David Hungate

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 band's 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 Los Angeles and he and his wife did not want to raise their family near Hollywood. He stated the distance from his bandmates in Los Angeles, 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. Hungate's publishing company, Brownie Music, was signed by Keeling & Co in 1988 to manage Hungate's copyright and publishing. In 1990, he released a solo album entitled Souvenir, with Jeff Porcaro playing drums on some of the tracks on the album. In 1995, Hungate also played bass on all of the songs on Shania Twain's second album The Woman in Me. In 2014, 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 2007/2008, 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 on four tracks on the band's album Toto XIV.

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