a No. 1 record. Toto gave me that.”

Is he in touch with the other Toto members?

“Of course, I am. In fact, I just e-mailed Steve the other day. He knew that I was coming over. That’s the magic of technology. All I do is look at the Internet and I know what the other guys are doing, and vice-versa.”

And is there any chance of the guys reuniting, for old time’s sake?

“I can’t answer that,” Kimball said, adding in jest, “I have to kill you.”

Besides touring and singing Toto’s well-loved songs, Kimball is busy with his website called The Singers’ Corner in which he dishes out pieces of advice to aspiring musicians.

“We live in an information age, so why not lend a hand to people who need it? My website is visited by thousands of people.”

Asked for a sample of the dozens of tips he very generously gives to his website visitors, Kimball said, “You have to be able to take care of yourself so that you can last a long time. Also, don’t scream or shout. You can reach the notes without doing that or hurting your vocal cords. As a musician, you don’t stop learning. I continue to take voice lessons even if I’ve been singing for a long time. I hire a voice coach. I want to go around the world and share whatever I learn from my voice coach. Why scream or shout when you can turn the microphone up and get the same results?”

So what can we expect from your series of concerts this time? You’ve been here several times in the past 16 years.

“The old songs. That’s what everybody wants to hear, right?”

Right, Bobby Kimball. The same Toto songs the post-Baby Boomer generation has grown up with.

(Note: Toto’s Greatest Hits Featuring Bobby Kimball is produced by Steve O’Neal Productions. The complete schedule: Nov. 12 at the grand ballroom of Heritage Hotel, Pasay City; Nov. 14, CAP Auditorium, Davao City; Nov. 15, St. Mary’s Gym, Tagum City, Davao; Nov. 16, Lagao Gym, General Santos City; Nov. 19, Limketkai Center, Cagayan de Oro City; Nov. 20, main ballroom of Hyatt Hotel and Casino, Manila; Nov. 21, Aliw Theater, CCP Complex, Pasay City; Dec. 1, La Salle Gym, Bacolod City; Dec. 3, Parklane International Hotel, Cebu City; and Dec. 7, Hard Rock Café, Makati City. Tickets to the Alkiw Theater show are priced at P3,675, P2,675, P2,100 and P1,575. Tickets to the Hyatt Hotel and Casino dinner-show cost P3,675 each. For inquiries, call Ticketnet at 911-5555.)

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Finally, after “hiding” for one year and two months, Danita Paner had a tearful reconciliation with her mom, Daisy Romualdez, Thursday night at the Mall of Asia where the Callalily band was performing. The band’s vocalist, Kian Cipriano, is Danita’s boyfriend.

It was Daisy’s niece who arranged the meeting.

“Last All Soul’s Day,” Daisy told Funfare, “Danita called Vicky to pick her up at Gateway in Cubao. She stayed with Vicky for a few days before Vicky invited me to MOA dahil may sorpresa daw siya sa akin.”

When mother and daughter met, they embraced while sobbing. It turned out that while she was “missing” (prompting Daisy to ask the help of the NBI), Danita was taken care of by her dad, Manny Paner who, without Daisy’s knowing it, rented a studio-type pad for Danita while she continued attending classes at the Entrepreneurship of Asia.

Apologizing to mom Daisy, Danita said that she never meant it when she said that Daisy’s home was “hell” during an interview on the ABS-CBN Sunday show The Buzz.

Danita said that she was asked “leading” questions and her answers were taken out of context.

Mother and daughter are savoring their long-delayed reconciliation without any recrimination.

Asked if she’ll be less strict, Daisy said, “Hindi naman talaga ako strict. Ang sa akin lang, kapag may lakad siya dapat may kasama.”

Here’s wishing Daisy, Danita and Manny (and everybody else in the family) a Merry, Merry Christmas.

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